Happy New Year from Sportsman's Cove Lodge!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good year of fishing!

Sharing the spotlight!

I have decided to give some of my staff an opportunity to tell about their time at the lodge. And just because today December 16th is Denise's Birthday, we will start with her.

There is nothing more exciting than having a Fish On!  Alaska is the most awesome place to come “catchin’ fish”! My first year (2013) at Sportsman’s Cove was wonderful. I had the opportunity to watch the Dock operations from the Tower (the office really). To see the eager faces leaving the dock excited about what the day would bring out on the water, and to see the smiling faces return to the dock with their catch was amazing! And to hear the stories of magnificent whale shows, there is nothing like seeing whales in the wild coming full body out of the water, it puts you in a state of awe. An experience you will never forget!!  One of my favorite things to do was to talk with the young kids that came catchin’ with mom & dad or grama & grampa. Hearing about the fish they caught that was as big as they are, so much fun. Being at Sportsman’s Cove Lodge was like have mini family reunions all summer long, meeting new people and hugging old friends. I look forward to many seasons at the Cove!

Denise Bryant

December 2013

Reflecting on 2013

Click our link to go to some of the great photos we took of the fishing in 2013. Enjoy!

2014 Brings us into 25 Years of Business at the current location, and 45 years in the sportfishing industry. Now that's something to brag about! A host of fun things will be taking place this summer, so get in on the chance to enjoy a great time. Call us at 1-800-962-7889......

Virtual Tour Part 2........

Captain Mac here, back with part two of my virtual tour to the lodge.....

Day 1 ~ The Fishing

At five the next morning Christina brings fresh coffee to the common area just outside your room. You expected to have more trouble awakening that early but it is 9:00 AM back home. After a couple of cups of coffee and a shower you head on down to the dining room a few minutes before the scheduled breakfast hour of six o'clock, to build your lunch for the day. This is serious fishing and you'll be eating lunch on the boat each day so you pack what you want from the large table of offerings called the "Spike Table."

You, Captain Neeley, and your boat mates enjoy another sumptuous and bountiful meal prepared by Chef Carl and served by the bubbly Heidi. As great as the food is and as stimulating as the table banter (including Captain's ample repertoire of fishing tales) it comes to an end as you and your team tromp down to the waiting Friendly Lady. Tom's been up since five as well but, in addition to eating breakfast, he's already prepared the bait for today's fishing and rigged the gear. Captain Neeley fires up the powerful Caterpillar diesel and tunes in the XM radio. Appropriately enough your team grooves to Otis Redding's Sitting on the Dock of the Bay as the "Lady" slips her moorings and heads out into the bountiful Alaskan waters.

Not a quarter of a mile out you have another wildlife spotting. This time it is a couple of black bear cubs scavenging along the water's edge. Momma is not far away but nowhere in sight at the moment. All of the fleet Captains maneuver their boats as close as possible and the cameras are whirring in activity as nearly everyone on each of the boats strains to capture the cuteness of those little guys.

But, you're here to fish so Captain Neeley heads for the first fishing stop of the day, Ship Island, about a half hour away, giving you a chance to have another cup of coffee and enjoy some of the spectacular surroundings of the Inside Passage. Along the way you pass a huge cruise ship, southbound, heading for a stop in Ketchikan for the day. The engine slows as you come abreast of the collection of sparsely wooded rocks that make up Ship Island. Captain Neeley's eyes are glued to the fish finder as he moves the boat around slowly near the Island. Finally he finds what he's been searching for... a big ball of herring 100 feet down... directly under the "Lady".

He marks the GPS coordinates and gives orders to us to drop your lines to 100 feet and start fishing. Six baited hooks plummet almost immediately as every one of you wants to catch the first fish.

Young Caleb is the first to hook up. His line stops droping and he asks Tom what to do about it. Tom knows what this means and excitedly tells Caleb, "Reel"! The line becomes tight and the reel explodes! The rod tip bends nearly to the water as the first fish of the day makes his run for freedom. His Dad and Grandfather are offering him encouragement, Captain Neeley is telling him to keep the line tight, and Caleb is straining to control the freight train at the other end of his line.

Suddenly, you feel the strike on your line and its game on. As you're fighting your salmon you look around and see that everyone on the boat is hooked up with something, and Captain Neeley and Tom are moving quickly about offering advice and encouragement. After a few exciting minutes Tom nets your salmon, a nice 15 pound king. Captain Neeley dives into the pilothouse to quickly record your king on your license, and then returns to the fray.

Caleb is still fighting his fish and there are another four other fish on. Captain Neeley figures Caleb's fish is another King-and a big one. Pandemonium reigns as Captain Neeley and Tom choreograph the efforts of the five remaining fishermen, keeping them away from Caleb and from tangling with each other. One by one the fish are boated. Some turn out to be rockfish, but Mike has nailed another king that looks like a clone of yours. Everyone offers Caleb encouragement as they continue their own battles to boat their fish.

Finally, after a 20-minute struggle, Caleb finally pulls his fish in close enough for Tom to net it and bring it on board. And, it's a beauty- 25 pound King-it seems nearly as big as Caleb himself. Everyone cheers for Caleb and then gets back to fishing. By, about 10:30 the action has slowed and to your amazement, the fish box is full of a mix of nice kings, some rockfish and a dozen Silver salmon. And, you've still got most of the day ahead of you.

Captain Neeley tells you that the tide has turned and describes the action he anticipates on the flats, fishing for white fish; cod and halibut. While you're motoring out to the flats Tom is busy filleting some of the fish to make room in the box for what is to come. During the interlude you and your fellow fishing mates down some coffee or hot cocoa (not that you need the caffeine because you are already on an adrenaline high) and munch on cookies, chips, and fruit from your lunch bags.

After surveying the bottom with his depth finder, Captain Neeley has Tom drop the anchor in about 200 feet of water and the action commences. Your lines barely reach the bottom before they are snapped up by fat and hungry cod and halibut. The fish are coming up so quickly that you soon lose count of your own catch.

Ed and Terri have pretty much stayed at the bow and the rest of you have respected their honeymoon status. But, there is no mistaking Terri's scream of delight as she hooks an apparent monster. That fish has her heavy duty halibut rod nearly doubled over. She has the butt of the rod buried in her tummy for support, and with both hands she grasps the rod with all her might as she struggles to control the beast at the other end of the line. Her reel is singing as line is torn off it. When he sees the rod tip pumping from head shakes, Captain Neeley confirms his suspicion that she's hooked her first halibut-a big one.

After a 30-minute back-and-fourth battle she finally lands a 40 pound halibut, easily the biggest fish anyone on the boat (except maybe Captain Neeley) has ever caught.

Over the next two hours the fishing keeps up nonstop and everyone catches their limits on halibut.

When the tide finally turns and the action slows, it comes none too soon. Your arms and shoulders are aching from reeling in fish after fish from the depths. And, the fish box is overflowing-again. Tom has his work cut out for him to clean all of them.

But, you're still not done fishing. Now it's time to go back after salmon. Each of you has about four more Silver and six Pink salmon left in your daily limit. And, Chum salmon that have been showing up in good numbers. Back to work. Captain Neeley motors over to a place the Captains call "The Men's Room" and its game on again. Periodically, Captain Neeley repositions the boat over the bait ball below but the fishing remains hot. You've never had so much fun or non-stop fishing action in your life. This is truly an unforgettable exerience.

Back to the Lodge ~

About 4:00 PM the "Lady" and its weary passengers return to the Lodge. After shucking the rain gear it's time for pictures. Tom hangs the largest fish your team caught that day and the team gathers around for pictures. It has been a long, tiring and exciting day but there is still plenty to do to relax.

As you saunter to the dining room you discover that Chef Carl's culinary team has laid out a mini-smorgasbord of salmon spread, clam chowder, cheeses, and other delectable's to greet your triumphant return and whet your appetite for tonight's dinner. Ed and Terri grab bowls of chowder, order a couple of glasses of wine, and head for the hot tub. Jim, Mike and Caleb check out one of the lodge skiffs and head across the cove to go fish for freshwater trout.  You retire to your room, cozy up on a deck chair and savor the single malt you asked the crew to provide for you. As you inhale the majestic scenery all around you, follow a bald eagle gliding across the cove, and relish the moments...you realize that this is one bucket list item that has far surpassed even your most optimistic dreams.

Evening Gourmet Meal and Awards ~

At six o'clock sharp you saunter to the dining room. Lo and behold, on your table, there are the pictures of your day's catch taken earlier on the dock when you return from fishing. There is even an enlargement of Terri and her halibut and another of Caleb with his king.

Captain Neeley soon joins you. Mike is gushing about his grandson's fishing prowess. Ed and Terri are making eyes at each other like infatuated teenagers, and the room is buzzing with excitement.

Dinner is an event. Christina adorns the table with the Culinary Team's offerings this evening. The four courses feature, not surprisingly, fresh seafood. Waiting for you as you sit to the table is an appetizer of warm Dungeness crab cakes, drizzled with a red pepper aioli sauce. Next comes Chef Carl's unique but absolutely taste tingling special salad consisting of watermelon, feta cheese and red onions with a dressing of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Everyone comments on this delicious and unusual combination. The main course is Chef Carl's famous flame-broiled, citrus rubbed halibut served with a Dungeness crab risotto and highlighted with wilted spinach. By now you are sated...but there's still dessert to come! Fulfilling the standard already set by the Culinary Team, out comes a decadent French silk chocolate mousse, topped with whipped orange creme. Omigosh!

As the dinner hour winds down, to end this time together I announce the BFD awards (Biggest Fish of the Day). Your team has done well as Terri receives the award for the biggest halibut for the day and young Caleb takes top prize for his king. Both are presented with commemorative coffee mugs inscribed with their names and weight of their fish.

The fishing continues like this for the next three days (you opted for the four-day fishing adventure). Each day is different in the wildlife you see, the fish you catch, and the fishing areas you visit. But, the fun and excitement continues every day.

Return-to-Reality Day ~

Unfortunately, the adventure finally comes to an end. You return to the lodge at 3:00 pm to prepare for your departure. Dockmaster Mike and his dock team have smoked the 20 pounds of salmon as you requested and frozen it along with the rest of your catch. They finish boxing up your 100 pounds of fish, including freeze packs to keep your fish cold during your return trip.

You return to your room to freshen up after the day's fishing. You finish packing then head down to the dining room to check out. Meanwhile the deckhands are bringing your luggage down to the dock for you.

By 4:00 PM your float plane has arrived to transport you back to the hustle and bustle of the real world again. As the Beaver lifts into the skies you take one quick look back at the lodge and vow to yourself, "I"ll be back next year"!

Conclusion

That concludes our virtual fishing adventure. What you catch will vary, of course, but I can guarantee you that you will never experience the quality of service and the nearly non-stop fishing action that you'll find here. And, you don't have to be an experienced fisherman or fisher woman. Novices are our specialty.

Next Step ~

We are a relatively small operation so fishing slots are limited for the 2013 season. The season runs from June 24 through September 5. And, our advance reservations are the best we've seen since 2008. So, if you are ready to book a fishing adventure with us for this summer: Go to www.alaskasbestlodge.com/Info and request that we send you our brochure and registration kit. Or Call us at 800-962-7889 and ask Denise or Patty to send you our registration kit, and information on open dates and prices. Thanks for taking our virtual tour and I hope to see you up here in Alaska some day.

Best regards,
Larry "Captain Mac" McQuarrie

As exciting as it is to fish the waters or the fertile Alaskan wilderness, feedback from hundreds of guests tells me that it is even better when shared with someone special. We find that men, in particular, value the time spend here bonding with their fathers, sons, brothers, sons-in-law, daughters, and Yes, even with their significant others.

In just a week or two I will share with you some of our guests special memories, in part three of this series "Virtual Fishing Trip".

Experience a Virtual Alaskan Fishing Adventure with Me...

Dear Reader,

Captain Mac here, inviting you to experience a virtual Alaskan fishing adventure with me. In real life your adventure would include non-stop fishing action; pristine Alaskan scenery; wild life sightings that might include bald eagles, humpback whales, killer whales, seals and sea lions, black bears and deer, not to mention the critters like mink, marten and otters that hang around the Lodge. You'll experience fabulous dining, and unbelievable serenity. Read on, and I'll do my best to paint a realistic picture for you with words.

The Adventure Begins ~

Sportsman's Cove Lodge is located on Prince of Wales Island, the third largest island in the U.S. and the closest point in Alaska to the Lower 48. There are no roads, no hiking trails and no mountain bike trails to get here. The only way in is by float plane or boat.

You flew into Ketchikan yesterday and spent the time sightseeing this historic old fishing town. Since 1886, when white settlers began opening dozens of canneries, Ketchikan has been known as "the salmon capital of the world." You've walked the boardwalks, visited the old bordellos (now housing much more respectable businesses), inspected dozens of totem poles, visited the Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery & Eagle Center, and maybe even attended the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show or went zip-lining and rock climbing on 1,000 foot granite faces. But, the best is still to come.

At 3:30 PM, you show up at the Pacific Airways "terminal" to catch your ride to the Lodge. You've already placed the distinctive hot pink luggage tags on your baggage to aid in getting your bags delivered to the right room at the Lodge. Your group of six (including you) is called up and you muster out to the de Havilland Beaver float plane that eagerly awaits you. You've never flown in a plane this small before and you're experiencing a few jitters about climbing into this ancient plane.

Relax. Although it has been around for over 60 years, this bird is incredibly dependable and reliable and is used for everything from hauling people and freight, and occasionally to delivering the mail. This short takeoff and landing work horse was designed in Canada specifically for the Canadian bush, and the reason it is still going is because no one has been able to come up with anything better in all those years.

One of our fellow passengers brought along his ten-year old son and he's sitting in the co-pilots seat grinning from ear to ear, eyes big as saucers.

Goodbye Ketchikan as you head out to Sportsman's Cove Lodge

Randy, your pilot, kicks over the powerful Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr., engine and it is purring away as you pull away from the dock. He's taxiing out to the open waters of the Tongass Narrows to begin his take-off run. Ahead of you on Gravina Island (home of the Bridge to Nowhere) lies Ketchikan International Airport. A glance to your right reveals three huge passenger ships while on your left you spot fishing vessels of all types. There is a lot of activity on and around this water but Randy's not concerned - he has over 10,000 hours of bush flying and he's done this hundreds of times.

A quick turn into the wind and he's begun his takeoff run. In a few seconds the Beaver is skipping lightly across the waves and then bids adieu to the surly bonds of earth. Looking down you see Ketchikan slip slowly behind you as you head westward towards Prince of Wales Island and your Alaskan fishing adventure.

Randy cruises at no more than 800 feet altitude so you have a bird's eye view of everything going on around and below you. The short 20 minute flight from civilization to wilderness passes far too quickly when you feel Randy make a slight left turn and throttle back to begin your descent into Saltery Cove. At about a one o'clock position you spot what must be Sportsman's Cove Lodge and your heart picks up a few beats. You're only minutes away from a lifetime dream.

Arriving at the Lodge

Randy sets his Beaver gently down on the protected waters of the cove and taxis to the dock. My boat captains and I (the Band of Brothers) are there to meet you, eager to show you what you've been missing to this point in your life. You will spend almost all of your waking moments with Captain Neeley during your stay.

After the greetings on the dock, my Hospitality Team escorts you to the dining room. The other guests who took an earlier flight are already grazing on shrimp, smoked salmon, the Lodge's famous salmon spread, and other delicacies. You look around at your fellow fishing mates and notice that they are more varied than you had expected. All ages are represented from pre-teens to the elderly. And, there are girls and women present. OK, maybe you were a little dated in thinking that this was an adventure that appealed only to men.

While you are snacking the crew is stowing your luggage in your room making last minute preparations for your stay. The last plane arrives and its passengers join up so and it's now just you and your fellow 29 guests along with 32 staff members against all the salmon, halibut, cod and other fishes that southeastern Alaska can throw at you.

Stacy calls your name along with the other five guests and beckons you to follow her to your rooms. The Lodge is built on a hillside, like most of Southeast Alaska, so it's a bit of a hike up to the Eagle's Nest, the highest guest quarters, where you will be staying. Your name is on your door so you venture into a large cozy room wit a private bathroom. You're immediately drawn to the large sliding glass door where you exit onto the wrap-around deck.

The view is breathtaking. Across the cove are low tree-lined mountains. In the distance are the snow-caped peaks of the Coast Range. The protected waters are rippling slightly and reflections of the opposite shoreline dance gently across the placid waters of the Cove. Down below and to the left two Sitka Blacktail deer casually browse, oblivious to your presence and contributing to the peaceful, relaxed fee here. Just a few feet off the dock you spy the inquisitive eyes of a seal casually scoping out the Lodge to see if any errant fish slip away from a dock hand.

At six o'clock you scamper down to the dining room and discover that you will be dining each morning and evening with your boat captain and five other boat mates. As you sit down to dinner there are introductions all round. Jim is a doctor from a large city in south with his father, Mike, and teenage son Caleb. You quickly learn that the grandfatherly Mike has always dreamed of an Alaskan fishing adventure and Jim decided to fulfill that dream for him. Jim also thought it would be great for Caleb to spend quality time with his father and grandfather.

Your remaining two boat mates are Ed and Terri, a young married couple from Kansas City. They're simply here to appreciate the Alaskan wilderness, experience and Alaskan fishing adventure, and spend time together. They're both attorneys and don't get a lot of private time so this is a second honeymoon for them.

And, your boat Captain, Cecil Neeley joins you at the table. He's a retired newspaperman who prefers to be called Neeley. After 31 years with the San Diego Union-Tribune he and his wife moved to New Hampshire. He's captained for Mac since 2005.


A delicious, locally caught prawn appetizer is already waiting at each setting when you sit down. As soon as everyone is seated I stand, welcome you all, and call for the Chef to come out and introduce the meal. Chef Jason, decked out in his whites, comes out and goes through each of the four courses in detail. You learn later that all of his recipes are available when you leave.

During dinner Captain Neeley briefs you thoroughly on the daily routine and what to expect each day. He asks for guidance on what your wishes are regarding fishing: What species are you interested in catching? What are your priorities? He factors this information into his fishing strategies. In the course of this discussion you discover there are a wide variety of fish that you will target.

After a gourmet meal, I lead the group in introducing themselves to all in the room. This is a fun time. There is a lot of energy and anticipation in the room and when we are finished everyone knows one another and many connections and friendships are begun. The end goal of the introductions is to cement all of the different personalities and interests into one group with a mission...to have fun and catch fish!

When the introductions are finished everyone heads down to the dock for a safety briefing and fishing lessons on the boats. You're team is assigned to the Friendly Lady. As you approach the boat, Tom, your deckhand, is just finishing cleaning her from today's fishing action and she's ready to go for tomorrow morning. You look around the boat. It is spotless and big. The decal on the cabin says "Coast-Wise 37".  You have heard that Captain Mac spent years developing this no nonsense fishing machine and that they are custom built for his operation. There's a nice warm cabin with upholstered dinette and another settee in the pilothouse and a stand-up bathroom; kept hospital clean. Outside there is room all around the rails from front to back. You could run from one end of the boat to the other if you had to chase that wild king salmon. Lots of deck room up on the bow and a huge back deck as well. Nice!

Captain Neely gives your team the safety briefing and then explains the fishing technique, demonstrating with the Lodge's first-class fishing gear you will be using. You notice the gear is all American-made, and the rods are custom built, with the Lodge logo on them. As you follow the fishing lessons you realize that you're not going to be sitting back sipping rum and cokes as Captain Neeley drags down-riggers all around Clarence Strait. Instead, you'll be "mooching" - you will be up close and personal with your rod and reel all day. You'll drop your baited line down to the depth provided by Captain Neeley just the way he has demonstrated and then quickly reel it up in successive ten-foot intervals - a technique virtually guaranteed to drive salmon to a feeding frenzy.

After the safety briefing and fishing lessons, it's time to try on your rain gear and boots and stow them in your locker. The boots go on your own person boot warmers in your locker. Nice touch. They'll be toasty warm in the morning!

Day one ends as you crawl into a nice comfortable bed and begin dreaming of the fishing ahead of you.

....That's a start for all my readers, next couple of weeks we will continue with part 2 of 3.

Time to enter the Contest for 2013

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