At Rainbow Bend Lodges on Alaska’s Naknek River, there’s no doubt we have some of the best sockeye salmon and trophy rainbow trout fishing on the planet. Our Coho, pink, and king salmon fishing isn’t too bad, either. And, yes, we catch the occasional Arctic grayling and Northern pike, among others.
While flyout fishing to remote destinations finds us in constant pursuit of world-class grayling, Arctic char, and more, one thing we seem to hear more about with each passing season is the wildlife people see while fishing in this remote corner of Alaska.
As with many guests, we agree that the wildlife encounters are some of the most memorable moments of the trip. From bald eagles soaring overhead on a blue-sky day, to a cacophony of sandhill cranes on the tundra, the sights and sounds of these magnificent birds truly capture Alaska. And don’t forget the multitude of shore birds, some of which travel to nest here from as far away as Argentina.
The sound of willow ptarmigan–Alaska’s state bird–is a soothing way to begin and end any day in the Last Frontier. As are the serenading sounds of tundra swans, or the abundant yellow legs.
Last season we seemed to have more brown bear encounters than ever. Perhaps it was due to greatly reduced international travel because of the pandemic, meaning fewer people were in the wild. Whatever the reason, our brown bear viewing adventures were as good as they’ve ever been, sometimes a little too good; but again, those are the memories we come away with.
From red fox to wolves, Arctic ground squirrels to bull moose, mink, and beaver, you never know what you’re going to see in this unique part of Alaska. But that’s the attraction, because each day, each week, each season, can unveil something new, something extra special, and for us, like many of our guests, that’s what we truly love about life in this part of Alaska.
