SUBSCRIBE | NEWSLETTERS | MAPS | VIDEOS | BLOGS | MARKETPLACE | CONTESTS
TRY BACKPACKER FREE!
SUBSCRIBE NOW and get
2 Free Issues and 3 Free Gifts!
Full Name:
Address 1:
Address 2:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Email: (required)
If I like it and decide to continue, I'll pay just $12.00, and receive a full one-year subscription (9 issues in all), a 73% savings off the newsstand price! If for any reason I decide not to continue, I'll write "cancel" on the invoice and owe nothing.
Your subscription includes 3 FREE downloadable booklets.
Or click here to pay now and get 2 extra issues
Offer valid in US only.
Canadian Subscriptions | International Subscriptions
CLOSE WINDOW

BACKPACKER PHOTOS

Email this page RSS feed
User rating:
-
Digg Delicious Yahoo Facebook Reddit StumbleUpon Google Newsvine Facebook Twitter

Mystery Photos: An Alaskan Fish Story

Editor in Chief Jonathan Dorn heads deep into the Alaskan backcountry and comes back with the ultimate fish story in this gallery.
«
<
  • Touch Down: DeHavilland Twin Otters are the workhorses of Alaskan bush travel. In the hands of our expert pilot, the water landing was smoother than any tarmac landing.
  • Living Large: James (left) and Steve unload coolers of steaks and other treats. Note the essential hydration supplies on the rear pontoon.
  • Changing the Scale: Our puny-looking put-in camp from one of the 5,000-foot peaks that ring the lake where the floatplanes landed.
  • Underway: Small whitecaps made the first hour of paddling a bit bouncy as we exited the lake and started down the river.
  • Dropping Fast: The first few miles of the river lose several hundred feet of elevation. Glenn, our lead guide, rowed the boats through several small falls.
  • Loaded: Each of the three boats carried a guide, one or two of us, and several hundred pounds of food and fishing gear, plus basecamp tents, furniture, stoves. Always close at hand: a shotgun.
  • Big Sky Country: A typical riverside camp, on a gravel bank just below the tundra through which the snowmelt-fed water runs
  • Catch of the Day: Each of us caught several 20-inch rainbows (and released every one of them).
  • Midnight Sun: Late July nights in Alaska don't get much darker than this shot taken at 11:45 p.m.
  • Fish On! Frank coaxes a big Dolly Varden from a brushy bank as Gerry reels in to avoid a tangle.
  • Embarrassment of Riches: Editor-in-chief Jonathan Dorn holds six Dolly Vardens, 1 to 2 pounds each, that he, Steve, and Gerry caught on bright-pink plastic beads that mimic salmon eggs.
  • Master Clinic: Bill instructs us in the art of fly-fishing knots.
  • Old Friends: Jon was joined on the trip by Gerry Krach, James Clark, and Steve Brown -- friends of 35 years
  • Lunker: Jon displays a 15-pound king salmon. Judging from the color, it left the ocean about a week earlier. In another week, it will be bright red.
>
»
Big Sky Country: A typical riverside camp, on a gravel bank just below the tundra through which the snowmelt-fed water runs
Image 7 of 15

Big Sky Country: A typical riverside camp, on a gravel bank just below the tundra through which the snowmelt-fed water runs

READERS COMMENTS

Page 1

That's a DeHavilland Beaver, not a Twin Otter.
— Alex

If that is a 15 lb king- Jon must be 9 feet tall and have hands the size of manhole covers. Maybe more like 6 to 8 lbs.
Of course 15 lbs makes for a better story.
— Bestbuilder


POST A COMMENT

Your Name:
Comment:
My Profile Join Now

Most recent threads

Trailhead Register
Perhaps The Worst Tornado Ever
Posted On: May 24, 2013
Submitted By: Deborah
Trailhead Register
Memorial Day weekend plans?
Posted On: May 24, 2013
Submitted By: High_Sierra_Fan

Most viewed Most emailed Top Rated

  1. Lighten Your Tent by 22 Ounces

    Six easy ways to lighten your tent load.

  2. How to Fit a Week's Gear into a Weekend Pack

    Don't own a massive pack for your big annual adventure? Here's how to make it ...

  3. How to Make a Survival Bracelet

    In an emergency, you can use paracord for lashings, tourniquets, shoelaces, ...

  1. Hiking to Grand Canyon's Royal Arch

    Join photographer Elias Butler on this trek to one of the Grand Canyon's hidden ...

  2. How to Make a Survival Bracelet

    In an emergency, you can use paracord for lashings, tourniquets, shoelaces, ...

  3. 2010 Reader Photo Contest

    Your best shots: BACKPACKER readers have been to some spectacular places and ...

TIP 12: Duct Power

Seal emergency rations with duct tape to discourage extracurricular snacking.

Special sections - Expert handbooks for key trails, techniques and gear

Editors' Choice 2013
412 trail-tested products

Boost Your Apps
Add powerful tools and exclusive maps to your BACKPACKER apps through our partnership with Trimble Outdoors.

Carry the Best Maps
With BACKPACKER PRO Maps, get life-list destinations and local trips on adventure-ready waterproof myTopo paper.

FREE Rocky Mountain Trip Planner
Sign up for a free Rocky Mountain National Park trip planning kit from our sister site MyRockyMountainPark.com.

Follow BackpackerMag on Twitter Follow Backpacker on Facebook
Get 2 FREE Trial Issues and 3 FREE GIFTS
Survival Skills 101 • Eat Better
The Best Trails in America
YES! Please send me my FREE trial issues of Backpacker
and my 3 FREE downloadable booklets.
Full Name:
City:
Address 1:
Zip Code:
State:
Address 2:
Email (required):
Free trial offer valid for US subscribers only. Canadian subscriptions | International subscriptions