2002 Season Review
AlpenView began operations for the 2002 season at the out camp. On hand for camp set-up were co- owners Shawn Finn and Dave Jones, along with head cook Veronica Sims, friends Craig "Ole" Olsen and Tim Longrich. Andrew Airways pilot Willie handled the flying in of the camp equipment and supplies.

 

 

Our first clients arrived on June 8. Returnees Chuck Widdicombe and Ron Pletcher were joined by first timers Joe Widdicombe and Eric Pletcher. All anglers hailed from the great state of Montana. Guide Dave Jones and cook Veronica Sims made up the staff. Fishing was hot right off the start. Two high points were Ron's 16 kings landed in one day and Eric's big king measuring 36&3/4" from the notch of the tail to the eye. Add a blizzard of chrome sockeye, brown bear and bald eagle and we have a great week!

 

 

In week two, June 15 to 22, Bill Davis, Ed Bews and Bob Price arrived from Boise Idaho. All three of these clients are veterans of many trips with our organization. Fishing continued to be strong. It's always hard to keep up with "Bobber Bob" Price and this week was no different. On his best day Bob was able to land 23 king salmon. We look forward to seeing this group again in trips they have booked for 2003 and 2004.


The week of June 22 to 29 saw the arrival of first timers David, David 2, Elmer and Paul Case, all from the great state of Oregon. We enjoyed continued strong fishing. Paul caught the big king measuring 37&1/2" from the notch of the tail to the eye. We look forward to seeing members of this group again in trips they have booked for 2003 and 2004.

 

 

The week of June 29 to July 6, returnee Per Lund-Johansen was joined by first time visitors Morton Lund-Johansen, Per and Tom Lund-Larsen. Per Lund-Johansen landed the seasons largest king measuring 38&1/8" from the notch of the tail to the eye. We look forward to seeing members of this group again in a trip they have booked for 2003.
The week of July 6 to 13, first time visitors Bill Calvert, Curt Bruno, Jerry Clemons and Roy Minish arrived from the great state of Arizona. Fishing was strong throughout the king/sockeye season but this week topped the charts with a total of 348 kings landed. We ran a one fly competition on sockeye and Curt Bruno came out on top with 11 sockeye landed in an hour and fifteen minutes on a single fly.


Al in all the king/sockeye season at the camp went great. Fishing and water conditions were good at all points, there were lots of bear and other wildlife to keep the cameras rolling and the weather was nice. We landed a total of 1,204 kings, 683 sockeye and a spattering of Dolly Varden and rainbow. It just don't get much better than that.

On to the lodge.

 

AlpenView's new 12KW generator rests in it's new home as the walls go up around it. Special thanks to all who helped! 

AlpenView Lodge operations got started in mid July with a couple weeks of family and friends. It's always great to share the great outdoors with loved ones. We also got around to a few chores Like building our new generator shed and installing our new generator.

The Berry Family, first group of lodge clients for the 2002 season, arrived on July 27. Gracia Berry, son Chris and his wife Ashley, daughter Gen and her husband Michael and granddaughter Grace were joined by old friend Pete Squartsoff. The Berry's hail generally from North Carolina and Pete is from Kodiak Island. The Berry family are veterans of many past trips with our organization including Olga Bay Lodge and the out camp. This was a bitter sweet adventure. Gracia's husband David, a world renown pharmaceutical researcher and avid fly fisherman, had passed away earlier in the year. One of our duties during this trip was the honor of scattering David's ashes along his beloved Dog Salmon River. The crew at AlpenView are thankful for the opportunity to participate as David was special to us as well. The AlpenView Crew for the 2002 lodge season started out with Head cook Veronica Sims, guides Dave and Shawn and helpers Marie Finn and Hanna Clark.

 

Top: The youngest of three generations, Grace lands her first fish in the Dog Salmon River.
Left: As Gracia Berry will tell you, the sight of two brown bears fighting over a salmon will distract even the most experienced fly caster. 

 

 

Guest/guide Pete Squartsoff estimates the size of the fish Ashley is currently fighting.

 

 

 

During a short break between the departure of the Barry Family and the arrival of our next guests, Friend Allie Bateman, daughters Amy Finn and Molly Jones joined the rest of the lodge crew. The whole group set out on a hike that ended in Shawn, Dave, Hanna Clark and boots the dog making a successful climb of Mt. Geddis-Farzukan. This was the third time AlpenView staff and/or clients have summited this 2,558 foot peak. We also began the new tradition of racing kayaks during cooling off breaks from the banya. Marie Finn proved to be the kayak champ. 

Returnee Frank Perkins and first timer Bill Potter, both from Florida, arrived at the lodge on August 3. Bill and Frank were on the second leg of their fishing adventure which began on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. We enjoyed a mix of freshwater and saltwater fly fishing during their stay catching many silver and pink salmon, Dolly Varden and sea bass.

Top: Bill Potter and Frank Perkins visit with Mickey Jones and Fru Finn in the town of Kodiak prior to their trip to the lodge.
Left: Frank, who has traveled the world with his fly rod, found our saltwater fly fishing to be both exciting and rewarding.

Returnees Gene, Mark and Dallas Shaheen and Calvin Quick along with first timer Tom Elcox arrived at the lodge on August 10. Old pro Gene Shaheen kept the younger members in check most of the trip by repeatedly landing the most fish. One of his better days was when he landed well over fifty fish, a combination of silver salmon and sea bass, off of the C/V FINLANDER. Mark Shaheen won the kayak races by defeating Dave Jones by a few seconds in the final heat. It's always great to see old friends again and this week was no exception. Friend Susan Reid of Kodiak replaced Hanna and Marie as lodge helper for this week.

 

Top: Mark, Dallas and Gene Shaheen and Calvin Quick.
Right: Tommy Elcox and Guide Shawn display a halibut.
  

 On August 17, returnees Sal Borrelli and son Sal arrived at the lodge. The Borrelli's are veterans of several trips to Olga Bay with Dave Jones and it was great to have them at our new lodge for the first time. We enjoyed a mix of freshwater and saltwater fishing during their stay. Our most fantastic saltwater day was in Ugak Narrows where we landed a pile of silvers on the fly. We also smacked a bunch of pink salmon, Dolly Varden and a few silvers in the streams. Other species included halibut and sea bass. Kathryn Jones and Jenny Melendres replaced Susan Reid as lodge helpers for this week. Thanks again Sal 1 and Sal 2!

 

 Veteran AlpenView fishermen Wilbur Bullock and Art Kelly arrived at the lodge on August 24. Wilbur and art were on their third trip to Ugak Bay and their forth with our organization having also visited our out camp. In the saltwater the dynamic duo landed a pile of silvers and halibut and topped it off with a fine king salmon. We also attacked the streams for pink and silver salmon on fly rods.

Art And Wilbur 

 

 August 31 was a date that the AlpenView staff was looking forward to. Arriving at the lodge on this date were long time clients and friends Joe Toth and Pinkie Gray who have moved to Nevada since last year, Craig Walkowski from New Jersey, Jim Jacobsen from California and Fritz Jorg from Washington State. All are veterans of many trips with Dave Jones at Olga Bay, the out camp and AlpenView. Fritz in particular has fished with Dave at least once in every year since 1988. It's always a gas when these guys show up, they are truly possessed fishermen and have a great love of life. Pinkie is known as Mr. Halibut and he was in true form again this trip landing three triple digit fish. Joe has finnally gotten his sea legs and is beginning to give pinkie a run for his money. We had some great weather during this trip and were able to stay on the fish is the salt quite well. The silvers were hitting hard in the ocean and also in the streams. Fritz was able to land a halibut on his fly rod for the first time in his life. Jim is un-stoppable, fishing all day, driving the boat and keeping it clean and then helping to wrap fish in the evenings. Jim's passion for maintenance got carried away when he began oiling his halibut jig with WD-40 each time he tossed it over the side! Craig is a decorated wood carver, winning several national competitions. AlpenView lodge has the honor of hanging a spectacular rainbow carving on it's wall, a gift from Craig. Carol Velez (Dave's sister-in-law) was lodge helper this week and did a great job. We have signed Carol up for the same week next year. Guide Shawn and head cook Veronica left for the camp on Friday morning to get it ready to open the next day. Carol took over as head cook and friend Tim Longrich flew in to do duty as assistant guide. We are looking forward to seeing this group in a trip they have planned for the same week next year.

 

 

Back to the Camp

 On September 7, AlpenView operations shifted back to the out camp for the silver/steelhead season. Returnee Bill Cyr and first timers Ray Cyr and Bob Lamb arrived in camp Bill and Bob live in Idaho, Ray is from Maine. Fishing was on fire for Dolly Varden and silvers were available in good numbers. A few early steelhead added to the catch. The camp staff started out with guide Shawn Finn and cook Veronica Sims. At mid week Dave Jones took over as guide and Shawn returned to his real job in Kodiak. Also in camp for a short stay was friend and helper Tim Longrich.

Right: Bob Lamm photo of Dave Jones with his first steelhead on the Winston Spey rod which was a gift from Fritz Jorg.

 

 

 

Above: Dave gives Tom a few pointers as Tom casts and fights a fish on the Spey rod.

 

 September 14, saw the arrival of returnees Harry Dodson (Maine), Tom James (Virginia) and Bill Renner (Florida) along with first timer Rick Renner (Maine). We enjoyed some fantastic silver fishing, landing nearly 300. That's a lot considering we spent a lot of time hiking and steelheading. We also had so good luck on steelhead and Dolly Varden. One day during the trip we hiked to Red Lake (7 mile round trip) and Harry, Bill and Rick climbed the peak between Red Lake and camp on the return. These guys had a lot of energy.

 

Left:Rick enjoys the view of the upper Ayakulik Valley from the summit of the peak between Red Lake and camp.

 

 

The Rabid Rabbit string leach was and awesome producer of halibut, silvers and sea bass in the saltwater during summer operations at the lodge. It also was a top producer for silvers and steelhead in fall freshwater operations.

 

 

 

 
Pat Steed Photos. Top Left: A fox runs away with a fish carcass. Top Right: Two beaver rest on the banks of the Ayakulik. Left: The ever faithful guide Dave Jones carries client David Ellis across the river because his waders are only waist high.

 September 21. Next up on the hit parade are returnees Pat Steed (North Carolina) and David Ellis (Maine) along with first timers Danny Simms (Kansas) and John Maresca (Virginia). We had a blast catching silvers and the Rabid Rabbit string leach was fishing very well. In fact Pat Steed chose to fish the big fly in a one fly competition and was able to put up a fish every six minute average to land fifteen silvers in ninety minutes of fishing. This is the second year in a row for Pat winning a one fly. We also caught a fine batch of steelhead, native rainbow and Dolly Varden. We look forward to seeing pat and his family in a trip they have planned for 2003.

 

Dave Jones displays David Ellis' steelhead.

Pat Steed, John Maresca, Danny Simms And David Ellis. 

Danny Simms with a steelhead.

 

The last group to fish in 2002 arrived on September 28. In camp were returnees Josh Lewis (Kodiak), and Keene Smith (Colorado) as well as first timers Mark Colin and Tim Lidstone, both from Colorado. At mid week we did a fly-out and exchanged Josh for Cary ? and added Bryan ?, both of Kodiak, for the day. Sound confusing? Well, it was. All in all we had a great week on silvers, steelhead, rainbows and a few dollies. One highlight was on the last day. We had worked hard all morning hiking, rafting and arguing with a sow and cubs, all for a couple of steelhead. We returned to the pools nearest camp, a bit tired, in mid afternoon. Here we proceeded to rip some lips. Four rods landed 18 steelhead in the last two hours of the 2002 season! It was a great finish. 

Special thanks to all of you who visited us during the 2002 season. We sure appreciate your business and enjoyed your company. If you have some pictures or comments you would like me to add to this review, please let me know.

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