InTheBite

  • Home
  • News
    • All News
    • Featured Stories
    • General News
    • Captain of the Year
    • Tournament Results
    • First Builds
    • Splash Reports
    • Old Salts Rule
    • Tackle Tips
    • Dock Talk
    • Crew Records
    • Conservation
  • Tournaments
    • Calendar
    • Captain of the Year
  • Shop
    • All Products
    • Subscriptions
    • Back Issues
    • Shirts
    • Hats & Visors
    • Miscellaneous
    • Release Rulers
  • Classifieds
  • Job Board
  • Contact
    • Contact InTheBite
    • InTheBite Media Kit
  • Log in

Something Different: Fly Fishing the Alaskan Bear Trail

September 4, 2019 By InTheBite Editor

While the Bear Trail Lodge in Alaska is different than the standard bluewater fare featured on InTheBite.com, it provides a unique experience full of angling excitement and natural wonder. Perhaps it may warrant a place on your fishing travel itinerary next year….

Photos and Story By Pete Robbins 

I’ve been to exotic fishing lodges all over the world – from Zambia to Brazil to Mexico, and all over the continental United States. I’ve also fished with legions of bass pros, including numerous Bassmaster Classic champs and Hall of Famers.

But I’d never mixed the two until Texas legend Keith Combs and I visited Bear Trail Lodge in the Bristol Bay region of Alaska this August.

Bear trail lodge, Alaska

It is not an easy task to get a dedicated bass angler away from his preferred quarry, especially when that means taking him out of his comfort zone. You’d think there’d be a “band of anglers” spirit and a certain esprit de corps among those who’ve dedicated their lives to chasing fish, but sometimes the distinctions and cultural differences create more barriers than bonds. Trout fanatics keep a safe distance from the bass guys, who avoid the catfish freaks, who certainly don’t understand the bonefish set. So you could forgive Combs if he entered the lodge and was a bit freaked out by the fully-stocked fly tying table front and center, or the wader room, or the books on entomology.

fly fishing bear trail lodge alaska

The beauty of Bear Trail Lodge, though, was that they meet each angler where he or she resides. If you want to explore difficult two-handed casting techniques or highly-technical approaches, they can do that. If you’ve never held a rod before, you’re still going to catch ridiculous numbers of fish.

King salmon, bear trail lodge alaska

Combs and I fell somewhere between those two extremes. I fish probably 70 days a year. He’s out there a minimum of 200. Nevertheless, between us you could count the number of days we’d spent fly fishing on one hand with fingers left over. We were happy to use conventional gear to land big king, chum and silver salmon, but in the end it was the two fly fishing flyouts to Katmai National Park that were most memorable. Fishing amongst legions of brown bears, we tapped out on all five species of salmon, plus grayling, rainbow trout and Dolly Varden char. While we hadn’t caught most of those species before, our angling experience gave us a leg up in figuring out how to read water, fight the fish and approach the next spot.

Grizzly bears fighting in Alaska

Lodge owner Nanci Morris Lyon has never caught a bass – indeed, Alaska is the only one of the fifty states that has none (although one was reputedly caught and killed in 2018) – and Combs was new to the world of salmonids, but they bonded because they are both at the top of their game. Combs has won the Toyota Texas Bass Classic three times, including in 2014 at Lake Fork, when he set the tour-level record for a three-day, five-fish limit event with 15 bass that weighed 110 pounds. Likewise, Lyon holds multiple IGFA worlds. Even if they didn’t fully understand each other’s worlds, each could respect the level of talent and dedication that it took to reach their mutual pedestals. Over Alaskan Brewing Company Freeride Pale Ale drawn from the tap, a dinner of prehistoric king crab claws, and a dessert built on a base of just-picked berries, they found common ground and regaled each other with (true) fish tales all evening.

greyling bear trail lodge alaska

Here is the elusive greyling– the arctic equivalent of a sailfish?

The beauty of Bear Trail Lodge is that from May to October, the fish are always biting, and with nearly 50 flyout locations, as well as record-class fishing on the Naknek River just out the back door, there are more productive stretches to explore than you could fish in a lifetime. Even if you don’t fish at all, the plentiful gourmet food and unforgettable scenery and wildlife are compelling – but if you go, you’re going to want to fish. There’s no snobbery here, no barriers to entry. If you’ve ever walked into a tackle store or down a marina dock and felt like you were out of place, like a hundred sets of eyes were scrutinizing you asking “What’s he doing here?” then you need to make this easily accessible, yet remarkably exotic trek. You’ll be fully within the borders of the United States, yet it’s every bit as grand and wild as the sights of Africa, Brazil and Costa Rica.

float plane, fly in anglers Bear Trail Lodge Alaska

For more information about Bear Trail Lodge, go to www.beartraillodge.com or call (907) 246-2327.

For more information about Bassmaster Elite Series pro Keith Combs, go to www.keithcombsbassfishing.com.

dinner and appetizers at bear trail lodge alaska

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Do you have any comments or questions for us? We’d love to hear from you.

    Filed Under: Adventures, Featured Stories, Fishing, News, North America, Places Tagged With: adventures, Alaska, Bear Trail Lodge, Bristol Bay, fly fishing, Salmon

    Recent News

    man fishing off back of boat

    It’s all about the Benjamins: What to Do with Your Money

    By Alexandra Stark Some say that money cannot buy happiness, but it sure can buy a lot of other things. Money can buy boats, fishing rods and the biggest curved flat screen available. When, you might ask, does anyone have enough money to … [Read More...]

    angler fishing in game chair

    Setting Up and Using Game Chairs

    The following article was forwarded to InTheBite by Frank Murray, of Murray Brothers Originals. An expert in the construction and use of fighting chairs in heavy tackle situations, Murray came across the article which was originally published in New … [Read More...]

    us coast guard

    U.S. Coast Guard Operation Set Up to Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in South Atlantic

      US Department of State, US Coast Guard, Jan. 20, 2021—The Department of State is supporting the U.S. Coast Guard Operation Southern Cross as part of an effort to build regional maritime security partnerships and counter illegal, unreported, … [Read More...]

    yacht rescued by coast guard

    Coast Guard assists fishing vessel 80 miles off Key West

    MIAMI, US Coast Guard, District 7 — Coast Guard rescue crews assisted the 40-foot fishing vessel Santa Maria, Thursday, Jan. 14, after the crew launched two flares signaling their distress approximately 80 miles southwest of Key West.  … [Read More...]

    operation sailfish winning teams

    Cabana, Canyon Lady, Showtime/Remix: Weekend Tournament Winners

    … [Read More...]

    Leave a Reply

    Connect With InTheBite

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Sign Up for the InTheBite Newsletter


    Be the first to hear about the latest Sportfishing News, Products, and Services!

    Subscribe to InTheBite Magazine Today!

    InTheBite Magazine Current Cover

    Our latest issue is hitting the docks now! Be sure to subscribe to the hottest bluewater mag on the market. Purchase or Subscribe »

    Upcoming Tournaments

    Sun 24

    31st Annual Cheeca Lodge & Spa Presidential Sailfish Tournament

    January 22 - January 24
    Tue 26

    Reef Cup Invitational Sailfish Tournament

    January 26 - January 30
    Fri 05

    Islamorada Women’s Sailfish Tournament

    February 5 - February 7
    Sun 07

    Hawks Nest Annual Wahoo Championship

    February 7 - February 10
    Tue 09

    IGFA Light Tackle Open

    February 9 - February 11

    View More…

    News

    • U.S. Coast Guard Operation Set Up to Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in South Atlantic

      U.S. Coast Guard Operation Set Up to Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in South Atlantic

        US Department of State, US Coast Guard, Jan. 20, 2021—The Department of State is supporting the U.S. Coast Guard Operation Southern Cross as part of an effort to build regional maritime security partnerships and counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the South Atlantic. The U.S. Department of State announced the multi-month inaugural deployment of the new USCG Legend-class... [Read More...]

    • Coast Guard assists fishing vessel 80 miles off Key West

      Coast Guard assists fishing vessel 80 miles off Key West

      MIAMI, US Coast Guard, District 7 — Coast Guard rescue crews assisted the 40-foot fishing vessel Santa Maria, Thursday, Jan. 14, after the crew launched two flares signaling their distress approximately 80 miles southwest of Key West.  A nearby good Samaritan saw the flares and reported to Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders the Santa Maria crew's distress. The good... [Read More...]

    • Cabana, Canyon Lady, Showtime/Remix: Weekend Tournament Winners

      Cabana, Canyon Lady, Showtime/Remix: Weekend Tournament Winners

      Annual Gold Cup Team Fishing Tournament First Place: Canyon Lady, Capt. Bill Davis Second Place: Ditch Digger, Capt. Jon Brooks Third Place: Miss Texas, Capt. Matt Bierley Operation Sailfish – 1st leg of “Quest for the Crest” Sailfish Series First Place: Showtime/Remix, Capt. Nick Carullo Second Place: TEAM HMY, Capt. Trey Claus Third Place: Goin' Raptor, Capt. Paul Sabayrac Pelagic... [Read More...]

    • Miss Texas Wins Silver Sailfish Derby, Waterman Wins Pelican Yacht Club Invitational

      Miss Texas Wins Silver Sailfish Derby, Waterman Wins Pelican Yacht Club Invitational

      Silver Sailfish Derby  First Place Most Releases Overall: Miss Texas Second Place: Priceless Third Place: Doing It All/Hardway Fourth Place: Gator One Top Individual Angler: Mike Simko with 9 releases Top Meat Fish: George Moss, Lunático, with a 32.8 lb kingfish Top Lady Angler: Carly Desmond, DaySea  Pelican Yacht Club Invitational First Place: Waterman, Capt. Kevin Paul Second Place: Dakeri,... [Read More...]

    • Canceled Plans, More Time Brought New Wave of Boaters, Anglers in 2020, Study Finds

      Canceled Plans, More Time Brought New Wave of Boaters, Anglers in 2020, Study Finds

      Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 16, 2020—With COVID-19 transforming Americans' recreational habits, a new study from the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) has found that millions of new or returning participants have taken up fishing & boating. Particular increases were seen among nontraditional participants, signaling the activities' increasing appeal among new audiences. Titled Who's On Board: Keeping New Anglers & Boaters Hooked,... [Read More...]

    Captain of the Year Cup Standings

    Captain of the Year Cup Standings Logo

    View the current standings for InTheBite's Captain of the Year Cup... Leaderboard »

    Search InTheBite

    Copyright © 2021 InTheBite, LLC · All Rights Reserved.

    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.