Your Alaska Fishing Lodge Hosts

Andy Angstman

After owning and operating Tikchik for 36 years, Bud Hodson will be retiring. Bud will be at Tikchik all summer assisting and guiding the new ownership in daily operations. The new owner is Andy Angstman.  He was born and raised in Bethel, Alaska, about 100 miles west of the lodge.  Andy will be working alongside Bud this summer to learn the operation. Our management team, including manager of hospitality Carol Smith, head guide Adam Franceschini, and Chief Pilot Steve Larsen, will be in place this season for a smooth transition.

Andy’s family has had a cabin on Chauekuktuli Lake for nearly 20 years. Chauekuktuli is the next lake upstream from Tikchik, and is familiar to Tikchik anglers who have fished the Allen River or Shadow Bay. Andy has fished and flown throughout Wood-Tikchik State Park and Togiak National Wildlife Refuge for decades, and has wanted to be a part of Tikchik for many years. He has been in our Anchorage office most of the winter working and learning more about the lodge. He and his family are committed to keeping Tikchik the same operation that has been so successful over the years.

Adam Franceschini

Adam grew up in the Berkshire Mountains of northwest Connecticut where he learned how to fish at an early age, instilling in him a passion for fishing, water and the outdoors.  Adam began guiding on the famed rivers in western Montana, where he quickly learned how to navigate a drift boat on big water.  Since then, he has guided on the San Juan river in New Mexico, South Holston and Watauga rivers in TN, The Steelhead Ally of Lake Erie in Ohio, Amazon River Basin of Brazil, Salmon River and Housatonic River in Connecticut.

Along with being an Ambassador for Sage rods as well as the American Museum of Fly Fishing, he is a popular guest speaker and commercial fly designer. Adam is a year-round International guide working on the water eleven months of the year. He spends his spring guiding for the West Branch Angler in Hancock, NY, the winter guiding for Coyhaique River Lodge in Chile and serving as Head Guide for Tikchik Narrows Lodge in Bristol Bay, AK. Adam has worked at Tikchik since 2007.

Carol Smith

Carol Smith is Tikchik’s Manager of Hospitality. Carol has been with Tikchik since 2007.  She has worked in the Hospitality field for many years. Carol is from New Zealand and lives in New Zealand in the winter when not at Tikchik.

She has an extensive background in hospitality having worked at a ski resort in California for many years. She has also worked at various lodges and ships in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and Seward Alaska. Carol has a terrific sense of humor and a keen eye to detail. She is a “hands on” manager who ensures exceptional service for Tikchik anglers.