Winter has descended on southwest Alaska. The Tikchik Lakes are forming ice day after day, and Tikchik Narrows Lodge is bounded by fresh snow. Bears are in their dens, and spawning salmon have long since died, leaving their nutrients for resident trout and char. We have officially closed out another spectacular season, and it's a great time to reflect on 2024 and look ahead to what promises to be an even better 2025.
Tikchik has continued to thrive under the recent ownership change, due to the continued presence of a cadre of longtime and indispensable employees. Adam Franceschini, in his 18th season at the lodge, ran the fishing program masterfully. Steve Larsen, with over 30 years of experience at Tikchik, once again helmed our experienced and professional pilot crew. We reluctantly said goodbye to longtime Lodge Manager Carol Smith after 17 seasons, but she graciously came to the lodge in the early season to pass the reins to Gina Da Silva Villalobos, who hit the ground running and showed her commitment to providing the same elite level of hospitality that our guests have come to expect.
Spring
Our longtime winter caretaker at Tikchik remarked that 2023-24 was the snowiest winter he'd seen at the lodge, and winter stubbornly held on, even more so than in 2023, which also was a late spring. Ice lingered on the lakes until early June, and high water from snow melt kept the lakes up until early August, although thankfully the rain was minimal and our rivers stayed stable and clear.
King Salmon arrived late, but exceeded expectations in the early season. Our Lower Nushagak camp was a winner under the leadership of Summer Santangelo, with the able assistance of Caleb Hofer and Zach Sudol. When the tides and weather worked in our favor, our guests boated some incredible fish.
On the Upper Nush, James Wise, Cole Nanney, and Houston Blankenship worked nearly 100 miles of river with true expertise, starting with dries and streamers in the early season, and transitioning to the egg drop as reds and chums started to spread out and spawn.
The venerable Agulupak started strong in June and kept rolling for three months. Returning guide Brendan Heselton and up-and-comer Tyler Christiansen impressed our guests with their knowledge of the river and their great shore lunches.
Summer
A refreshing change for 2024 was the resurgence of chum salmon into area rivers. Chums are dually important, both as a massive supply of food for resident fish and wildlife, and a topflight sportfish. Southwest Alaska saw its best chum returns in 6 years, and many anglers remarked on the addition of hard-fighting chums to their multi-species catches. Dolly Varden in our rivers also thrive when chums are numerous, and this summer saw our best Dolly fishing in years.
Sockeye Salmon once again surpassed 1.7 million fish into the Nushagak drainage, and the lake system benefitted. Our in-house guides, "World Wide Will" McCabe, Josh Hendry and John Smolko had banner days for char and lake trout throughout the season. The Narrows and other local fisheries started hot and stayed that way. We also had the benefit of tackle shop manager Caiden Jenkins moving up to full guide status early in the season, and he put our guests on amazing fish all summer.
The consistent water levels and good chum run benefited our overnight Sunset Outpost, where anglers reported fantastic catches of rainbows, dollies, and grayling. Guides Steve King and Jace Amberson worked the river like true pros and camp host Tessa Nuckolls kept guests immersed in remote luxury. Sunset remains a one-of-a-kind wilderness retreat for Tikchik anglers.
Throughout mid-summer guests sought to fly to Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park for bear viewing, and they were not disappointed. One group saw over 50 bears in a brief afternoon at the Falls. This is commonly recalled as a highlight of a trip to Tikchik Narrows Lodge for many guests. 2024 also saw a number of avid birders at Tikchik, and we maintained a detailed list of bird sightings at the lodge.
Fall
Silver salmon hit like clockwork the last few days of July, and stayed strong in the Nushagak for almost a month. We set up our Silvermine camp for the first time in several years, and kept our guests on fish steadily throughout August.
For the first time ever, the lodge had trophy char pins to hand out, alongside the usual trophy rainbow and salmon pins. Suffice it to say, we already need to order more. Ask any Tikchik guest from the last several years, and they will tell you that the char fishing is amazing. Every week in 2024 saw multiple 30+ inch Arctic Char to net, sometimes dozens (hence the vanishing trophy pins), and several observers noted that we seem to be living in the glory days of char in our lake system. Hopefully, with our dedicated catch-and-release ethos for these large fish, and the continued healthy sockeye salmon runs, our lodge will be able to put guests on trophy char for years to come.
Our walk-and-wade fisheries were, once again, a highlight for many anglers. Returning veteran guides Butch Flick and William "Tricky" Paul had exceptional days on small creeks in Wood-Tikchik State Park. I am also happy to report that after considerable exploration we have added some new water to our list of walkable creeks, and we are excited to get some adventurous anglers on those streams in 2025.
As we rolled into September, more of our focus shifted to the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge to our west. After an initial series of massive storms that flooded the Togiak Valley, our silver camp on the Togiak River was absolutely on fire late in the season, and our fishery on the Kulukak also produced great catches as the temperatures cooled and fall colors brightened the tundra.
Finally, the Agulowak and Agulupak saved their best for last, as our final two weeks of anglers boated countless rainbows and char on the sister rivers to our south.
After my first summer as Owner/Operator in 2023, where it seemed as though every week was a weather challenge, it was refreshing to have stability in 2024. Of course, a great team makes everything easier, and we have absolutely the best crew at Tikchik Narrows Lodge. When you plan your trip to Tikchik, you can rest assured that 36 people will do everything they can to provide you with the ultimate Alaskan fishing experience. I believe everything about a trip to Tikchik should be unique and memorable: the setting, the fishing, and the culture of hospitality and service.
The Tikchik guide staff continues to impress our guests week in and week out. Under Adam's stewardship, and with many decades of combined experience, our guides put people on fish and show them an awesome time in the process. As we always point out, most of our guides work year round in other parts of the world, honing their craft and ensuring you are getting the best possible experience.
In addition to chief pilot Steve and longtime pilot Charlie Later, Tikchik welcomed back Sheldon Licardy, who wowed our guests on windy days with his kiteboarding in the Narrows. A newcomer to the pilot roster was Bryan Bailey, former FedEx captain and fighter pilot. Our four pilots moved our guests around southwest Alaska in safety and comfort.
2024 saw the return of executive chef Alex Teague and our long-time assistant chef Ursula Canfield, both of whom put on a culinary showcase on a daily basis. John Seawood, also known as Doctor John, helmed the Tikchik bar for the second year, and absolutely crushed it. Keep your eyes open in 2025 for a new and expanded bar and seating area in the main lodge!
Every employee at Tikchik is indispensable, and although there are too many to individually recognize in this newsletter, I want to personally thank them for their hard work and dedication.
Happy Holidays to you and yours. Have a fantastic winter, and I hope to see you in Alaska in 2025!
Andy Angstman