Included / Not Included –
Included: Accommodations and meals at the lodge, guided fishing, airport meet and greet in Dillingham, ground transportation in Dillingham, fly fishing rods, reels, flies, leaders, tippets, etc.
Not Included: Airfare to and from Dillingham, accommodations and meals in Dillingham, float plane flight to/from Dillingham and the lodge, alcohol, staff and guide gratuities, fishing license.
Travel Logistics:
Arrival Information: To get to Fishing Bear Lodge you will need to make travel arrangements to Dillingham, Alaska. All guests need to arrive in Dillingham the day before your trip to the lodge and overnight.
Getting to the Lodge: In the morning you will take a charter flight from Dillingham to the lodge.
Departure Information: On your departure day you will take a morning charter flight back to Dillingham and connect with your flight home.
Documentation Requirements:
To participate in the activities at Fishing Bear Lodge, you will be required to sign a waiver form when you are on-site.
Travel Cash:
You will need cash for staff and guide gratuities and charter flight if you have not prepaid for it. We recommend traveling with a minimum of $500 in cash (not including the charter flight).
Fishing Licenses:
Please plan on purchasing your Alaska fishing license online ahead of time at: http://www.admin.adfg.state.ak.us/license/.
Climate:
The weather in Southwest Alaska is highly variable. Anglers should always come prepared for cold rainy conditions, especially early and late in the season. Typical daytime temperatures range from 45-70 degrees.
Medical Facilities:
The nearest hospital is 50 miles by floatplane, which would be about an hour away.
Power and Communications:
The lodge generator runs about 3 hours in the morning and again in the evening. There are limited plug-ins in the main lodge and no power in the rooms. Cell phones do NOT work at the lodge. Fishing Bear has wireless satellite internet. Guests can bring their personal laptop or are welcome to use the lodge’s computer a couple of times during their week. Fishing Bear also has a sleep apnea power inverter available (12v to 110v).
Water:
Water is great to drink out of the tap.
Clothing:
Typical fishing clothing consists of synthetic long underwear, fleece jacket and pants, hooded sweatshirt, and a good fishing rain jacket. Fingerless gloves are nice for cold mornings, and bring along a warm hat for early and late season fishing. For anglers made particularly uncomfortable by biting insects, pack along a mosquito head net, especially if visiting during the first half of the season. Dress at the lodge is always informal.
Laundry:
Fishing Bear Lodge is not able to provide laundry service. Note: You should bring a sleeping bag or sheets. They provide clean cover blankets and plenty of warm blankets.
Beverages/Alcohol:
Fishing Bear provides limited box wines (red and white) for dinner. The lodge does not supply any beer or hard alcohol, however, guests are welcome to bring their own. No bottled water is available and specific sodas can be requested ahead of time. Anglers can request a custom beverage order from Justin, the lodge owner, prior to June 1st and pay him on-site.
Gratuities:
We recommend approximately 10% of the package price to be given to Justin at the end of your stay. Please pay gratuities in cash.
Tackle/Equipment List:
Rods: Trout; 9-10 ft. 5-6 wt. Rods Salmon; 9-10 ft. 7-9 wt. rods.
Reels: Any well-made reel with at least 100 yards of backing.
Lines: Trout; Weight forward floating lines are the norm but if you are fishing in June, July, or September bring along sinking tip lines such as the Mastery wet tip type 4, Teeny 200, or the Rio Versi-Tip in the appropriate weights. Salmon; Weight forward floaters are the most common but bring along at least one of the following if you are deliberately targeting Salmon: Mastery wet tip type 4, Teeny five foot mini tip, or the Rio Versi-Tip in the appropriate weights.
Leaders/Tippet: Trout; 9-10 ft tapered leaders in 2-5X (tow or three of each) and tippet to match. Salmon; 9-10 ft. tapered leaders in 2-0X and tippet to match. Note: Fluorocarbon has become popular for the trout fishing.
Flies: The lodge does have an assortment of flies that they are happy to provide you with but feel free to bring your own. For rainbow grayling and dollies consider the following: Whitlock’s Near Nuff Sculpin in size #4-8 and the # 6 Morrish Sculpin (brown and dark olive). Additionally, come well prepared with black, brown and olive woolly buggers (bunny leaches too) in sizes #2-8 as well as similar sized egg sucking leaches in both black and purple. Also bring along your standard dries including parachute Adams, elk hair caddis and general attractors like the madam X and other larger rubber legged creations. Just for grins throw in a few mice. For salmon, some of the following are also productive: Cook’s Popsicle, pink pollywog, woolley buggers in gaudy colors, egg sucking leaches, bright bunny leaches, and Clouser minnows.
Waders & Boots: Chest high breathable and or neoprene waders with felt soled wading boots. No studs or cleats please, as the damage the aircrafts and boats.
Fishing Bear provides any and/or all fly fishing equipment. The lodge stocks a complete selection of rods and reels if you should need them. For beginners they have excellent equipment to use at no cost. They also provide dry fly, nymph and steamer patterns for all of the guests at no cost in selections which are best for their waters. Pike flies are available hand tied by Conner and Kia at a minimal cost which goes towards their college fund. Fishing Bear provides all leaders, tippet, indicators, sink tips, etc…anything you might need to fly fish successfully in their waters.
