The Crystal Creek Lodge Blog is a place of possibilities, where you can learn deeper insights into how to explore the tens of millions of acres of wild Alaska surrounding us. Whether you’re after fishing, wildlife, the perspective of history or simply feeling the awe of being in wide-open spaces, it’s all here. Enjoy the journey.
A Magic Day A day of magic with guests Jack and Brad from Connecticut and guests Shari and Judith from Washington. Jack and Brad have been guests of Crystal Creek for over 15 years, and they usually bird hunt and do a little fishing. Shari and Judith love to fish and this is their first…
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Two fish, caught from two rivers, two days apart. One, a 20-inch fish that lives it’s life year round in a stream far from a lake connection, turns pigmented, spotted, green and bright red from exposure to sunlight. The other, a 29-inch fish, remains chrome and without pigment from living it’s life year round in…
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Guide Connor Scott is shown holding a Chum Salmon caught by Rick and Lee P. of Phoenix, AZ. This is Lee’s 24th trip to CCL and his first to Yantarni Salmon Camp. Rick and Lee went on a day trip. They and two other guests caught numerous Chums and Pink Salmon within sight of the…
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Yesterday we put Beaver N602AK on wheels. Man! I love that plane on wheels! It is an incredible performer. After doing a few touch-and-goes last night that allowed me to pilot Steve to brush off the dust, we put it on the schedule today to go char fishing at Becharof Lake. The guests caught hundreds. While…
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Shown are Charles and Mindy of Wasilla, Alaska holding two fat Naknek River Rainbow Trout caught on August 4. We had a slight weather delay, waiting for the morning fog to burn off before we could fly out. Charles and Mindy chose to opt out of their fly-out day to spend the day on the…
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The streams of Bristol Bay are turning red as the bright-red Sockeye Salmon swims into the gin-clear water. It’s an amazing sight to see from the window of an airplane flying 500 ft. overhead. The Rainbow Trout are coming out of the lakes to follow the salmon and gorge on their eggs. The first spawning…
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A guest favorite at our dinner table is always Wednesday’s surf and turf night. Last night Chefs Joe and Brian served up the surf course as claw of King Crab aside a bowl of gazpacho soup garnished with mellon. The turf course was Prime Angus Beef fillet set atop a mole sauce and topped with…
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The sea-run Dolly Varden are flooding into the Bristol Bay area rivers, following the salmon from the ocean to the spawning creeks. The Dollies are stacking the catch numbers substantially as our guests fish small streams. Shown is pilot/guide Alex holding a Dolly caught by guest Joe W. of Long Beach, CA. Joe just completed…
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As the millions of Bristol Bay Salmon begin entering the small streams on their way to spawn, they draw from the lakes and rivers Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden, hungry fish that follow eagerly to await the deluge of eggs about to be dropped by the salmon as they spawn. All of our guests fished…
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We woke today expecting to fly out all the guests. Duane went to the dock at 5:30 to report the “Black Mamba”, a procession of nose-to-tail Sockeye Salmon several thick, was snaking past the dock. We quickly re-geared all the guests to the Naknek fleet of boats and in short order, all 14 guests had…
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