Togiak River Fishing Adventures
Alaska
Togiak River Fishing Adventures (TRFA) is a permanent freshwater sportfishing destination located in western Alaska, located 350 miles west of Anchorage, 20 miles upriver from Bristol Bay, at the gateway to the Wilderness Area of the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge. Access is via air taxi from Dillingham, their fishing season runs from mid-June to mid-September.
Your hosts, Brad and Karla Estelle, have worked in the Alaska sportfishing industry for over 20 years. Their commitment to quality and personalized attention to each guest in a professional, friendly atmosphere, is the primary reason most guests re-book year after year.
The combination of a premiere salmon fishery on a pristine river guided by their highly professional guides, outstanding meals and comfortable camp accommodations, all make for very satisfied anglers.
With only 14 guests per week and a guide to angler ratio of 1 to 2, they are able to provide superior service and personal attention to each of their guests. TRFA tailors the program to the type of fishing you are most interested in. They have boats built so a party of three can stay together.
Togiak River Fishing Adventure Quick Facts:
Species: Rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, char, graying, pike, five species of Pacific salmon
Season: Mid-June to mid-September
Capacity: 14 guests
Included: Accommodations, meals at the lodge, guided fishing
Not Included: Airfare to/from Dillingham, accommodations and meals in Dillingham. Charter flight between Dillingham and TRFA, alcohol, staff and guide gratuities, fishing license, tackle.
Location:
The Togiak River Fishing Adventures camp is located 20 miles upriver from Bristol Bay on the Togiak River at the confluence of the Pungokepuk River. It is within the boundaries of the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, at the gateway to the Wilderness Area of the Refuge.
Fishing Program:
Nowhere else in the world are there more runs of salmon than in Bristol Bay, Alaska. The Togiak River is the westernmost tributary to Bristol Bay and over the course of four months literally hundreds of thousands of Pacific salmon of five species will return to spawn here. This amazing phenomenon is the food base for seven species of freshwater fish: Rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, arctic char, and northern pike are found throughout the river system, arctic grayling are found in the upper reaches of the tributaries, while lake trout, well, they're in the lake.
The Togiak River is short by Alaska standards, approximately 70 miles from the outlet of Togiak Lake to Bristol Bay. The TRFA camp is 20 miles upriver from Bristol Bay and in a week's time you may find yourself fishing for salmon on the incoming tide in the lower part of the river one day, to fishing one of the many gin clear smaller tributaries for dollies and rainbows on another day. Although it is a fixed base operation, their location offers quite a variety of fishing opportunities, and your angling pursuits are determined by your preferences.
Strong runs of king salmon averaging 25-40 pounds in June and July offer an abundance and quality to delight even seasoned anglers. The acrobatic silver salmon consistently average 12-14 pounds and can go to 20 pounds, providing a very exciting fishery from August through September. Chum, sockeye, and pink salmon, are extremely fun to catch on a variety of tackle, even the dry fly! These salmon arrive from mid-June through August. Dolly Varden are abundant in the Togiak and combined with the more elusive, but large, rainbow trout, provide variety all season long for anglers.
Fishing Techniques:
The Togiak River is large enough to support substantial runs of salmon and small enough to be easy to read and pick apart the fishing holes and runs. Over the course of the season all the freshwater light tackle fishing techniques are utilized. Back Trolling plugs such as Luhr Jensen Kwikfish (K-15's in a variety of colors, with sardine or anchovy wraps), as well as Back Bouncing bait are productive methods for kings. Bobber and Jig is popular for all salmon species, as well as Boondoggling, and Casting Spoons. The Togiak River and its tributaries lend themselves well to fly fishing.
Whether you prefer fly fishing or spin fishing, back trolling, drift fishing, or wading from the banks and gravel bars, the TRFA guides understand that your satisfaction is the goal and will go out of their way to fulfill your expectations.
Accommodations and Meals:
The Togiak River Fishing Adventures facility is comfortable and well equipped. There is a combination of Weatherport "tent-cabins" and framed buildings. Ten guest tents are set to accommodate both singles and doubles. Each is carpeted, heated, well insulated, and furnished with comfortable beds. All linens and bedding are supplied. The bathrooms have flush toilets and hot showers with bath linens provided.
The large lounge tent is a great place to socialize after a day's fishing, enjoy freshly prepared appetizers and brag about the fish you caught (and tell about the one that got away!). Guests will find a well equipped fly tying bench, book library, and television with a DVD player for viewing videos, though there is no access to the nightly news! The lounge is carpeted and heated, and the refrigerator is always stocked with ice and mixers. The dining tent always has the coffee on, and the cookie jar is always full of treats. The wood fired sauna is fired up at any time upon request.
Other buildings include a well equipped tackle shop and a wader drying room. There is an elevated viewing deck above the screened-in gazebo. The entire compound is connected by a permanent boardwalk.
All of the meals at TRFA are prepared in a commercial kitchen. Special diets are always accommodated. Breakfasts are served at 7:00AM, buffet style, and are prepared with hungry fishermen in mind. Breakfasts include a hot menu plus a cereal bar, baked breads or muffins, fruit and fruit juice.
Lunches alternate between a well set sandwich bar and the ever popular shore lunch. Shore lunch, prepared river side, includes favorites such as fresh caught salmon, smoked brisket or Dutch oven meals. It always tastes best on the river!
The dinner menu features hearty, home-style meals of American cuisine, with an Alaskan flair. Salmon and halibut, of course, are frequently on the menu, as well as other Alaskan seafoods. Meals are always complemented with fresh produce, homemade baked breads and desserts. Crew and guests eat together family style.
If you are around camp during the day, chances are you'd get a whiff of alder smoke coming from the smoke house, or catch the kitchen staff coming home from an afternoon picking berries for tonight's cheesecake or tomorrow morning's pancakes. The camp staff wants the accommodations and meals to be as memorable as the fishing!
Sample Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive Anchorage and overnight.
Day 2: In the morning take first flight to Dillingham, then air taxi flight from Dillingham to the camp. Half day of guided fishing.
Days 3-7: Full days of fishing.
Day 8: Depart lodge for air taxi flight to Dillingham, arriving Dillingham about 12:00PM - 1:00PM. Continue home.
Typical Daily Schedule:
7:00AM: Breakfast
8:00AM – 6:00PM: Fishing
6:00PM: Return to camp
7:30PM: Dinner
In the evening, the following day’s fishing assignments will be posted. Your guide for the day will meet you after dinner to discuss the plan for the day. The camp does its best to rotate the guest parties with the guide staff, giving one an opportunity to fish with a different guide each day.
If you didn't get enough fishing in during the day, some of the favorite holes and runs, the tributary confluences of Pungokepuk River and the Gechiak Creek are minutes from camp, and guides are available to take you. If the fish wore you out, tie flies for the next day, play table games, read, plug in a movie, or enjoy the evening with friends on the elevated viewing deck or in the lounge. When requested, we will fire up the sauna so you can melt away the tension from reeling in those big salmon.
Note: On the last day, breakfast is served at 8:00AM. After breakfast, settle up with Brad and finish packing. They will pack your frozen fish in your coolers or wet lock boxes for transportation home or to a processing plant for smoking. Depending on Anchorage flight schedules and weather, the charter plane arrives late morning and will have you back into Dillingham by 1:00PM.
Complete Trip Details
