Resolutions for 2013

We have decided here at Alaska Premier Charters, Inc. and the Wild Strawberry Lodge that it is time for us to make some New Year’s Resolutions for 2013. We have a couple of confessions to make: Our blog has been neglected far too much during this past year. In addition to that, it is time…

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A Whale of a Tale

Living together in the staff house with many of the deckhands and crew of Alaska Premier Charters, Inc. and the Wild Strawberry Lodge, I’ve heard many tales that can only be told through a fisherman. Some are wild, some extreme, some blatantly fake, but they all start with some tiny kernel of truth. Imagine my…

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My First Catch

Finally getting the chance to fish, I threw myself into the act. We started with mooching for King Salmon and I was immediately glad that I was on a boat full of novice anglers. The captain and deckhand each grabbed a rod and gave us a quick run through on how to hold it, how…

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Too Many Sights for Two Eyes

I just recently went out on my first full-length fishing expedition on the open water of the Pacific, courtesy of Alaska Premier Charters, Inc. Of course, it was worrisome for me considering I tend to over think the large sea dwelling creatures below me and get very paranoid about deep water in general. It also…

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An Exotic Catch

As a world-renowned Alaskan fishing lodge, Alaska Premier Charters, Inc. and the Wild Strawberry Lodge specialize in salmon and halibut, but not exclusively. Although they are prevalent, I’ve also become accustomed to finding surprising catch in the processing room. After having read Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and spending way too much time watching…

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The Clock of Sitka

The tree overhanging the processing room is always burdened by ravens and eagles that sit overlooking the harbor. I find myself watching them every time I pass a window on that side of the lodge; for someone who’d never seen one before arriving in Alaska, they are really interesting creatures…

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First Catch of the Season

Our first fishing trip of the season came back in yesterday, meaning I finally caught sight of a gorgeous salmon. Up to that point, my prior experience with fish was pointing through the grocer’s window at a random steak, generally having no idea what I was ordering or what set it apart from a goldfish…

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Preseason Preparations

The Wild Strawberry Lodge and Alaska Premier Charters (APC) in Sitka is humming with preparations for the start of the 2012 fishing season. With barely a week before the first guests start arriving, the staff is putting finishing touches on many facets of the true Alaskan fishing lodge experience…

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The Great Alaskan Fishing Experience

Ina Mae and I were invited to go fishing yesterday. The day started bright and early at 4:45 a.m. I rolled out of bed, grabbed my camera and went to the rain gear room to find some rain gear my size. I quickly grabbed a pair of bibs and some size 9 mud boots off…

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Wildlife Encounters

It’s a wonderful day here at Alaska Premier Charters, Inc. and the boats are out fishing for the day. We are excited to hear about their adventures at dinner this evening. The wildlife has been quite active lately, which makes for an even better fishing experience! A few days ago on one of our vessels…

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Lending a hand to a great cause!

Big Brothers Big Sisters successful fishing event sponsored by the Sitka Charterboat Association. This year members of the Sitka Charterboat Operators Association (SCBOA) volunteered seven vessels to take the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) out for an annual fishing day. This year was another successful event. At 12:30 pm on Sunday SCBOA and BBBS met…

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New 2011 Halibut Release Awards

For 2011 we have a new awards program going on all summer long here at Alaska Premier Charters, Inc. There are new regulations preventing guided anglers in Southeast Alaska from retaining any halibut over 37 inches on charter fishing trips. We don’t want this to dampen your spirits while fishing on the great Pacific Ocean…

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Baitfish by the Box

It’s that time of year when we order our bait for the new fishing season. We recently received our shipment of herring – 200 cases of tray pack herring on five pallets came in on the barge from Washington. Since we don’t have room in our freezers at the lodge, we rent freezer space at…

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Registration…Check, Licenses…Check…

Whew! What a big job! Recently I had a hand in helping Theresa prepare our boats’ paperwork for the 2011 fishing season. It involved updating three-ring binders filled with documents that are required by law to be kept on each boat at all times for charter fishing trips…

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First Fish of 2011

Some of the fishing crew here at Wild Strawberry Lodge went out on the ocean for the first fishing trip of 2011 today. They were all excited to go catch some salmon and halibut at five-thirty this morning and all pitched in preparing the Full House for a day on the water…

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