Affordable Alaska Fishing Trip - Article 17 of 31
Be prepared on your Alaska fishing trip
Ahhh, yes…the old Boy Scout motto Be Prepared. Easy to memorize and a must in Alaska.
Let's talk about what you need to know to protect yourself against three elements that will be totally out of your control. One thing to remember here, though, is that none of these need to ruin your trip. Once you educate yourself and are prepared for them, you will not let them interfere with your trip. You will be prepared for them.
These elements are rain, mosquitoes and other flying insects and bears. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again because it’s so important…”be flexible and be ready for anything”. In essence, “be prepared”. It is my sincere desire that your first trip is devoid of all three of these but it is quite unlikely.
Rain
Let’s start with the rain. A bad day of fishing in Alaska in the rain is still better than any good day at work…at least to me it is. I just love it that much. Make sure you have a good quality rain suit along. I don’t care for ponchos as they really get in the way if you have any wind. I swear by my insulated rain jacket (with hood up over my hat to keep the rain out of my eyes) and unlined rain pants. Others will tell you to go with a “breathable” rain jacket to keep perspiration to a minimum. Both are good choices and are a matter of opinion. Go with what you feel comfortable with. I get cold easily so I go for the extra insulation. I rarely even wear the rain pants as I wear waist waders on the stream and my rain jacket comes down over the waders so I have total protection from the rain.
Mosquitoes and other flying insects
If you’ve talked to anyone about their Alaska experience, you were bound to here a story or two about the mosquitoes, no-see-ums or some other flying insects. Mosquitoes are a part of Alaska. Get used to it and be prepared for it.
You can prepare yourself with bug repellant and/or mesh clothing. I use both. For the bug repellant, choose one with DEET. Is the most effective ingredient against mosquitoes. Take caution in using DEET though as it is a strong chemical. Keep it out of your eyes and mouth and wash the palms of your hands thoroughly after applying it. DEET is very harmful to fish if you have it on your hands when handling them. For the mesh clothing you’re best option is a small, fold up mesh head cover. They make mesh suits to cover your entire upper body but I feel that is overkill and totally unnecessary.
Having said that, the mosquitoes will probably not be as bad as you’re imagining right now. Much of your fishing will be done from highway access with some hiking thrown in for good measure. The mosquitoes tend to populate the dense forests, tundra and lake areas. You typically will not have many problems with them along the highway systems. I remember one of my early trips when we were flown into Pigot Bay for a 3 day stay at the forest service cabin there to fish the local streams for chum and pink salmon. I was not warned about this phenomenon and was a bit overwhelmed at what I was about to experience. On the lake we were fine but as soon as we hit land, we were inundated with mosquitoes. They were so thick that we could barely see the cabin only one hundred feet away. We sprinted for the cabin and once inside I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only did my wise Alaskan uncle bring mosquito repellant but he also brought mesh head covers as well. We only needed them while in that general area. Once we got to the stream, there was no sign of them anywhere. So, you never know…be prepared.
Bears
Bears are something that most of us are not accustomed to while fishing in the lower 48. And while you may not encounter a single bear during your trip to Alaska, there is a slight chance that you may. Alaska is bear country and bear encounters do happen. It's important that we learn bear safety. I’m sure you’ve seen “Do not feed the bears” signs before…well that could not be more true than here. NEVER feed a wild bear. Doing so just lets the bear think that humans are a source of food. A favorite chant of Alaskans hiking wilderness trails is simply, “Yo bear” repeated over and over again. The trick to surviving a bear encounter is to never startle a bear. You want to let them hear you coming as far in advance as possible. This will usually result in the bear retreating into the woods. If you do encounter a bear, slowly back away from it and give it plenty of space. If you are blocking its path, slowly move out of the way. Never make a bear feel like it is cornered. If it chooses to encounter you, stop and stand your ground and try to make yourself look as big as possible. If it makes contact with you, immediately drop to the ground, curl up in a ball and clasp your hands around the back of your neck and play dead until the bear leaves. Never walk a deep trail alone. Use common sense.
These are just some quick pointers as to what to do if you encounter a bear. Your best course of action is to educate yourself on bear safety before you go and to be prepared. The best resource for this is the ADF&G Division of Wildlife Conservation. I can tell you nothing more than they can.
Now you should be prepared for just about anything that comes your way (that is worth mentioning).
On to Affordable Alaska Fishing Trips Article #18...How to pack.
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