Last-Minute Opening Program

Suppose for a moment that you have a fly fishing friend in the greater Anchorage area. Say he (or she) has a driftboat or inflatable – or maybe no boat at all but a storehouse of local fishing information. Wouldn’t it be terrific, the next time you go to Alaska, to share a few days on an Anchorage-area river with this friend? This winter, in return, you could offer him (or her) access to some fishing near where you live.

So, how can you find such a friend? One way might be to join Alaska Fly Fishers, a 500-plus-member fly fishing club based in Anchorage. Membership costs only $15. Among other things, that puts you on the mailing list to receive a monthly newsletter full of interesting tidbits and meeting announcements. The copy we just received (it was a month old when we got it) announces a January talk by club member Tony Weaver, who "…will be presenting a saltwater fly fishing show concentrating on Alaska’s virtually untouched saltwater fly fishery – from techniques on how to catch Alaska’s numerous bottomfish to slamming big halibut on a fly."

The newsletter also has a "Bulletin Board" where members are free to place personal messages. And that’s where the networking I mentioned above might take place. At press time, we spoke with current club President, Dave Goodman, about this networking idea and he said he couldn’t offer anything specific until he brought the matter up with the club board. In the meantime, Angling Report subscribers were indeed welcome to join the club and post any kind of message they like on the newsletter’s "Bulletin Board." He also noted that the group’s website has a chat room.

Goodman was intrigued by the whole idea of networking between his club members and Angling Report subscribers and promised to follow the matter up. One comment he made was fascinating. Seems some Alaska lodges have an informal policy of notifying the club if they have a last-minute cancellation. Club members who can get away quickly enjoy tremendous savings on lodge trips.