Check out Rainbow King Lodge in the Traveling Angler Magazine Volume 7 Issue 2. Rainbow King Lodge is the finest fishing lodge in Alaska. A true luxury lodge. The Experience of a Lifetime. www.rainbowking.com

1. WWW.TRAVELINGANGLERMAGAZINE.COM
THE ULTIMATE TRAVEL GUIDE FOR THE
DISCERNING ANGLER
ALL ABOUT
THE FLY-OUT
Alaska’s Best Rainbow
Fisheries
GEAR
Keep Your Fly Rods
Safe, In-Tact
B.C.’S WORLD-CLASS
STEELHEAD FISHING
Skeena, Kispiox, Bulkley, Morice, Kalum,
Exchamsiks, Babine, Sustut, Copper
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 2, 2013
WORLD’S BIGGEST TROUT
Argentina’s Jurassic Lake

2. Gibraltar River
pat hoglund photo
ALA SKA,
Alaska A La Carte
Based in Lake Iliamna, Rainbow King Lodge serves up a
veritable smorgasbord of trophy trout water. by pat hoglund
50
www.travelinganglermagazine.com
pat hoglund photo
Y
ou’d thought Gus had a bag full
of candy and was handing it out
during recess. While he sat at
the table in the lodge rec room, a
pencil in one hand and a sheet of
paper in the other, he filled out the next day’s
itinerary while guests hovered around him
like bees to honey.
Fishermen from various parts of the
country waited for their turn to get their
name on the list. All of them were guests at
Rainbow King Lodge. There was the couple
from Tennessee, a group of six fishermen from
Anchorage, four friends from Salt Lake City,
my son Peter and me, and John and Bill from
Atlanta, Georgia. John had retired from his
law practice while his son-in-law Bill was able
to steel away from his job for a week of trout
fishing.
“We’d like to fish Gibraltar tomorrow,” Bill
said.
Bill is a polite southern gentleman from
Atlanta who was on his 18th consecutive visit
to Rainbow King Lodge. He and his father-inlaw, John, are regulars. They know the rivers
in Bristol Bay intimately and he was calling
upon a vault of personal history. Gus looked
at his sheet, penciled in Bill and John’s names
and turned to me.
It was my turn to decide where me and
my son were going to fish the next day. I was
doing my best to get a feel for what other
guests were thinking, and where they were
scheduled to fish. The choices varied from a
dozen premier trout rivers, to salmon on the
coast, or halibut fishing. I had been to Rainbow King Lodge one other time, so my bevvy
of personal choices were limited. I looked at
Bill and John and I figured their 18 summers
had to account for something.
“If there’s room on the Gibraltar, we’d love

3. Gibraltar River
pat hoglund photo
ALASKA,
to fish it.”
Gus, who’s real name is Craig Augustynovich but goes by “Gus” for obvious reasons,
looked at me and smiled. “That’s a good
choice. It’s been fishing really good lately.” It
was settled. After dinner, we’d hit the rack,
wake up for breakfast at 6 a.m. then jump
in the van and drive three minutes to the
lake where we’d hop aboard the DeHavilland
Beaver and our pilot would fly us to Gibraltar
Lake. Our guide would be waiting there when
we arrived.
When the Beaver’s floats touched down
on the lake the next morning our pilot,
John Lucas, taxied the plane to the shoreline
where two blue rubber rafts and two young
bucks waited. Bill and John piled into Devan’s raft while Peter and I stowed our gear
into Justin’s raft. Our guide for the day was
Justin Schillaci, a 23-year-old trout bum from
Pennsylvania. A high school history teacher
during the school year, he guides fishermen
in Alaska during the summer.
Located on the south side of Lake Iliamna,
the Gibraltar flows north into Lake Iliamna.
The river is barely six miles long, but it is
without a doubt one of the prettiest trout
rivers in all of Alaska. From Gibraltar Lake
the river tumbles through alder groves and
stands of spruce trees. In several places granite
walls dictate the river’s course before it reaches
Lake Iliamna. The river is crystal clear and the
cobblestone bottom makes for near-perfect
traveling angler
51

4. ALA SKA,
Gibraltar River
pat hoglund photo
Peter gives chase to a nice rainbow on the Gibraltar River.
52
www.travelinganglermagazine.com
thanks to Rainbow King Lodge owner Rodger
Glaspey, Peter was fortunate to see a slice of
Alaska that few people his age get to experience.
Rainbow King Lodge has been in operation since the early 70s when Ray Loesche
started it. Glaspey and his partners Ted Sheely
and Jim Fletcher are the third owners. They
bought RKL after Tom Robinson passed away
in 2009. They have since trimmed back the
number of guests that stay here each week,
and spent a lot of money on improving the
lodge itself. The rooms have new, private
bathrooms, along with new mattresses and
bedding that is fit for a 5-star hotel in New
York City. There is high-speed Internet
service, as well as a revamped menu. It makes
for a great place to hang your hat after a long
day on the water. Which is ultimately what
you come for.
Rainbow King Lodge has made a name for
itself by whisking fishermen to some of the
best trout and salmon rivers in Bristol Bay.
It maintains upwards of a half-dozen private
pat hoglund photo
salmon spawning habitat. The Gibraltar gets
a sockeye run, a small coho run, and most
importantly it supports a healthy population
of rainbow trout.
The trout here are not overly large, however
it does have its share of trophy fish. Which
was evident at the first hole we stopped to
fish. Located about a mile from where the
plane dropped us off, the holding water was
on the inside bend of a long sweeping run
that was backed up by a logjam. Justin pulled
the raft up on a gravel bar and directed Peter
to the top end of a deep run. With a red bead
below a strike indicator I watched him make
his first official cast into Alaska waters. I
know it was something he wanted to do for a
long time. I also knew that he had visions of
gracefully casting his 6-weight long distances
to rising trout. I’m suspecting he was a little
disappointed when he learned most of his
casts would be 15 feet or less. He casually
flipped his bead into the river, gave the line
its customary mend, and was welcomed to
Alaska with a massive strike from a rainbow
that exploded out of the water. It threw the
hook and was gone in a split second. Peter was
dumbfounded. “Did you see that?” he asked.
I was equally shocked. It was a beautiful fish that might’ve gone 30 inches. It was
a classic Alaska rainbow. Big, beautiful and
strong like an ox. But Peter’s inattentiveness
on his first cast proved to be his undoing. I
couldn’t help but think it wouldn’t have been
right had he stuck a 30-incher on his first
cast anyway. He was already getting spoiled
enough just being there because there aren’t
too many 14-year-olds who get to experience a week at a flyout lodge in Alaska. But
Shore lunch included fresh salmon cooked
over an open fire.
leases on rivers that are a plane ride away.
They own and operate three airplanes, two
Beavers and an Otter. The Beaver normally sits
six people while the Otter seats 10. Because of
its location on Lake Iliamna, Rainbow King is
able to pick and choose the best places to fish
within close range of the lodge. It can also fly
guests to places that are not so close. During
the week Peter and I fished here, we fished
the Gibraltar River, September Creek, the
Kamishak River, Brooks River, the Newhalen,
and one far away salmon-infested river on
the coast where it was an every-cast affair for
silvers. The only time we didn’t fly in a plane
was on the Newhalen. The operation is first
class and the available waters the lodge has to
fish is extensive.
After Peter lost his first trout he was a little
more focused. He spent the rest of the morning pining away for a crack at another big one.
“I can’t believe I lost that fish,” he’d say. Each
time Justin responded by telling him he’d get
another chance. Sometimes I chalk that up
to guide speak, but on the Gibraltar I felt like
it was true. I personally was waiting for my
chance, which never did come. I caught plenty of rainbows in the 18- to 22-inch range,
but never got beyond the 24-inch mark.
Which in my world, that’s a really big trout.
A trout that big has shoulders, it’s incredibly
strong and will put up a memorable fight.
After a shore lunch that included fresh
salmon cooked over an open fire, we jumped
back in the raft and made our way downriver.
I was positioned on the bow, while Peter was
on the stern. Justin was between us rowing the raft. We slipped below an island and
Peter placed his “fly” in a pocket that looked
“trouty”. His strike indicator disappeared and
he lifted his rod to set the hook. Out of the
water bolted a thick rainbow. This time he
was prepared. The fish raced down river and
Peter and Justin jumped out of the raft and
gave chase. I stayed back with the raft and
watched the scene unfold before me. Using
the fast water to its advantage, the rainbow
ripped downstream taking with it all of Peter’s
fly line and 20 or 30 feet of his backing. Had
it continued farther downriver I am convinced
Peter would’ve lost it, but the trout tired and
as luck would have it, Peter managed to get
it within arm’s length. Justin slipped the net
under the trout to help Peter claim his prize.

5. Gibraltar River
It wasn’t the 30-incher that he hoped for, but
it was a damn nice trout (it taped out at 27
inches) and he was proud of it. I was equally
happy for him. I snapped a dozen photos and
he released it. Justin was genuinely happy for
Peter and he reminded him that I still hadn’t
hooked a fish that big. That made Peter feel
that much better.
Trout fishing in Alaska is like a lot of things
in this state: straightforward and pragmatic.
It’s no different on the Gibraltar in August.
The sockeye run arrives in June and once
they begin spawning in August the trout key
in on salmon eggs. For the better part of the
two months, 90 percent of the trout in Bristol
Bay are caught on beads. Some people refer
to them as “flies” but they’re nothing more
than small, plastic beads that slide onto the
leader. Of course we use fly rods and reels
loaded with floating line, which is where
the lines get blurred. The beads are either
tied or pegged to stay in place, usually about
3 or 4 inches above size 4 or 6 hook. The
beads come in different color and the guides
at Rainbow King Lodge pride themselves
on their own shades, which they dictate by
painting the beads with different colors of
fingernail polish. And while you might think
that any old bead will do, you’ll learn that
color and size matters. Most, if not all, of the
trout we caught on the Gibraltar were taken
on a 6mm red bead with shades of milky
white painted onto its exterior. These were
Justin’s own creation and they worked like
magic.
Split shot is attached to the leader and a
strike indicator is used to determine whether
your bead was taken. As my son came to
pat hoglund photo
pat hoglund photo
pat hoglund photos
ALASKA,
traveling angler
53

6. ALA SKA,
Gibraltar River
The Gibraltar River’s sockeye run starts in June
while the silver run trickles in August.
Bottom, Bill and Devon with an average-size
rainbow from the Gibraltar.
peter hoglund photo
pat hoglund photo
pat hoglund photo
Below, fishing beads for rainbows, the author
works his flies in and amongst spawning
sockeye.
54
www.travelinganglermagazine.com
tendency is to stay in one place longer than
you should. But who could blame you when
you’re ripping fish? Before you know it the
day draws to a close and the plane is coming
to pick you up.
Justin rowed through
the bottom end of the river
and found the slough where
Harry had landed the plane.
Within minutes the rafts
were deflated, disassembled
and packed into the back
of the Otter. The six of us
piled into the belly of the
airplane and taxied across
Lake Iliamna. Once in the
air Harry banked the plane
to the right and I watched
Bill look down on the river.
He was smiling. If nothing
else, 18 years taught him one
thing: he knew a good thing
when he saw it.
Pat Hoglund is publisher of Traveling Angler
magazine. He lives in Portland, Oregon. When
he’s not fishing for salmon and steelhead, he’s
usually thinking about fishing for trophy rainbow
trout.
pat hoglund photo
learn, the presentation is anything but sexy.
Visions of casting dry flies to rising trout
in Montana were quickly dashed when he
learned the chuck and duck method. Cast
upstream without hitting yourself in the head,
give the fly line a mend to ensure a drag free
drift, and once the indicator disappears set
the hook. Like I said, it’s simple and straightforward. If you’re lucky you’ll end up with
a trout on the end of your line that leaves its
lair at breakneck speeds with a tail-walking
dance burning a lasting memory. I can’t speak
for Peter, but watching him land that trout is
something I won’t soon forget.
Toward the end of the day we heard the
unmistakable sound of a turbo prop engine
buzzing overhead. We looked up and it was
Harry, who was flying the Otter. It was time
for us to go. The day came to an end with
us having to pass up a lot of good-looking
water on the lower end of the river. It happens
that way on streams like the Gibraltar. The
trout population is so abundant that your

7. ALASKA,
WHAT YO U N EED TO KNOW
Gibraltar River
WHEN YOU GO
q
season June through September.
location Located in Southwest
Alaska, much of the better fishing
centers around Lake Iliamna and the
rivers and streams nearby.
alcohol Iliamna, Alaska is a dry
town, which means you must bring
your own spirits. Either bring your
own, or have it shipped to the lodge
via Brown Jug Alaska by ordering
online or calling ahead. Give at least
four weeks of lead time.
brown jug alaska
800-478-2413
www.brownjugalaska.net/bushorders.aspx
weather You’re in Alaska,
so be prepared for everything.
Temperatures in June and July
fluctuate in the mid-50s (F)
while it reaches in the 60s in August and September. August and
September sees the heaviest rain,
upwards of 4 ½ inches each month.
species In the Bristol Bay area the
species of fish varies from rainbow
trout, char, grayling, salmon (king,
sockeye, silver, chum).
june rainbow trout, char, grayling,
sockeye, king salmon
july rainbow trout, char, grayling,
sockeye, king salmon
august rainbow trout, char, grayling,
sockeye, silver salmon
september rainbow trout, char, grayling, silver salmon
insects Mosquitoes are an issue
early in the season as are no-seeums and black flies (also called
white sox). Later in the season the mosquitoes become
less annoying (mosquitoes
peak activity period is
June and July), however
the no-see-ums and white sox
can be relentless in August and
September.
bears Brown bears are very common in most of the waters fished
by RKL. Caution is advised. It’s
important to know, however, that
bears rarely bother fishermen in the
stephan gain dombaj photo
travel concerns Make sure you
plan ahead to make your connecting flight from Anchorage to Iliamna
as you will leave from Merrill Field
aboard Lake Clark Air. Plan
on a 15 minute taxi ride
between airports.
stephan gain dombaj photo
about rainbow king lodge
Rainbow King Lodge is located on
Lake Iliamna. It has guest rooms
that sleep two per room. The main
lodge has a dining room with a
large sitting area with a stone
fireplace. The recreation room
has a full service fly shop, a pool
table, and a big screen television with
a fireplace. It is the main gathering
area before and after dinner. Each
day guests at RKL board one of two
float planes, either a De Havilland
Beaver or a De Havilland Otter, that
fly you to various rivers where you
fish for trout, char, grayling, salmon
or halibut.
getting there After arriving
on a commercial flight to Anchorage, you’ll take a chartered flight to
Iliamna where Gus and his crew will
be waiting to pick you up and drive
you to the lodge.
flies Size 6 and 8
millimeter beads in
shades of orange and
red. Guides at RKL
use fingernail polish to
paint their beads and
they supply the most
effective color shades.
When targeting silvers,
there isn’t any one pattern that works better
than another. Anything
that is big, colorful and
undulates in the current
will attract the attention
of a silver. Don’t forget
to bring a selection of
deer-spun flies to wog
for silvers. Pink wogs are
deadly and an extremely
exciting way to target
silvers as they chase and
attack the topwater fly.
lures Pixie Spoons,
Blue Fox spinners in
pink for silvers. FlatFish
and Kwikfish for kings.
Bristol Bay area and most seasoned
guides are well-versed in making sure
the guests are far enough away that
there is little threat.
fishing style Predominantly
fly fishing for rainbows and silvers;
however casting spinners and spoons
on spinning rods for silvers isn’t uncommon. During king season, lures
are most common. For rainbows, fish
your bead below a strike indicator or
swing a weighted flesh fly.
fishing equipment Fly rods: 6,
7 and 8 weights are most common.
Use a good reel with a good drag
system loaded with plenty of backing.
Weight forward floating lines for
rainbows and for wogging for silvers.
Sink tips for wet flies for silvers.
options A unique fishery that
several people have enjoyed includes
fly fishing for halibut. RKL flies guests
into halibut waters, and several areas
they fish are shallow
enough that halibut can
be targeted. Conditions
must be right.
what to wear Rubber
sole wading boots. Felt sole
wading boots are illegal in
Alaska. Breathable waders.
Long underwear or fleece
pants. Long sleeve shirt, fleece
jacket, and a waterproof wading
jacket. Stocking cap or hat with
brim. Polarized sunglasses. Small
backpack to pack non-essential and
fishing essentials.
non-fishing essentials Multitool, insect repellent with Deet, wading staff, Bandana, Buff, insect head
net, polarized sunglasses, stocking
cap, brimmed hat, first aid kit.
fishing essentials Leader material, 3- to 5-pound tippet material for
trout, char, grayling; 10- to 15-pound
leader material for sockeye and silver
salmon; 35-pound leaders for kings.
Nippers. Pliers. Fingerless gloves.
Split Shot. Strike indicators.
licenses Resident annual license,
$24; 7-day, non-resident license, $55.
www.adfg.alaska.gov.
traveling angler
55

8. RAINBOW KING LODGE IS THE
PREMIERE ALASKAN ANGLING
EXPERIENCE. EVERY DAY A LIFETIME
MEMORY IS MADE
“Rainbow King Lodge is the best lodge in Alaska, no doubt about it!
The number of places they fly to and fish, with exceptional amenities,
meals and service at the lodge, makes my trip the highlight of my
summer. Rainbow King Lodge is a family tradition for me and my sons.
You cant beat it.”
“My experience with Rainbow King Lodge has been the most positive
one could expect. A true, top-quality, professionally-operated lodge
in Alaska’s top fishing area. If you are looking for your trip of a lifetime
or a place to go year after year, then look no further than
Rainbow King Lodge.”
— Johnny Miller, Professional golfer with twomajors and
25 PGA victories, World Golf Hall of Famer, NBC Television Golf Analyst
and avid fly fisherman.
— Jim Teeny, Professional fly fisherman, owner and founder of
Jim Teeny Inc., a leading manufacturer of specialty fly lines and
fly fishing accessories.
1-800-458-6539 • www.rainbowking.com