BilletHead

Kinda my thinking to Ronnie. Reading more on test running they did get 20 mph on it. That would be kinda sketchy on something like that. Maybe liability cut that speed down.

Rush hour on the Kvichak, VID_20250724_131139.mp4

Sunday meal. Salmon how many ways? Brother Dave got with it. Duane smoked salmon on the grill. Dave made salmon dip with some of Duane's grilled fish, he also made cervechi and salmon rolls. Salmon rolls had either raw or cooked salmon. Note this was prepared with previous frozen raw salmon. Salmon like other freshwater fish have parasites. Do not eat raw. Even though some ocean fish can be eaten raw salmon should not. All good but will be hard to really like the ceviche to me. It might grow on me. That evening Pat, Dave and I were flossing salmon again at the closest place trying to fill our limit.

I do and have been looking at recipes. Duane has been doing some after we all left. Of course he has been sending pictures. We will be doing some.

New electric jet drive revolutionizes fishing kayaks FluxJet Kayaks - World's First Electric Jet Fishing Kayak

Sunday morning day 6, Up early again and heading towards the town beach and more salmon. The three amigos in one boat with Pat and I followed in another boat. Sunrise over lake Illiamna on the way to the beach, We spread out and went to fishing. We stayed a little longer than the day before. We started seeing other lodges float planes in the air coming in. Then boats of guides and clients coming up river. One boat came bye looking for places to fish. They pulled into shore above us. Duane being Duane put down his rod and went up to them. Then they begin to push back out. I know what you all are thinking but it's not that way. Duane told them there is plenty of room. We will tighten up and everyone can fish. So that boat went down and bleached. Spread out just below us. This was the area they had fished before. Right away fish were being caught. We caught more and called it a morning. Back to clean and process salmon. The sockeye are stacking up! VID_20250713_122943174.mp4 Some stickleback hanging at the back of one of the boats. For a second there is a sculpin in the bottom of the video. VID_20250713_103716812.mp4 Something else to tell you. No on got a picture of this but we were sitting in the lodge looking out the window. A duck kept flying out front and landing somewhere right by the boats. Leaving and coming back every few seconds. We thought maybe she had some young somewhere. Finally Duane went out to watch. This duck even landed on the gas grill on the deck right out the window. I got a good look and it was a hen GoldenEye. Duane said there was a bunch of dead stickleback down there. She was getting those. This next thing relates to that. I was texting Ham one morning. We were chatting so much better I just called him and rested the fingers. We discussed the stickleback. He said there is a parasite that those fish get. When getting afflicted more the fish become sick and swim to the top and eventually die. The birds eat them and as the parasite evolves that bird is the next host. They become effected and pass it back into the water for the stickleback to pick it up again and repeat the process.

Yes and the think is this place is a bargain. I can't stress enough how fun this was and will be for anyone that wants to take advantage of the best price around. I say to anyone to take the dream trip and do it if you can.

Back at the lodge we were just taking things in here came the guys back from town and boat riding. Big eyed and laughing. I don't know if I want to call those three Manny, Moe and Jack the pep boys or Larry,Moe and Curly the three stooges but when those guys get together crazy things happen. What's so funny? We just seen Jeff just down river from here. Duane said he ran the boat up on the bank and told Dave to chase Jeff off the island. Well sure enough Dave got out of the boat and chased Jeff. Wish I had a video of that. I told them about Pat hearing something and came looking for me. Dave said this is where Jeff was and he had a bed in the grass really close to where I had been. Was Pat messing with me or did Pat really hear Jeff maybe? That poor bear must think we're crazy 🤣. Duane said lets go exploring. We grabbed some gear. Duane and his compadres jumped into one boat and Pat and I in another. Downriver we went Duane is amazing with boat control. Mike and Dave were working dries along a bank just drifting as Duane kept it lined up in the current and wind. I tried doing that for Pat with not much luck. It was hard and hurting my bad shoulder that need replacement. I was having to reach way back to control the tiller because of the boat seat. It was okay we just watched the other three and the eagles and the salmon moving along the bank. VID_20250723_122141.mp4

Just after noon Duane, brother Dave and Mike went to town checking for Mail and freight. I decided to walk down the Jeff the bears trail to the braid trying for greying again. Took a long bet so if I caught one I could reach it not having to get into the water. It was pretty windy. I worked down the bank looking for fish a rises. Seen both but I was spooking fish. I got back from The bank walking way down and started working back throwing upstream. This is when I seen a big greying looking upstream tight to the bank. I tried a couple casts that just died into the wind and finally got my fly tangled up. I crept up and got it loose without spooking the fish. The next cast was over The fish three feet in front of the fish in his feeding lane. He smashed it and I had it. Got it netted. Trying to get my phone out here comes Pat walking down the Bear trail. She said you okay? Yes what's wrong. I heard someone strange while I was catching some sun at the picnic table. It was kind of a growl. Right then I thought she was messing with me. Little did we know maybe not. Pat took a couple pictures of my prize. I laid the fish in the crook of my arm and It was long enough it made it past my fingers. This was my largest greying of the trip. A little over 18 inches. I can tell you these are one if not the coolest fish I have ever caught on the fly.

Saturday day 5, The night before Duane said lets get up early and go to the town beach to catch salmon. It's an easy place to fish. We will get there before the other lodges fly in for their clients. We can fish and then get out of their way. So up at five am we got some coffee down and headed up to the mouth of the Kvichak in the beach below Igiugig. I tried to get Pat's halo as the Sun was rising while we were traveling. We all caught sockeye. Here is Dave cornfielding one. It's much easier beach it than using the net in this instance. VID_20250712_070815622.mp4 Pat had a rainbow take one of her flies, When we got back to the lodge to clean fish Pat made some biscuits and gravy for breakfast, VID_20250712_091759206.mp4 Duane said he was going to do some work. He calked around windows. Mike got a brush and tan paint and painted the lodge outside wall. I grabbed the red and painted the outside of the deck. Time for shower faucet work after that. I was taken back when I found Duane, Mike and brother Dave all in the shower together 😂.

She's a go getter for sure.

Redneck fly-fishers scales of justice, VID_20250718_115027647.mp4

You have to target vegan fish!

The next day we tried to find some Northern Pike. Some intel from Duane from the past was a backwater along lake Iliamna. Iliamna is the largest lake in Alaska. We traveled up the Kvichak past the village and turned left at the lake bottom entrance. Duane was not along but he was getting another delivery in the village. He gave us instructions on how to get there and to watch the weather and wind directions. If there was a change, we were to get out of there pronto as the big lake can get dangerous in mere seconds. We beached the boat and grabbed our gear walked up the band through the sand dunes and peered into the lake. Lake was still and no sign of fish working. Duane told us to look and fish the weedy areas. Not many weeds in the water. We see Moose and otter tracks plus one old, weathered bear track. We all rigg up with something for pike and work the edges without a hit. We see stickleback and finally some little pike. Little is an understatement. Five to eight in fish. No bites for Pat, Mike Dave and myself. We covered maybe a half mile of shoreline. We headed back to the boat and in the distance spied a creature. It was Duane and after town business he found us to see what we were doing. He informed us that Blake Harris was guiding a group at the town beach threading salmon. Before we left out, we left some tracks in the wet sand, We headed back to the village beach at the mouth of the Kvichak and the town beach. hit the bank with the boat and found Blake. got some pictures and harassed the young guide newbie for Crystal Creek Lodge. He told us how much he likes Alaska and Guiding up there and he never wants to leave. It's a way off from where had seen him. The beach is a good place to take clients as it is easy and good fishing. They come in on float planes and land down river. Get in boats and motor to the beach to fish. here is a link to that lodge but prepare to open up your pocketbook wide. Crystal Creek Lodge - Luxury Alaska Fishing & Adventure Lodge Here we are with Blake, Dave and then us, From there it was back to the lodge then a bite to eat and back to catching a few more sockeye, 1000001109.mp4 After cleaning fish Duane said let's rig up with indicator's and set them deep with some egg patterns and drift down the bank above and below the lodge. We had been seeing rainbows below where we had been cleaning fish. Although we were not dumping carcasses blood and stuff falling off our cleaning table and the place upstream the fish knew this. We drifted and caught some rainbows. No giants but fun. I did a couple in tandem and even doubled up. Pat doing her mending magic! 1000001118.mp4 Mike and Dave were having some success too. Hard to handle those wild fish 😀 1000001114.mp4

Trying to run Jeff off the island, VID_20250710_120514948.mp4

When you are catching fish and having fun you get used to is. Proper face protection is a must. Annoying to wear I know. I had a pair of those sun fishing fingerless gloves. Pat ordered a set before we went. I did not wear them for a couple days. The back of my left hand was bitten so much it started to swell up. After I started wearing them problem solved.

Yep, licenses are cheap entertainment. We might eat a meal away from our home three or four times a month average. Saves lots of bucks for doing other things.

How about some food and then Greyling fishing? Same day we took a break and Butterflied sockeye was on the menu! About 9PM Duane said Hey let's walk behind the lodge To the River braid and wade in and try for grayling back there. So, Duane, Pat, Mike and I wadered up and grabbed our dry fly rods. Took the bear trail to the water's edge Dropped into the clear water and began to wade out. Moderate moving water but getting deeper. Duane said it was deeper than he thought. About that time Pat's eyes got big and said I am losing my balance and am beginning to drift in the current. We backed out back to shore. Duane walked back and got the boat. Brought it around and we loaded in. Pat, Mike and I took turns throwing dries towards the bank for fish. We all landed nice Greyling all around 10 PM. Another long day! Wind was low. Look over those pictures good and see the swarms of bugs around our heads. Embrace the sick. Thanks to Duane and some perfect boat control :).

More to come!

Could be you or Jeff quillback. Just for your information I didn't name it. I think Louie would be better.

Brown Bear Species Profile, Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Yes and what I understand there are two types. The largest is the coastal while the inland are a bit smaller.

Back to fishing sometime midday. You totally lose track of time. When you have nowhere to be at any certain time the clock seems to mean nothing at all. Only time you pick up your phone is to take a picture. We went back to the steep bank sockeye flossing spot. Keep working on getting salmon for fresh eating and taking home. Work on them we all did. First set of pictures were Dave, Duane and me. We had three on at the same time. It was like a fire drill as we fought the fish. Pat and Mike were on the bottom end ready with the net. Bottom man with fish on Dave in this instance worked his way down to the netters when his fish was netted next man worked down. We all worked like a well-oiled machine. No one hogged a spot and everyone helped each other. I present to you the Kvichak cowboy Duane riding his jet motor fighting a sockeye! Talent right there . Mike with a nice one, What we caught on that outing, When you have fish to clean you get after it. I really enjoyed filleting the salmon. Duane kept the knives sharp. Everyone worked either on the fillet table or shuttling the fillets up the bank to the baggers and vac sealing machine. Fish waste was put in buckets and taken across the river to be dumped back into the river. We took those buckets across to dump to try to keep the island bear named Jeff off the island. Jeff the bear is a young male coastal brown bear (Grizzly) that needs to find a home. Duane calls him nothing but a pest just being a big racoon. Jeff was constantly being hazed trying to get him to leave. The other place on the island were not hauling across the river thus fish carcasses would just go down the bank and roll around the corner below where we were staying and end up on a sand bar where Jeff and seagulls and eagles enjoyed the local all you can eat buffet. Jeff had a bed right on the edge of the corner in the grass where he could nap digesting his meals. More on Jeff coming up. Another note. This day we all were all layered up looking like a bunch of doughboys and girls. Cool and rain off and on. highest I had seen on the thermometer was 67. Long underwear was worn all day just about every day. Bugs were off the charts somedays actually most days. When the wing died down the bugs were out. Days you could get away with a buff over a ballcap. Some days a full head net was used. Quickly learning to embrace the suck wearing or putting up with the insects. Alaskan sabertoothed blackflies (white socks) and big thirsty bloodsucking mosquitos. "Embrace the suck". Worth every minute.

This is day two and we did three different things this day. First will be a run to the post office and pick up a package from an air freight delivery. first thing in the AM Duane needed to go to town, town meaning the village. Off we went in the boat to town. First stop the post office. Open 24 hours with no postmaster. You just go in the door and go through the piles of stuff until you find yours. I peeked in the door and it looks like a bomb had gone off in there but there is a method to the madness as Duane found one addressed to him😃. From there we went to the airport/ community center/coffee shop and city offices. There was a freight plane there being unloaded. Stuff being put into piles on the ground and in vehicles. Duane said we might as well get into line and unload until we find my package. So, we did pick stuff up and finding the appropriate place to put it down. Names on each thing unloaded. One I had there was no place to put it. I asked the closest person, and she said in the back of that truck and said thank you. Sure, enough that is where it belonged. They just kept sliding from the front of the plane to the back door. This is how the villager's grocery shop phone in a list to a shopper and it gets put on a plane for delivery. Next to last package was the one we wanted. Back to the boat for a ride back to the lodge. FYI I looked up the freight delivery plane. Lots of history right here, Lots more fishing in next post. The Beechcraft Model 18, also known as the Twin Beech, is a versatile twin-engine aircraft that has been widely used in both military and civilian roles since its introduction in 1937. Overview and History The Beechcraft Model 18 is a twin-engine, low-wing, tailwheel aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation from 1937 to 1970. Over 9,000 units were produced, making it one of the most successful light aircraft in history. It was designed to accommodate 6 to 11 passengers and was used for various purposes, including executive transport, cargo operations, and military training. Wikipedia+1 Military and Civilian Applications During World War II, the Model 18 served extensively in military roles under various designations, such as the C-45 Expeditor and AT-7 Navigator. It was primarily used for transport, training, and light bombing missions. Over 4,500 Beech 18s were utilized by the U.S. military, and it became a crucial aircraft for training bombardiers and navigators. Wikipedia+1 In the post-war era, the Beech 18 transitioned to civilian use, becoming a popular choice for business aviation and regional airlines. Its rugged design and reliability allowed it to operate in diverse environments, including rough airstrips. The aircraft has also been used for aerial spraying, medical evacuations, and even in film productions. Wikipedia+1 Specifications and Performance Engines: Powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior radial engines, each producing 450 horsepower. Cruising Speed: Approximately 190 mph. Range: About 1,200 miles. Maximum Takeoff Weight: 9,300 pounds. Cabin Capacity: Can accommodate up to eight passengers, depending on the configuration. 2 2 Sources Legacy The Beechcraft Model 18 is celebrated for its historical significance and versatility. Many restored examples are still in operation today, often seen at airshows and in private collections. Its design and performance have earned it a lasting place in aviation history, making it a beloved classic among aviation enthusiasts. FLYING Magazine+1 In summary, the Beechcraft Model 18 is a remarkable aircraft with a rich history, serving various roles in both military and civilian aviation, and continues to be appreciated for its performance and reliability.

Yeppers more coming. Fun stuff and even a little work at the Lodge with Duane. Awesome trip!