CUSACK'S ALASKA LODGE

Cusack's Alaska Lodge on Lake Iliamna, right in the heart of Alaska's most famous fishery!

WELCOME TO REAL ALASKA, a classic fishing lodge run in the style of the original outfitters. From the beautiful solid log lodge on the banks of Lake Iliamna, to the family-run service where comfort is king and the home cooking "really is," to Bob Cusack's 35 years experience flying and exploring Alaska's wilderness that allows guests exclusive access to rivers with no names teeming with fish which have never seen a fly. Welcome to Cusack's Alaska Lodge, a fly fishing adventure different from all the rest!

Most Alaskan fly fishing lodges have very defined itineraries for their guests based on scheduled fly outs or boat launches every day. This is a necessity when dealing with 20 or even 30 guests on a weekly basis, like many of the larger, better known lodges. But at Cusack's Alaska Lodge, with only six guests a week, it's all about showing you the true soul of Alaska. If you want to fly out everyday to a secret trophy trout stream, no problem, Bob Cusack's piloting prowess and in-depth knowledge of the area can take you where no one else can go. Later in the season, if you want to fly the coast in search of silver salmon in the salt grab your rod, it's one of Bob's favorite pastimes. Or maybe an overnight raft trip down the headwaters of the Gibraltar (as seen on Larry Dahlberg's Hunt for Big Fish), or a jet boat safari up the Copper. Bob and his guides plan each day based on the wishes of his guests, the whims of the weather, and the where-a-bouts of the fish. This is a true custom adventure and you simply can't have a bad day with all the options at hand.

Back at the lodge, Bob's wife Lula and his two college-age daughters rule the roost, pandering to the comforts of each guest and plying them with scrumptious meals of fresh regional specialties. The special appointments of the lodge include a fly-tying room, sauna, cigar porch and cozy bedrooms with private indoor bathrooms. With Bob and his guides the staff-to-guest ratio is often better than one-to-one.

CURRENT FISHING REPORT:

Gina Day with her 30" rainbow caught August 24th!

2007 Season Wrap-Up Our summer began early in June this year with our first clients using both wet and dry flies to specifically target big rainbows. This classic style of fishing continued until around July 4th when the first of millions of fresh sockeye showed up yielding even more great action and some truly great meals! During this time, there were also some notable catches of various other species including char, Dolly Varden and grayling. Silver salmon and ever-growing rainbows became our main stay throughout August and we found ourselves utilizing the float rafts and some secret fly outs to find the best fish. The rainbows were getting fat from salmon eggs and flesh and although the weather was less predictable than in previous years, we caught fatter bows than anytime in the past. As August gave way to the first cool weather of fall and the end of the silver run we focused primarily on huge rainbows in the 28-30 inch range and as big around as footballs. This proved the ticket to putting guests to bed early each night with sore arms and wicked grins on their faces. That we sometimes had to almost carry them from the dinner table to their bedrooms after one of Lula’s amazing dinners, well that’s just a hazard of the job here at Cusack’s Alaska Lodge!

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2007.10.01