January 2005

D E E P C R E E K		A L A S K A
	Welcome to the New Year and the new season of guest speakers that we think you’ll enjoy. This year we are planning on taking you around the greater part of the western United States including Alaska, a visit to Christmas Island, and some special programs that will cover among things like “matching the hatch” and successful river conservation efforts. We hope that you will come and spend some time together and share in the great sport of fly-fishing.

	This month our program will take the audience on a journey to western Alaska’s Lake Iliamna and Bristol Bay drainage. This trip will help explore the different species of native fish that are available in this area and when is the best time to catch them. The program will begin with the season opener in June and take them through the entire summer season.

	To facilitate this trip we’ve asked Brian Kraft, owner and operator of Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge located on the Kvichak River near Lake Iliamna. This is located in the heart of Alaska’s only designated Trophy Rainbow Trout area and home to the largest salmon runs in the world. This area is known throughout the world as the pinnacle of sport fishing.

	Brian Kraft has been involved in the sport fishing business in Alaska for 12 years. He built the Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge in 1997. Kraft is a pilot and has a great knowledge of the various rivers of the Bristol Bay drainage. The Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge is an Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Lodge (ELOG)—Kraft is the youngest owner of an Orvis ELOG in the world. Kraft came to Alaska in 1988 to play Div I College hockey for the University of Alaska Anchorage. Kraft then played hockey professionally in Europe and in the minor leagues in North America. Kraft started in the guiding business in 1992 by starting a float trip company called Kraft Adventures. He has guided each summer ever since. The rest is history. See you there.