Sitka, Alaska Adventure: Fly Fishing, Deep Sea Fishing, and Life as a Lodge Chef
My Alaska trip this July was an unforgettable adventure, and I’m excited to share it with you. First, can I just say that Sitka, Alaska is one of the best-kept vacation secrets on the earth? If you’re thinking about an Alaska vacation, read on for ideas of places to go and things to do.
Here is some quick background info on Sitka. Southeast of Anchorage and just off the coast of Juneau, the state capital, there is a group of islands. On a map you can see that this southern part of Alaska is a strip that runs alongside British Columbia on the west coast of Canada. The city of Sitka is on Baranof Island, which was settled by Russian explorers but became part of the Alaska Purchase in 1867. (Alaska didn’t become the 49th state until 1959.) Sitka was one of the first boomtowns during the Alaska Gold Rush.
In recent times, this beautiful place has become a popular destination for Alaska cruise ships, and no wonder. The island boasts mountain forests, glaciers, and a volcano along with many kinds of wildlife. Go for the scenery as well as the hiking trails, fly fishing, hunting, glacier cruises, and whale watching. If you’re lucky, you can also see the Northern Lights.
I’d visited Sitka a few years before (also in July) to be a guest chef at Talon Lodge & Spa on their private island in the Apple Islands. The lodge hosts couples, families, and large groups for an unforgettable Alaskan adventure during the summer months.
This year, I felt honored to be asked back as guest chef. My husband Scott and son Howlett both accompanied me this time for a mini Alaska vacation off the beaten path. Workwise, I had a challenge ahead of me, but we would get to be tourists for a couple of days and enjoy Sitka and the Alaskan outdoors.
I thought maybe I’d romanticized Sitka because I had the best time ever during my first Alaska trip, but no. Upon arriving and taking in the cool clean air and expansive beauty, I found it was even better than I remembered.
The lodge team met us at the airport, loaded up our luggage to transport back to the lodge, and placed it perfectly in our rooms as we spent a few hours in downtown Sitka. As soon as we got on the boat and headed toward the island, I felt a rush of excitement and a feeling of peace at the same time. This combination of feelings never left me the entire time I was there.
Life as a Lodge Chef in Alaska
Talon Lodge pride themselves on their gourmet cuisine as well as wonderful oceanfront lodging. My job was first to create a menu and then coordinate and prepare the meals with the lodge chefs on 2 days of the 4-day trip for 2 groups of guests.
The first few days, I spent about 12 hours a day in the kitchen prepping with the truly amazing chefs at the lodge. I cannot tell you how talented they are at what they do – and the work; goodness, these chefs work harder than you can imagine. They make breakfast for their vast staff and the guests, totaling around 50 folks. Next, they make lunches and snacks for the staff and different lunches for the visitors going deep sea fishing, fly fishing, and on wilderness excursions such as a group tour.
They were the best to collaborate with, bringing my menu to life! When I walked up to the kitchen and opened the door, I felt right at home. I asked the chefs to help this chef’s series be the best the lodge had ever seen. They went all-out to make that happen. A few weeks before leaving for Alaska, I talked with Jack, the executive chef, on the phone to make sure we could get the ingredients I needed for the menus.
The First Night
The first night and first course, we created an Alabama charcuterie board with pastrami. I prepared the meat before we left and took it in a cooler along with pickled okra, Wickles pickles, peanut brittle, andouille sausage, and fig preserves. I made the pimiento cheese once we got there, and the pastry chef made homemade crostini!
The Second Night
The second night, I created a Deep South, Creole inspired meal featuring New Orleans gumbo (click for my recipe). For gumbo, the roux is very important and needs one hour of undivided attention. As chance would have it, the 2nd group of guests were from, you guessed it, New Orleans. Talk about PRESSURE! My menu needed to be executed PERFECTLY.
The folks I know from New Orleans, including my daughter in law, are knowledgeable foodies and very outspoken about their local cuisine. Come to find out, one of the guys in the New Orleans group manufactures gumbo: he is president of Blue Runner foods. Another guy in their group actually starts restaurants for famous chefs. Phew!
I am thankful to say, I got a “SPOT ON” for the gumbo and the rest of the Cajun and Creole dishes. How great is that? It was probably one of the highest cooking compliments I’ve ever received.
But it was a team effort. The crazy great Talon chefs – Chef Jack, Chef Andrew, Chef Buerto, and Chef Katie – brought it and helped me succeed. I couldn’t have done it without them!
The other two nights, I enjoyed the fabulous cuisine the chefs make each week for the guests.
In honor of that New Orleans menu, here are a few Creole inspired recipes to enjoy, including the spot-on gumbo!
Fly Fishing in Sitka: Rivers, Salmon Runs, and Scenic Spots
The rest of the trip, I got to enjoy beautiful Alaska! Of course, I spent time in the kitchen, but for the most part, our itinerary took us into the great outdoors. I was fly-fishing, deep-sea fishing, and exploring.
The rivers were gorgeous. It’s incredible how much the tides come in and subside. Our awesome, awesome guide Ted took a kayak on the boat (he’s a captain, too).
By the end of the day, the boat looked like it was in the middle of the ocean. The peaceful privacy made for an ideal fly fishing experience. Ted then paddled the kayak back to the boat and came to retrieve us and the equipment.
We caught quite a lot of pink salmon. I caught a Dolly Vardan and a few king salmon and silvers. I will say I was quite cold at the end of the day after standing in the 55-degree F water all day.
Deep Sea Fishing: Halibut, Salmon, and the Thrill of the Open Water
The first day I went out, the ocean swells were 5 feet every 5 minutes or so. I did get queasy the first day I went out. Neither Scott, nor Howlett got sick though. After eating those salty potato chips, I felt much better.
I’m thankful that we were able to bring home our limit of halibut and silvers salmon (coho). Cole, one of our captains, made absolutely sure we were fishing the right spots, and boy, did we catch the load!
A few other thrills on our deep-sea fishing expedition were seeing orcas (killer whales), sea lions, and seals. What a heavenly experience.
Three Tips for Your Alaska Fishing Trip
If fishing is a top item on your Alaska itinerary, these tips may help.
1. Go Fly Fishing at Least 2 Days in a Row
Besides gymnastics and snow skiing, fly fishing is the only other hobby/sports obsession I have. I’m far from a pro, but I am hooked. If you plan to fly fish, I highly recommend planning for at least 2 days of fishing. It’s incredibly fun, and if you’re not already a pro like Scott, you’ll need to build in time for learning. Although I’d fly fished before, I had to re-learn a few things.
2. Lift Weights Ahead of Your Alaska Fishing Adventure
Another recommendation, especially for you ladies: lift weights before you go deep-sea fishing! Seriously, I’ve started trying to build muscle by lifting heavier weights during the past year, and it truly paid off on this Alaska trip. The last deep sea fishing trip, I had to have help bringing big fish to the surface. This time, I caught fish after fish and could do it by myself. What a difference that made.
3. Eat Something Before You Go Out
One more recommendation: eat a little something before you go out deep sea fishing. I didn’t eat, thinking it would be better not to have anything in my stomach if I were to get seasick. Of course, I had Bonine in my system and the sea sickness patch, but in hindsight, I should have eaten. When on the boat, I snacked on potato chips and felt much better pretty quickly.
Beyond the Water: Hiking, History, and Culture in Alaska
During the transition days, as the Talon staff call the days the guests leave and arrive, Scott, Howlett, and I went into town to explore downtown Sitka. The Russian influence is quite beautiful; we got Russian Christmas decorations for the kids at one of the shops.
We walked to the Sitka Science Center, where we saw the coolest sea creatures. Then we headed back to the island where we explored and found a comfy hammock!
One of my days off, we went on another kind of adventure, again with my favorite guide, Ted. Ted let us off on another island where a Polaris utility vehicle was waiting for us. We drove through the most magical forest and lush areas on our way to a gorgeous beach where we had lunch.
This is where we spent a second day fly fishing, too.
I was hoping to see a grizzly bear or two, but nonetheless, this was a spectacular trip. I love these “cheffing” adventures and highly recommend Talon Lodge, as well as Sitka in general for an amazing getaway.
By the way, Sitka’s weather is moderate, especially during the peak summer season. In July the temperature ranges around mid 50s to high 60s F. This is quite perfect, in my opinion. It was dreamy, considering it has been feeling like the low 100s here in Alabama this summer!
If you’ve been to Alaska or hope to go there, let me know in the comments and share your ideas for things to do.
