Dream-On Creek

by Joe Doggett

The view through the great window of Alaska’s Angler’s Quest Lodge was beautiful, even inspiring. The glass faced Lake Iliamna and the setting sun burst through a shroud, illuminating the calm water and a fresh dusting of September snow on the Aleutian peaks. In that moment, the quiet panorama seemed to answer every promise that Bristol Bay ever made. But the fleeting glow was lost on Crowe.

He stood holding a heavy coffee cup in the kitchen. He was a tall, powerful man in his mid 40s. He had a case-hardened tan, thick black hair, and clear blue eyes. In the winter he fished and surfed his way through Mexico and Central America; in the summer he guided in Alaska. Up north, he focused on wild rainbow trout—the big “slabs” that drew anglers from all over the world. But guiding for high-stakes trout is a demanding business. Egos often clash on the remote rivers and creeks, and tensions build during the late season when rainbows migrate from the big lakes following spawning sockeye into the tributaries.

© Arian Stevens Photography 

The big trout hold in the gravel runs, finning softly and gorging on drifting eggs amid bears and eagles—perfect water to cover with a light rod and floating line. The roll call of Bristol Bay drainages is legendary: Upper Talarik, Lower Talarik, Kvichak, Gibraltar, Copper, Tazimina, Newhalen, Alagnak, Moraine, Big Kukaklek, Little Kukaklek, Battle, Kulik, Brooks, and more.

In years past, amid the braids and twists, the occasional rumor of a barely known stream such as “Dream Creek” or “Chosen River” surfaced amid guarded whispers.

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