We are preaching to the choir when we say that Bristol Bay is one of the most sought-after fishing destinations on the planet.
With a seemingly unending landscapes full of rivers and streams teeming with wild Pacific salmon and trophy trout, each fishing season creates memories of big catches, too-close-for-comfort bears, and family-and-friend memories that get stuck in the heart and soul of each angler who has the privilege of visiting or working in this place.
The 2022 season in southwest Alaska was certainly a special one—the region hit the all-time record for sockeye salmon, with 78 million fish swimming through Bristol Bay streams. We wanted to capture some of the stories—the big fish, the lifetime memories, and more—that came out of southwest Alaska this summer.
Check out some of the big fish stories and pictures from our Save Bristol Bay Guide Ambassadors, Trout Unlimited members and even our CEO, Chris Wood.
Wayne shared two stories with us. Click here to listen to his other big fish stories.
Dan Hoffman is the author of “An Alaska Fly Fisher’s Odyssey,” and is generously donating 50 percent of the proceeds from sales of his book to Trout Unlimited’s Alaska Program. Order yours here.
There are countless stories from the 2022 season of big fish and memories that have changed hearts. That’s the power of Bristol Bay. We want to make sure that you—and the generations after you—can continue to fish in this extraordinary place.
While big fish were being caught this summer, we were also engaged in the public comment period for Clean Water Act safeguards for the Bristol Bay region. Over half a million comments were submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in support of protections for the region, and we are now waiting for the EPA to advance to the next stage of the process to finalize the proposed protections. Next steps will be announced in the next six weeks. We will keep you up to speed.
Clean Water Act safeguards are one of many conservation tactics we are taking to ensure Bristol Bay doesn’t face threats like the formerly proposed Pebble mine in the future. Our work is far from over, and we need your continued support. Stand up for Bristol Bay today.