Fish Tales

It's More than a Fishing Trip

When someone takes a trip to Alaska, whether for the first time or going again, there is always a magic that takes place. We lived in Juneau for 10 years, and spend over 4 months in southeast Alaska each summer now, but the magic is still there. Perhaps the magic can best be illustrated by a short, true experience from Doc Warner's.

When guests arrive they come from a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, social climates, and pressure cookers. Some relaxed, some high-strung, some ready to rest, but most anxious to get into the activities of the week. One couple caught my attention as they walked off the catamaran and onto the walkway headed to shore. The lines on his face were drawn tight. His comments to his wife were a little strained. Obviously, here was someone coming to Alaska from the high-strung pressure-cooker environment that can often make life seem more of a burden than a pleasure.

Doc Warner's is about relaxing, breathing fresh air, watching the tide come in and out without you having to organize or supervise the action. It's a place where the good food, pleasant company, and comfortable housing are designed to make you feel like family even when the fish are not as cooperative as they were in your dreams before you arrived.

I watched our business executive with interest the next day as he prepared to go fishing. His comments to his wife still seemed like his was forcing himself to be polite to her. He was more in the spirit of directing a workforce than on vacation with his sweetheart. He was not yet under the magic spell of the pristine wonders in which he was currently residing.

Fishing for salmon was good that day, but the halibut were not to abundant. When they sat at supper the relaxed appearance of their interactions was sharply different than just 24-hours before. I think I even heard him laugh once.

The second day changes were even more dramatic as I sat at dinner with them. Most of the conversation was about non-work related activities. To hear them tell of the days experience, more fish got away than were boated. But looking at their box of frozen fillets was evidence that they were successful.

The evening of the third day was the culmination of Alaska's magic. It was the two of them walking hand-in-hand down the beach after supper. They were headed no place in particular, just enjoying being together. From a distance you could hear their laughter, see her head toss backwards as she responded to his humor and enjoyed seeing him more relaxed and more her fun-loving companion than she had experienced in years. By the end of the week it was obvious that just being together was the highlight of being in Alaska, the fishing and sightseeing were just frosting on the cake.

It's been several years since I saw them, but I would guess that neither can remember how many fish they caught that memorable week. But they will never forget the memories of a week together at Doc Warner's. It was much more than just a fishing trip.