The Greatest Fish Ever Caught

Alaska Fishing Tales, by Lew Freedman

“The mere mention of Alaska and fishing in the same sentence conjures magical images. The scenery engulfing the angler is so special it can be difficult to keep your eyes on the prize when drifting or motoring, or even just standing in waders. Every so often a reminder thought drifts across the brain – I am fishing in Alaska. That provokes an almost immediate involuntary smile because the fleeting awareness is a poke provoking a ‘How lucky am I?’ statement. Those fishing trips turn into adventures and make memories.” -Lew Freedman, from the Introduction

The greatest fish ever caught in Alaska was a king salmon hauled ashore by Les Anderson of Soldatna in 1985. The cover photo below is a larger-than-life carving of Les with his fish which stands in front of the Visitor Center in Soldatna, on the Kenai Peninsula. Award-winning writer Lew Freedman tells Les’ story and many other Alaska fishing tales with wit and humor in this collection of true stories about fishing in the Last Frontier. From salmon to halibut to trophy rainbow trout, with side trips for shrimp, clams, and an octopus (!), Lew shares dozens of adventurous fishing trips across the Great Land.

“One bear went into the water on foot, stopped in the middle of the creek, and turned his head to the left and the right, looking for salmon to come along. The closest a bear came to me – the one time I got nervous – was 30 feet. I wanted to direct him to the creek, but instead edged towards in the plane in case I had to make a sudden move to a door handle.”

From fishing along the shores Ship Creek, which winds through the city of Anchorage, to some of the greatest remote fishing lakes and rivers to be found anywhere, with world-class lodges sporting stellar accommodations, Lew takes his readers on an inspiring journey across the North with these tales of fishing in Alaska.

“There was something about going fishing on the Kenai River that spoke to me in a way different from the many other bodies of water, in Alaska and elsewhere, I have fished. Maybe it was the color of that water, the glacier-fed water… I referred to it as the river of my heart and I admit that is still true. Any time I can, I return to fish on that river.” -Lew Freedman