The Lodge at Whale Pass

One of the best things about being in the lodge business is the chance to learn things from guests that bring interesting perspectives from all over the world.  Bob Sywolski, with wife Karen, and grandkids Hunter and Alexander, shared his thoughts on business during a short stay.  As Chairman of Double Click, a leader in the internet advertising space recently sold to Google for a lot more dollars than we catch salmon every summer, we couldn’t help but listen closely.  Here we’ll only share with you the value of balancing the stakeholder’s interest.  But we’ll also let you know that the Sywolski’s learned the art of balancing activities while at the lodge: bears; whales; halibut; salmon; bikes; hikes; and glaciers (not to mention scotch and soda).  Best of luck to Bob under the Google umbrella, and to the whole family under the enduring glow of an Alaskan vacation.

The story of the Hanley family is not that unusual, they have it all: great professional success, 3 young kids and a comfortable life.  But sometimes those kids you love so much start to feel like their getting in the way of the To Do list of Fun Activities.  How do mom and dad take that dream Alaskan vacation, get some much deserved relaxation, and yet bring the baby and toddlers along.  It’s simple, you come to the Lodge at Whale Pass.  In four years operating our family friendly destination, we’ve learned how to structure our days to make everyone happy, and make sure you don’t feel like your kids are interfering with that guys group of fisherman and the couple celebrating their 50^th anniversary.  And the Hanley’s took advantage of that.  Our kid’s program allows the parents to enjoy the full range of activities offered, keeping the little one’s entertained and informed, out in Alaska’s nature.  And there’s always someone fighting for the chance to hang out with the baby all day.  Come cocktail hour and meal time, our expansive lodge provides plenty of space for adults to wine, dine and celebrate in one place, while the kids chow down on chicken fingers and salmon bites while rompering around the air hockey and foosball tables.

Still basking in one of the strongest starts to the salmon season that we’ve seen since opening our doors in 2004, late July continued to impress with the catch.  Organizing yet again through PSI Travel, Micheal Levine, Marvin Baker, Gary Getty, David Miller, Douglas Mills, and Kent Johnson slammed fish out at the Triplets and in Snow Pass.  Rarely running more than 30 minutes from the dock, the group returned daily with racks full of salmon and halibut.  The captain’s loved taking these guys out on the water, where their dexterity with the rods was rewarded with boxloads of fish to bring back to family and friends.  Limits of fish and a mid-day departure on their last day afforded the boys the luxury of a trip into the cave region of Prince of Wales.  Exploring the unique topography all morning was topped by a long mountain bike back to the lodge (OK, it was mostly down hill).  We look forward to many fishy returns from our friends through PSI.

While Carla couldn’t make it back this year, Tom Killion played host to the Bentcil family and work colleagues this season. Having stocked up the gift shop with an assortment of Bentcil made, Lodge at Whale Pass logoed goodies (whale shaped pens, seal embossed mini-flashlights, refrigerator magnets, kid’s backpacks etc.), we looked forward to the return of our friends from Indianapolis. Tom and “Big Joe” made Aaron’s week by wanting to go exploring for new fly fishing holes. Wandering into some true, off-the-beaten-path spots, they did everything from saltwater salmon, lake side Dolly’s and rarely fished sockeye’s. Trekking through some remote countryside with rarely another angler seen proved to be just the kind of exploration they were looking for.

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Family mate Brad fed his fishing addiction in the saltwaters all around Whale Pass. Up early and out late plying the bay in our skiffs, or spinning the day light with our expert salt captains, his fish count was truly incredible. To the uninformed, Brad appeared to be part of the staff, fishing the waters like an old salt, and filleting and packing fish like a cannery professional. Proving that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Brad’s son “Little Joe” could not wipe the smile off his face. Fishing 8+ hours a day, this young gun asked no less than five times a day whether he could get a job next year. We almost didn’t let him leave.
Steve and Rod rounded out this year’s Bentcil contingent, showing all the rest of them how to really enjoy the Lodge at Whale Pass. Few guests this year have matched Steve’s wry sense of humor and fewer yet have melted into the relaxation and diversity of activity the way Rod did.
When you come to Whale Pass, don’t forget to pick up some of Bentcil’s great stuff in the gift shop, and for all your promotional needs, check them out at www.bentcil.com.

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Tom Maguire and Hugh Mason returned to the lodge in July, bringing four more first timers along with them. With good weather and great fishing, new comers Al Saponieri, Mike Cizek, Paul Bucknell and Tim O’Donnell learned why Tom and Mike keep coming back. While most the memories were made on the water, including some impressive halibut and resulting in an insane poundage of fish flying home, we’ll remember the late night in the Rec Center they helped kick off. With a promise by everyone to take their turn on the Karaoke machine as soon as Hugh sang his song selection, we were all pretty assured of not having to sing at all. But just cranking up the machine (and the top of a Jack Daniels bottle) brings out the closet crooners, and a late night of ear splitting renditions of Danny Boy, the Door’s Light My Fire, and Jethro Tull’s Aqualung ensued. We’re still waiting on Hugh to step up to the mike – oh well, maybe next year. For now, it’s back to the Stripers in Long Island Sound. Until next time, we’ll keep growing the halibut big and expand the Karaoke song selection for Hugh.

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The Corsaros return again this summer, along with traveling companions Julian and Terry Elliot both friends of Odle’s and disciples of their find here in Whale Pass.  Regular visitors to another fishing lodges on Prince of Whales Island, our Lodge gives the two couples a different experience than the typical Angler’s getaway.  On their inaugural trip to the shores of Whale Pass last summer, fishing fanatic Don Corsaro got his first exposure to Doug Wilhite and his infamous boat, the Grim Reaper.  Doug is one of the handful of Captain’s we’ll charter out when our fleet is running at capacity.  While we don’t do it often, chartering is a great way for us to stay in touch with the few other boats plying our waters.  With more than 100 years of cumulative experience on the Alaskan waters, our staff captains give our guests unparalleled access to the rich water of North Clarence Straights, and don’t need much help.  But with guys like Doug on our side, we’re able to follow the fish and whales that much better.
So with Don leaving the Dock with Doug at sunup (5:30AM these days), he’d get 3 hours of fishing in before picking up the rest of the foursome.  By the end of the day, with a full rack of fish, the Elliots and Corsaros would meet back up with the Odle’s, compare stories, and prepare for another day on the water.

Regular readers of the blog have often heard us credit much of the success of our Lodge in our short 4 seasons since opening to the clients who return regularly.  John and Lisa Anne Odle, and their delightful son David are a perfect example.  When they first started looking for a place for themselves and David’s father to escape the busy development life in Southern California, there were few choices that met their needs.  Avid anglers, the Odle’s were well aware of the choices in fishing lodges.  But they were looking for more.  Then the promise of Whale Pass was presented – a luxury lodge in remote Southeast Alaska that offers a wide range of activities, all done with a standard of excellence and in and environment committed to comfort, accommodation and ease.  They took the risk that our place was as advertised, and we are glad they did.
With a spirit that embraces adventure, a healthy drive to live each day to the fullest, and a love of camaraderie, the Odle’s helped shape our lodge into the warm and welcoming place that it is.  Our captain’s love having the Odle’s out on the boat (and they always catch heaps of fish), our staff enjoys taking them to new places on the island, and they always make for great cocktail hour and dinner talk.  And we hope, by finding our little piece of paradise that we can give them a place to call theirs, to relax and truly celebrate the lives they live.  And in return, we know that they’ll be ambassadors of the Lodge, attracting more of the guests that will shape the experience we offer for years to come.

Emulating the Siberian nomads and Russian fur and that found Alaska centuries ago, Gar and Mollie Lasater brought their whole tribe along to Alaska looking for fun, fish and family time. Having bobbed along the Inside Passage on a Yacht charter for a week, the kids were ready to run wild around the Rec Center for a day or two. And we were ready to show everyone what Southeast Alaska has to offer off the water. Our backyard here on Prince of Wales Island hosts an amazing array of scenery, wildlife and outdoor activities for the active traveler, and the Lasaters’ certainly proved to be that. Mountain Biking scenic and remote roads, dining on pan fried salmon in protected coves, fly-fishing creeks and streams, and hiking through mystic old-growth forests are just a few of the things to get people outside. Of course, while Yacht travel is a great way to see the sites, it’s hard to mooch a line off the back, so the Lasaters’ grabbed their share of “small” boat time in our fishing holes. Ellie claimed the biggest salmon, with a King tipping the scales at over 40 pounds. Everyone had a great time. Next up – Gar and son Edward climbed into the younger’s restored two-person Piper left back in Ketchikan to fly along the Canadian Rockies and into points North in Alaska. I’m sure the stories will be plentiful.

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Lodge rats Lucas and Ethan Ryter and their cousin Kenny Jones welcomed their grandmother Noel Gilliam in July. Four years after her daughter Lyn started the lodge, she found the time to head North from Atlanta. First spending a week down on Vancouver Island for a Pottery retreat, “Gammi” jumped at the chance to see what all the fuss was about. With Lyn running around attending to business, Gammi joined the kids for nature hikes, dock fishing, and an excursion or two to the hatchery across the bay (could the ice cream stand have anything to do with it). Noel also had the pleasure of joining the Brunsvold’s and Osvolds for the rollercoaster ride across the straights on a return trip from Wrangell. Thanks for coming Gammi, we loved sharing the Inside Passage with you.

Most of the guests at the Lodge at Whale Pass arrive from Ketchikan at mid-day, and Russ and Kathy Jura were no exception.  Of course, at mid-day, most of our adventure boats are out on the water.  What is in, typically, are our smaller support boats, the assortment of guest skiffs, staff boats and work horses hanging out at the dock.  As Russ stepped off the airplane, the first thing he said, looking down his nose as if someone had insulted his mother, was something derogatory about all the Honda marine motors he saw.  It didn’t take long to realize that Russ was a lifelong Yamaha USA employee.  Before the end of the day, he was relieved to learn with the return of our fishing/adventure fleet that all of our serious motors are Yamahas.  And happy to learn that we’ve been very satisfied with ours.  Of course, problems do happen, and we just happened to have caused one to one of our motors while the Juras were with us.  One phone call and he had us on our way to a solution.  Of course, the Jura’s didn’t come here to check in on the Yamahas, and they found plenty of time to get out and about in the Alaska wilderness.  With their years of experience traveling to some of the finest remote operations in the world (and some not so remote) qualified them to share many suggestions.  The most unique was to consider having Live Salmon Smolt in fish tanks for loan to the guests.  So next time you make it to Whale Pass, ask if we’ve introduced the Fish as Friends in-room salmon loan program yet.  In the meantime, keep buying Yamaha motors.