Alaska's Best Kept Secret....ATA Lodge....Who Seeks, Shall Find!

Sometimes secrets are meant to be shared....sometimes they are waiting to be discovered!  

Seek and Find!  

Here's the story of Johnny, Armour, and Wells... three close childhood friends on their first-ever visit to Alaska who experienced just that!  Their plans fell through and someone "shared a secret", and directed them to ATA Lodge.  And there they discovered magic....

Pat McIntyre was their guide.  Of course, they had a blast fishing, exploring, bear viewing, etc....regardless, it was being together while doing it that seemed to give each facet of their experience more meaning.

On the river, Johnny said to Pat, “We will all reminisce about this trip long into our old age”.   Pat knew right then and there that he would as well and that he had become a part of something very special!

One of their days on the river, these 3 Amigos plus 1 (Pat the guide), set off to see the upper reaches of our home waters.  The lighting was unusually beautiful that day and the water was crystal clear.  Pat knew there would be a mind-blowing congregation of Sockeye Salmon schooling in the pool.  But nothing could prepare them for the secret they discovered!   This was a day to be seared upon the memory of each of them!

They had never seen anything like it. Few people have. It really was a remarkable
moment in time, and a sight to behold! 

Pat, and all of us here at ATA Lodge, want to dedicate this video to those three guys.  You can spot them in a few of the shots from above, standing together, enjoying each other's company.  A perfect week. Unforgettable. 

Excerpts from a TripAdvisor Review:

My two best friends and I traveled to ATA in search of great fishing, beautiful Alaskan frontier scenery, and peace — we weren’t disappointed. My arm is still sore from reeling in countless trophy rainbows, I’ve eaten fresh salmon in my backyard the last two nights (we each caught enough for 50 lb boxes of sockeye in just two afternoons — only keeping large males... it was unbelievable), and my friends and family hardly believe the pictures of the gigantic pike from our hike in fishing trip one day. We saw over 100 brown bears, and oddly enough never once felt threatened. We literally enjoyed our lunches on the banks of the river as bald eagles flew over our heads multiple afternoons. I could go on and on, and many people reading this would say “this seems too good to be true.”

Our guide Patrick was hands down the best guide I’ve ever had. We caught more fish than we could have imagined and he knew the river like the back of his hand. He was a great guy, a knowledgeable fisherman, and a fantastic person to spend a week with.

The rooms were perfect and comfortable. It’s incredible being able to wake up and look out your window at the Alagnak River. Sockeye Salmon run thick right off the dock and you can watch bears fish from your room... it’s unbelievable!

Wayne and Jacob are true gentlemen and fantastic hosts. They run a luxury operation and everything is top-notch, from the guide experience, to the food and the lodging. EVERYTHING at ATA is a 10/10. When we left I was obviously sad to leave Alaska, but I felt as if we were also leaving our friends behind. 

I cannot wait to come back someday soon!

It was the trip of a lifetime! I promise we will never forget our week at ATA!