With more than 3 million lakes, 3,000 rivers and innumerable streams hosting 627 species of fish, Alaska promotes itself as a fisherman's paradise. Fly-fishing, saltwater and freshwater fishing, and even ice fishing are popular pastimes statewide, and numerous lodges, such as the Waterfall Resort on Prince of Wales Island, cater to the needs of first-time, amateur and expert anglers in search of fishing getaways. Located in a historical cannery, Waterfall is angling to set itself apart from the school of fishing lodge competitors.
According to Marketing Director Chuck Baird, the 2,200 or so guests who check into the Waterfall Resort's 44 units each summer season are drawn by its unique appeal and attributes.
"In terms of our building, the history and the ambience, I don't think there's any other fishing lodge in Alaska that can compare," he said. "It also has to do with location: The cannery was built here because it's right in the middle of superb fishing grounds.
"Then there are the little things we offer: the high-quality food, massage services and an Alaska Airlines agent on site," he added.
The resort, which offers inclusive sportfishing vacation packages of three to five nights, sits on the grounds of the former Waterfall Cannery. Operating from 1912 to 1970, it was one of the most productive salmon-processing plants in the U.S.; in 1973, the cannery was sold, and a decade later it reopened as a sportfishing lodge.
One unique legacy of the Waterfall Resort's cannery heritage is that it offers guests custom seafood processing on site. Their catch is cut, cleaned, vacuum-packed, labeled, flash-frozen and stored in a personal "fish box" for freezer storage and transport.
What's more, the Waterfall checks in and transports departing guests' fish boxes and baggage to the airport, thanks to the on-site Alaska Airlines agent on duty all season.
"When our guests board their floatplanes in Ketchikan, they just have their boarding passes, hand luggage and baggage claim tickets with them," said Baird. "There are a lot of other great fishing lodges in Alaska, but their guests unfortunately often have to schlepp their catch home by themselves.
"We, on the other hand, look to provide these types of unique benefits to guests."
Most of the Waterfall's guests are novices "who have always dreamed of going fishing in Alaska," Baird said. "Perhaps it's on their bucket list, or they're outdoorspeople who've taken a cruise to Alaska."
The resort does attract some avid fishermen, but it is especially popular with families, groups of friends and corporate meetings and incentive travel groups.
Only about 5% of guest bookings come through traditional travel agencies. "We've found the agents are from a smaller segment of retailers who like to fish themselves or are skewed toward selling the outdoors," said Baird, adding the resort pays a standard 10% commission on its all-inclusive rates.
All-inclusive angling
The Waterfall's packages for the 2010 season, which runs June 11 to Aug. 20, are priced from $3,600 for a three-night, land-only stay to $5,975 for a five-night stay with roundtrip floatplane transfers included.
All packages include cottage or lodge accommodations; tackle, bait and equipment, including all-weather gear; all meals; guided fishing aboard four-guest, 25-foot Almar cabin cruisers; and fish processing and wet-lock fish boxes for travel.
Suite accommodations are available for $100 extra per person, per night, for Townhouse Suites or $125 per person, per night, for the newer Egg House Suites.
"Our suites are not the Ritz-Carlton, but among fishing lodge standards in Alaska, they'd be considered four or five stars," said Baird.
All of the Waterfall's units feature a refrigerator, wet bar, coffeemaker and private bath and shower. "They're well appointed and very comfortable, and I sometimes describe them as looking like something out of an L.L. Bean catalog," he added.
Most guests spend the bulk of their days aboard their fishing boats, but other activity options include whale- and wildlife-watching, hikes to a local waterfall and visits to the nearby, largely Native American town of Craig. Box lunches of custom-ordered sandwiches and snacks accompany guests on the move. Back at the Waterfall Resort, all meals -- from the "full-on, macho" breakfasts to surf-and-turf dinners featuring fresh catch of the day and the house clam chowder -- are served buffet-style.
Activities, housekeeping and meals are provided by a staff of about 90, which provides a nearly 1-to-1 guest-to-staff ratio.
See www.waterfallresort.com.