Guide Academy Day 1: What we knew, what we forgot, what we didn’t anticipate

 

 

As I type, Mission Lodge is buzzing. Forks are clanking, students are laughing. Someone just asked, "where are you from again?"(New Stuyahok, he answered). It smells like pizza, and I'm slurping down a Coke knowing we have a night of activities ahead - and the long days of June in Alaska will allow for them.

 

This course is designed to introduce the local youth of the communities of Bristol Bay, Alaska to fly fishing. After a week of training on everything from casting, knots and fly tying, customer service, ecology, how to master an interview, river etiquette and more, they'll be top candidates for hire in one of the many world-class lodges around this region. The short term benefits are huge - they're introduced to a new hobby and prepared for jobs on their home rivers. The long-term outcome is impressive as well - training locals on the tough conservation challenges faced by the region pays off, as they will one day be the leaders making important decisions about these waters. Not to mention, the benefits of keeping jobs local and energizing the fish-based economy of Bristol Bay doesn't hurt either.

 

With such lofty goals, one can imagine the large number of logistics leading up to these first hours of the 8th Bristol Bay Fly Fishing and Guide Academy. 

 

Our fearless instructors, Mac and Nanci.

 

Months of promoting the application period, painstakingly deciding which of the amazing applicants we can squeeze in, coordinating travel from remote communities around the region, lining up guest speakers, fine tuning the itinerary and lesson plans, working with our amazing sponsors* to get gear and fund the whole event and coordinating with our hosts to ensure we can take over the lodge before their first clients come. There are so many details, shopping trips and helpers that make the Academy possible. This was all stuff we expected, and chipped off little by little preparing for today.

 

 

 

So now, sitting at dinner on Night One, looking at a room full of students getting to know each other, I start remember a few things I haven't been thinking about as we planned the last 6+ months.

 

I'd forgotten the students' vibe of nervous excitement for the week ahead, especially when they hear about their "final exam" - Client Day, where they'll be expected to guide a client through a full day on the water. I'd been so into the details, that I actually forgot the stunning beauty I'd get to spend a week within in the heart of Bristol Bay. (Lake Aleknagik is bigger than life and doing some serious beckoning right about now). I'd forgotten that Mission Lodge is a world class business that clients spend thousands to enjoy - we're truly lucky to get to hang here for the week. Hadn't been thinking about any of that.

 

Then, there are things I wasn't expecting at all! First, and perhaps the most pleasant surprise, there are not one but TWO academy graduates on staff at Mission Lodge this summer. Tiarna, one of our original students back in 2008, is now Mission's Assistant Manager. And - the surprise - Shiann, a graduate of the 2014 class in Iliamna is on the kitchen/service staff this summer! We loved walking in to be welcomed by familiar faces and of course, are so proud of our students pursuing jobs in local lodges. With Shiann, we now have over a dozen students go onto jobs in Bristol Bay and that's a number we're pretty proud of!

 

 

 

Second, we can already tell this group is unique and incredibly special. We've got youth ages 14 - 24 here at Mission, from Dillingham, Koliganek, Togiak, New Stuyahok, Manakotak, Iguigig and Aleknagik. We've got seasoned fly fishers and a whole lot of beginners. They're diverse, but a quality we noticed in everyone is a smile and eager vibe that all the successful graduates have had on day one. And it's not every year we see so much of that right from the get-go.

 

I hope you can tell from my tone that we're excited (like, really excited). Stay tuned for lots more updates throughout the week on our facebook page!

 

-Jenny