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Recently we attended our first sports trade shows in Long Beach and Del Mar. While attending these shows I was able to review some of the other Alaska lodges and outfitters in Alaska and BC. Some of what I reviewed astonished me. Let me explain.
Alaska and BC are very difficult places to research and understand if you are planning a fishing trip or vacation. There are hundreds of travel options with a host of facilities that call themselves “Alaska lodges”.
On the internet they all show fish and show you photos of what you want to see. The truth is, there are vast differences, but it’s hard to pull the truth out of what is being presented.
At the trade shows, I expected to see a more realistic view of what each lodge really offered and expected to see some examples of the truth. Boy was I wrong! Some of the booths and displays were elaborate and provided a complete distortion of the real physical offing and the service offering. In fact, some of the booth displays were nicer than the actual facilities being sold. I found myself being embarrassed for the industry and feeling sorry for the consumer.
There were some (very few) reputable companies who not only represented themselves correctly, but delivered a quality presentation while representing their lodge in a truthful manner. One lodge in particular was Kingfisher Charters in Sitka. Kingfisher is a fine operation and is one of the larger outfitters in the Sitka area. Kingfisher’s booth presented exactly what Kingfisher offers – this is how it’s supposed to be.
Unfortunately, there were so many other Alaska fishing lodges that flat out misrepresented their offering and services. And in the end, the visitor to these properties is the real loser. Fortunately, Alaska by itself provides an experience of a lifetime.
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