Courtesy of Glen Davis of the the Clarion-Ledger we got some early Valentine's Day love.
Check out his blog here: http://blogs.clarionledger.com/gdavis/
Thank you so much Glen Davis for your flattering and spot-on article! We couldn't have said it better if we had written it ourselves!
Mississippi Based Owners of Alaskan Unalakleet Lodge to give Presentation
On March 28, 6:00 PM at the Bass Pro in Pearl, the owner/operators of Unalakleet Lodge in Alaska will be on hand to provide information about their lodge and Alaskan fishing to the Magnolia Fly Fishers. This is a special meeting of the fly fishing club and the public is invited to attend. The presentation will be in the 2nd floor conference room behind the shoe department, there is no charge. The Unalakleet River Lodge was started in 1998 by Jeff and Sal Appel. A pilot by trade and a sportsman at heart Jeff had always wanted a fishing lodge in the remote wilderness of Alaska. His search for the perfect lodge began in 1995 traveling to dozens of lodges all over the enormous state of Alaska. From plywood shacks to broken down tent camps nothing fit the Appel’s ideals. They knew they wanted a classic log structure, they knew they wanted to be far from the congested fishing rivers found near the road system in the southern part of the state, they knew they didn’t want to be encumbered by a fly out operation limiting their guests on river fishing time, they knew what they wanted and were not going to compromise on their desires. Two years after their search began the Appels’ heard about an opportunity upriver of the Norton Sound village of Unalakleet. So, in January of 1997 Jeff packed up and headed to the tundra of Northwestern Alaska. After a snowmobile ride tracing the Iditarod trail into the interior; there it was, A spruce log lodge nestled onto a bluff overlooking the Unalakleet river and the surrounding Nulato hills. Sal says that she was taken “kicking and screaming” in the spring of that year to the remote location but upon her first glance she knew it was everything and more that they had hoped for. They started that summer with a few guests, mostly friends, and vowed to make the Unalakleet River Lodge a go-to destination for Alaskan salmon fishing. Every year since 1998 the lodge and its grounds have been improved. The Unalakleet River Lodge now boasts; 24 hour electricity supplied by two 55Kw generators, An exemplary water and waste filtration system, A fleet of aluminum G3 fishing boats powered by 40hp Yamaha Jet drives renewed yearly, 8 guest cabins with private bathrooms dressed in Ralph Lauren linens, Hill-Hiker rail tram to lift guests from riverside up to the Lodge, A complete commercial grade kitchen, Fish cleaning station with dedicated freezer, Stone fireplace bar and lounge area with plush leather sofas decorated with native artifacts and various mounts from the Unalakleet and Norton Sound, A large wooden deck and boardwalk surrounding the lodge and its grounds, A fully outfitted tackle shop with Lamiglass and Sage rods, and most importantly – An experienced staff that returns every season to share a love for the Unalakleet to their guests. In 2005 The Appels’ son Steven moved to Oxford to attend Ole Miss. Jeff and Sal visited and decided to make north Mississippi their home away from the Unalakleet River. In 2006 Steve Appel opened a fish shop in Oxford hoping to share his knowledge of quality Alaskan fish with the restaurants and people there. While running the shop Steve made friends with a local chef by the name of John Stokes. Stokes was an avid fisherman and dreamt of visiting the Unalakleet River Lodge. In the spring of 2008 Jeff, Sal, and Steve offered Stokes the position of chef at the lodge. During the last five years Steve Appel and John Stokes have created a partnership based on mutual trust and respect while working together at the Appels’ lodge. It was during this period that Jeff and Sal started thinking about passing down the Unalakleet River Lodge to their son and Stokes. The Appels’ and Stokes continue to live in Oxford in their off-season and return to northwestern Alaska every spring for Stokes and Steve to continue the family business. The Unalakleet River Lodge is a luxury fishing destination in the remote bush of northwestern Alaska on the protected Natural and Scenic Wild River by the same name. They do salmon fishing with deluxe accommodations in an untouched wilderness environment. The Appels’ and Stokes continue their 16 year history sharing the beauty and thrill of the Unalakleet River and invite you to come and experience all it has to offer.
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