Ouzel Expeditions Puts Anglers On Choice, Remote Alaska, Kamchatka Fisheries

Ouzel Expeditions has been putting anglers into remote salmon and trout fisheries for 35 years in Alaska and 22 years in Kamchatka. Ouzel was the first western guide service in Kamchatka.

We provide expert guides, tasty meals, large and comfortable rafts, upscale camps, bush flights and access to a host of great rivers. In Alaska, licensed and certified guides provide fully guided, weeklong raft trips on scenic wilderness rivers within Katmai National Park, Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic NWR and Aniakchak National Park and Refuge. Ouzel has experience on all of the famous remote rivers: Kanektok, Aniak, Nushagak, Chilikadrotna, Mulchatna, Kisaralek, American Creek, Salmon River, Aniakchak, Hula Hula, Lake Creek, Talachulitna, Holitna and Kwethluk, among many others.

All require access by plane. As everyone knows, fishing is plain and simply better in places where there is not a lot of traffic.Indeed, our experiences can change your perspective! Many a guest has told us that they “think about their trip with us every day of their life.” Ouzel features excellent fishing for five species of salmon, trophy rainbow trout, Arctic char and Arctic grayling. Beginning fisherman and families are encouraged and taught on our wilderness journeys.

When we began operating in Kamchatka in 1991, we were looking for great salmon runs but couldn’t keep the gigantic rainbow trout off our hooks. No one complained and the rest is history. Today Kamchatka is famous for its huge rainbows – we’ve caught them up to 33 inches long. Ouzel introduced catch and release angling to Kamchatka and the use of Russian helicopters to access its beautiful rivers for fly fishing. We run exploratory trips each year, hence all the great streams we float today. We are still finding and fishing new rivers that have never been fished by Westerners before. Our experienced guides, excellent equipment and years of experience make any river we float a comfortable wonderful experience.

Our camps are extremely comfortable, from our sleeping tents to our SOTAR rafts to our three hot delicious Russian meals each day. The soups and main courses are hearty and heart healthy. After breakfast you wade off downriver. Camp is packed on your raft and floats down to you. Two guests per raft fish with a seasoned, helpful fly-fishing guide who rows and works hard to make your trip a wonderful experience. We wade fish at the holes, floating and fishing our way down the river. At day’s end the rafts go ahead and set up camp. You can either ride along or wade fish into camp. We carry a satellite phone for emergency communications.

Six species of salmon return to Kamchatka while Arctic char are present all summer. Kundzha (east Siberian char) are great fighters! Salmon arrival times vary from stream to stream but generally arrive the same time in Kamchatka as Alaska. We fish for king salmon from mid-June through early July. Silvers arrive mid-August and run through October. Chum run all season long. Sockeye salmon arrive in July and August. Pinks run early August through September, but are only strong in even-numbered years.

Ouzel Expeditions’ Alaska and Kamchatka Fishing Expeditions are imitated but never equaled! Give us a call and we’ll answer any questions you may have. For 35 years we have been a family business. Contact Paul or Sharon Allred and Ouzel Expeditions at (907) 783-2216 or go to www.ouzel.com.