Why Pybus Point Lodge Offers the Best Fishing in Alaska
LEARN MORE
When you think of Alaska, one of the most common images that come to mind are the massive glaciers that have carved some incredible land features, and provide quite a view for tourists to see. One of the most famous glaciers in Alaska is the Sawyer Glacier , which actually has two separate parts, the north and south. Let’s explore some of the history of these glaciers, and find out more about what makes them such an amazing sight to see on your Alaska fishing vacation.
Before we get into the details of the famous Sawyer glaciers, let’s first define exactly what makes a glacier. These incredible natural features are the result of many years of snow falling and compressing. When enough snow falls, and the environment is cold enough to keep that snow in a single location over time (rather than melting into streams and rivers), it turns into a large mass of ice.
They often have water underneath, so they actually flow like a river, but in very slow motion. Glaciers make up about 10 percent of the total land mass of the earth, and are concentrated primarily in the cold regions of Antarctica, Greenland, Canada, and Alaska. However, there are glaciers on every continent, including Africa and South America.
Tracy Arm is the name of a fjord in southeast Alaska. A fjord is a long, narrow strip of sea nestled between mountains or cliffs on each side. The are common in Norway and Iceland, as well as some parts of Alaska.
A fjord is generally formed by a glacier, and the Tracy Arm is no different. It is about 30 miles long, named after Benjamin Franklin Tracy, Secretary of the Navy under President Benjamin Harrison, who probably never visited the fjord or saw its majestic beauty since he lived in New York until he died in 1915. However, he was close friends with William H. Seward, who oversaw international affairs during the Civil War and negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867.
The most common way to access the Tracy Arm is through Stephens Passage, a waterway in Alaska’s Inside Passage that is part of the Tongass National Forest. The area is at the center of the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness, an area spanning 653,179 acres that the U.S. Congress designated as a national wilderness in 1980. The “Fords Terror” part of the name comes from an 1899 voyage by a navy crewman named Ford, who paddled a boat into the narrow passage of and was trapped for several hours in a tidal surge of floating ice chunks that can block access in and out of the fjord.
The Sawyer Glacier is divided into two distinct glaciers: the North Sawyer and the South Sawyer. Both the South Sawyer and North Sawyer Glaciers are located in Tracy Arm. The South Sawyer Glacier can be challenging to access and is only visible on certain days of the year when the weather is favorable. In contrast, the North Sawyer Glacier is more commonly visited. The glacier's surface appears white above the ground, but it transitions to a stunning cobalt blue as it extends deep beneath the ocean's surface.
The face of the glacier is about a half mile wide, make it easy to view from the water (you cannot access it from the land). It’s an active tidewater glacier, which means that you can often see “calving” events where a large chunk of ice breaks off and falls into the ocean below. The ice that falls off could be a small chunk or a section the size of a cruise ship, depending on the day. The ice chunks hit the water below, which reaches depths of as much as 600 feet, and also has sections of the glacier under the surface. In fact, calving events can also happen underwater, and you will see the calved chunk of ice emerge from the water like a submarine and float away.
On either side of the Tracy Arm are mountain peaks that soar to 7,000 feet above sea level, and you can find waterfalls and wildlife all over the faces of the cliffs. If you look closely you can often catch a glimpse of mountain goats, seals, and birds on the glacier itself or the nearby mountain slopes, and might even be lucky enough to see a whale or two in the water below.
Download, share, or print out our PDF Packaging list to make sure you bring all the gear you need for your Alaska vacation!
DOWNLOAD NOWDiscover why waterfalls around Pybus Point Lodge are unforgettable, offering stunning views and unique adventures. Plan your trip today!
LEARN MOREDiscover why people like you can’t stop talking about Pybus Point Lodge. More than 30 years ago, the lodge opened as a simple fishing camp, drawing a devoted following in spite of basic accommodations. With new owners and experienced guides and crew, our corner of Alaska has become an unbeatable fishing and eco-tourism resort.
Enjoy unlimited access to our fleet of motorized skiff boats. We’re just minutes away from beautiful freshwater stream fishing, and some of our guests’ biggest halibut catches have been reeled in on a skiff.
Three new 33’ walk-around boats make their debut for our 2019 season. Featured in the Seattle Boat Show and designed stem to stern specifically for ocean conditions in Alaska's Inside Passage, we couldn’t ask for better boats.
Guests love our build-your-own lunches, featuring fresh ingredients and thin-sliced meat we smoke right outside. Meals at the lodge are always made to order – no buffets or cafeteria-style meals at Pybus Point Lodge! Our chef has created menu options that are beautiful and delicious without feeling pretentious or unfamiliar.
If you’re going to come all the way to Alaska, you may as well fish with an experienced guide on hand to keep you on the fish and take care of all the little details. You can enjoy the scenery, your company, and the world-class fishing. You’ll get your guide’s attention as much as eight hours each day – already included in the cost of your trip.
Upgrade your trip to see the Alaskan wilderness from the air. Our experienced pilot will land on a secluded lake and guide you to some of the best salmon and native trout fishing in the state.
While you go out and play, our talented staff will make sure your room stays tidy and clean! We receive even more compliments about our friendly staff than we do about Alaska's stunning beauty!
Pybus Point Lodge is located on the remote and secluded far south edge of Admiralty Island National Monument. Coverage is always tricky in deep valleys and remote natural areas. We found that AT&T has the most reliable cellular service at the lodge while T-mobile, Sprint, and Verizon can be picked up while out on the ocean. We do have a lodge phone you can use if necessary.
If you can't get a signal, we do provide free high-speed WIFI to the lodge and cabins. A popular option is to utilize your phones WIFI calling mode to communicate and take calls while at the cabin, although we prefer to unplug and enjoy all that the island has to offer.
The calm, cool waters of Alaska’s Inside Passage are the perfect habitat for humpback whales. Our guests tell us close encounters with these peaceful giants have changed the way they see the world – and we know just what they mean.
You’ll stay with us on Admiralty Island, called Xootsnoowú by native Tlingit people, which means “Fortress of the Bears.” There are more bears on our island than in all 49 other states combined – and more than 2.5x the number of people here!
A short ride in one of our skiffs will take you to the mouth of a river where, if your timing is right, you can watch salmon make their final run to spawn. When it isn’t overrun by bears dining on the feast, you can walk upstream just a few minutes to a beautiful waterfall in the thick forest.
From tiny phosphorescent algae lighting up our private docks to enormous humpback whales hunting in our deep, calm waters, you won’t find a more beautiful place to experience Alaska. Pybus Bay is a photographer’s paradise – bald eagles and brown bears, orca, otters and sea lions, and more. We can’t wait to help you experience Alaska.
A short ride in one of our skiffs will take you to the mouth of a river where, if your timing is right, you can watch salmon make their final run to spawn. When it isn’t overrun by bears dining on the feast, you can walk upstream just a few minutes to a beautiful waterfall in the thick forest.
Take quick detours or day-long excursions to explore some of our planet's most beautiful, remote waterfalls and glaciers.
Meet us in Juneau and let our experienced staff handle every detail of your all-inclusive Alaskan vacation, starting with a beautiful seaplane flight to our secluded lodge at Pybus Bay.
