132: Fishing and Protecting Alaska with Anders Gustafson

Anders Gustafson is a fishing guide, wilderness protector, and entrepreneur. Wait for it...in Alaska! He is a father and husband. He has made an incredible life for himself by not following the program. Listen and you will hear him explain what not following the program means.

Recently, I had an amazing experience. It was life-changing. It was a vacation that made me take a deep breath and go ...WOW! We took a family trip to fish in Alaska. Five of the days were spent on the Mulchatna River with a fishing camp where we were focused on catching King Salmon. Anders is a guide with this camp. He is not just any guide...he is amazing! He is a great teacher. He is patient. He gets to know who is fishing in his boat. He has a wonderful sense of humor. He listens and helps you solve your problems. Most importantly, he helps you catch fish, especially the mighty King Salmon! 

The only way to get to where we were is to fly by float plane to the river (yes, you actually land on the river. Loved it!) There were no people other than those running the camp, the guides, and the anglers. The only electricity was from generators and it was used for the eating tents, cook tent, and the freezers, otherwise you had no power. There also was no wi-fi or cellular connectivity! It was beautiful! No one could get in touch with us. We were in the middle of the wilderness surrounded by wild blueberry plants and so many signs of bear activity. There were bald eagles and signs of caribou and moose. There were beaver. I had always heard of tundra now I was on it. The daylight stayed with us until almost two am (Check out my picture below.). We used outhouses and even though there was a shower tent, I opted to just do quick hair and face washes and brushed my teeth. Hey, it was only 5 days. 

Anders is an amazing outdoorsman who has had the opportunity to protect the very wilderness that he hunts and fishes. Recently, there was a mining operation that wanted to remove copper from the area. After a three year long war (which included testifying in Washington, DC.), Anders was successful in keeping the mining operation out. He helped to save the wild. Unfortunately, it looks like that battle is about to begin again. You will hear Anders talk about his battles, wins, and losses.  

I think that you will enjoy listening to Anders and if you close your eyes he paints a picture of the wilderness with every word. Thanks for listening. Enjoy!

Connect with Anders through his Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/anders.gustafson

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