One of the best places to prove Alaska has not lost its touch -- or natural resources -- is Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, just an hour's flight from Anchorage. Designated a national parkland in 1980, Lake Clark continues to thrive as a living ecosystem. It welcomes visitors to a vast array of Alaskan microcosms including mountains, glaciers, fjords, volcanoes, coastal rain forest, boreal forest, tundra, protected waterways, abundant wildlife and some of the clearest and glacial fed mountain lakes nestled among the jagged spires of the Alaskan Range. It is in this isolated and protected haven where you will find Alaskan fishing at its best. The postcard-perfect lakes that encompass the fertile landscape are teeming with a kaleidoscope of native species. Sockeye salmon are the anadromous game fish while Arctic char, Arctic grayling, Dolly Varden, lake trout and northern pike are the featured residents. The abundance of these endemic fishes is what attracted the earliest Alaskan inhabitants to this region over 9,000 years ago. Today, it continues to entice anglers seeking a memorable experience in America's Last Frontier. All you have to do is get there.  

Access to Lake Clark and the surrounding vicinity can only be reached by small aircraft. There is no highway access to the park and preserve. Planes equipped with large low pressure tires land on open beaches, gravel bars or private airstrips while floatplanes gracefully touch down on the alpine lakes. Anchorage- and Kenai-based air taxi services carry passengers to and from Lake Clark, and daily commuter flights unload visitors from Anchorage to Port Alsworth, the primary jumping-off spot for adventures and anglers wanting to step foot into the heart of the park. The flight into Port Alsworth is a breathtaking journey which navigates passengers through Lake Clark Pass -- a glacier-streaked mountain range whose slopes are crisscrossed by caribou trails. Lake Clark Air, one of the only licensed and insured air taxi operations in the area, is the recommended charter.

Jim and I are guests at The Farm Lodge (www.lakeclarkair.com), nestled on the shore of Hardenberg Bay, midway down Lake Clark on the east side. It is here where we will join lodge owner Glen Alsworth Jr., for an unforgettable trip to not only fish, but to view bear, hike, photograph and marvel at the unbridled beauty and untamed experiences found in southwest Alaska.

The next morning, after a hearty Alaskan breakfast, we meet Glen at the lake shore where he is loading gear into one of his three floatplanes. Not only is the stalky 28 year-old the second-generation lodge owner, he is also our pilot. Glen introduces us to one of his four veteran guides, Jeff Duck, a slender 41 year-old from Michigan who joined The Farm Lodge in 2002.  

Lifting off the mirrored surface of Lake Clark, the aerial view from the seaplane is spectacular -- the glassy turquoise water glistening against a cloudless cobalt sky. "We're going to fish for Arctic grayling in the Tazimina River," hollers Glen over the roar of the engine. "The grayling are symbolic of the clear, cold streams of the Alaskan backcountry," adds Jeff from the co-pilot seat.

The tendency of grayling to eat almost anything endears them to the angling public. Any fishing technique, including bait, lures and flies will work. During our enjoyable paddle, my father and I catch and release dozens of respectable grayling, alternating between spin-casting and fly fishing. Without question, the arctic grayling is one of the most unusual and beautiful species of Alaska, with its sail-like dorsal fin dotted with large iridescent red and purple spots.

The next day, my dad and I hop aboard an open skiff with Jeff and embark under a still and sunny morning. Our destination: the north end of Lake Clark, best known for its high concentration of northern pike. Forty-two miles long, up to 860 feet deep and covering 110 square miles, Alaska's sixth-largest lake has produced a number of trophy pike over the years. En route, Jeff tells us "Lake Clark was formed 12,000 years ago when glaciers were the dominant architects at work." The awesome and surreal landscape that we see before us is remnant of that period when glaciers pushed out onto the interior plain. Retreating at a later time, the glaciers filled their former beds with meltwater and created the remarkable jewel known today as Lake Clark. 

Arriving at the secluded area, Jeff raises the outboard and paddles us into the ominous shallows where tall reeds and impenetrable grass provide the perfect habitat for the toothy denizens of Lake Clark. In Alaska, the northern pike has been a maligned fish. Old-time Alaskans and commercial fishers scorned them and only used them for dog food. With the arrival of former Midwesterners, the stature of the pike increased, and it is now one of the most important game fishes in Interior Alaska. 

Tossing enticing top water lures like rubber frogs and mice into the weed beds, it doesn't take long until the surface erupts. Our first pike slams the helpless bait from below! A pike's strike is, without a doubt, explosive and electrifying to watch. The long fight that ensues is equally enthralling. After spending an afternoon battling these ferocious predators, we estimate we released 15 pike -- not bad for our second day.  

Over the next three days, we are in for a series of treats as we set our sights on three unique trout -- Arctic char, Dolly Varden and lake trout. "Growth and maximum size vary greatly between the fish depending on the productivity of the particular lake and the presence of other fish species," says Glen, who joins us for part of our quest. "One lake may hold a trout over ten pounds while another lake may not produce trout over two pounds even though these fish may reach great age."

On our last day at The Farm Lodge, Glen and Jeff invite us for a final day of unbelievable fishing and sightseeing. This time we target the thick schools of sockeye that make their way into Lake Clark and neighboring Kijik Lake to spawn. Although many of these salmon have turned bright red and stopped feeding, there are a number of recent arrivals from the ocean that are still silver and easily provoked by a lure. "Lake Clark is considered a critical sockeye salmon spawning site and the world's most productive sockeye salmon fishery," says Glen, as we cast large spoons and feathered steamers into the congregated schools. We also learn that where there are lots of salmon, they are lots of bears.

For those who are interested in visiting Lake Clark, but aren't necessarily fishermen, The Farm Lodge offers a host of non-angling activities. From wildlife viewing, photography workshops, rafting, hiking, backpacking, bear viewing and flight-seeing tours, Glen and his seasoned staff specialize in setting up personalized packages to get you away from the maddening crowd and into remote Alaska the way it is meant to be experienced. Translation: be ready to leave the creature comforts of home. Beyond the half dozen privately owned lodges in Port Alsworth, there are no shops, restaurants, bars or streets -- just a gravel airstrip, private homes and a chapel. Inside The Farm Lodge, the accommodations are rudimentary, alcoholic beverages are not allowed in the lodge or dining room, and evening protocol always begins with a blessing at the dinner table. Given Alaska's unlimited wildlife, raw scenic beauty and endless miles of undisturbed terrain, there's a lot to be thankful for when stepping foot into what many consider to be God's Country.