Waterfall Cannery

Waterfall Resort Announces YouTube Fishing Video Contest Winner

Waterfall Resort announced the winner of its first YouTube Fishing Video Contest. Rich Lighten of Riverton, UT received 1,937 views on the Waterfall YouTube Channel and won a $3,600
3 night / 4 day all-inclusive fishing package to the Resort located on Prince of Wales Island. Guests experience spectacular Alaska scenery at its finest on the 45-minute floatplane flight from Ketchikan to Waterfall Resort.

“We created a viral marketing campaign for social media sites that included YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, then accepted fishing videos from June until the end of October,” explained Chuck Baird, Marketing Director for the Resort. “We decided early on not to limit the contest to videos shot at Waterfall. We wanted to open up the contest to any fishing related video from anywhere in the world. Anticipation was high to see the variety of videos we would receive. And we were not disappointed. We received over 100 entries from all over the United States.”

Joel Rayden, Waterfall’s Marketing Manager, described the process of selecting the four finalists as exceedingly difficult. Rayden said that the Resort had received so many creative videos that choosing the top four was quite complex in that it was enjoyable to preview the videos but not so easy when it came time to make the cut to the final four.

Once selected, candidates instructed family and friends to view their videos, and the video with the most viewers would win the Waterfall Sportfishing Package. Lighten, who has fished Waterfall for several seasons, heard about the fishing video contest before his 2009 trip to the Resort and brought his camcorder as well as his son, Geoffrey, with him. Lighten knew from all of his past Waterfall “trips of a lifetime” that he could and would capture an extraordinary moment out on the water. Once his video was up on YouTube, Lighten got busy and put his heart into virally promoting it. Lighten admitted that he is absolutely thrilled that he won the trip and is looking forward to fishing Waterfall in 2010.

Always at the forefront of technology with GPS Systems, Furuno fish finders, radar and long-range communications for its fishing fleet (the largest private fishing fleet in Alaska), Waterfall welcomes the opportunity to embrace the social media. Baird said, “The fishing video contest is only one of the many interactive tools we employ to connect with the world outside of Prince of Wales Island!” When asked if there would be a second fishing video contest, Baird replied, “Absolutely! It will be right up there with our annual $100,000 King of Kings Salmon Tournament and King Salmon Jackpot Challenge. You can count on it!”

Waterfall Resort already has preparations under way for dual 2012 celebrations. Waterfall Cannery, once the largest salmon cannery on the west coast of Prince of Wales Island, began its canning operation in 1912. Then in 1982, Waterfall Cannery was converted into Waterfall Resort, a sophisticated sport fishing resort. Waterfall looks forward to the 2012 season to celebrate both the 100th anniversary of the Waterfall Cannery and the 30th anniversary of Waterfall Resort and expects that many guests will return to participate in the special events.

Waterfall Resort, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

Group Reservations:
Small to Large Groups Receive Personal Service!

Each season, many special-occasion groups come to Waterfall for the Legendary Sportfishing. Business groups reward their employees with Corporate trips, and personal groups come to Waterfall to celebrate Father’s Day, Graduations, Family Reunions, Anniversaries, etc. Many of these business and personal groups return annually. Corporate groups return knowing that Waterfall oversees the details. Family Reunions look forward to celebrating in our large Lagoon Saloon. Waterfall also hosts Fishing Tournaments designed as fundraisers for charities. For group reservations, call Mike Dooley at 800-544-5125.

Colleen Cockrell, Hospitality Supervisor

Sportfishing par excellence is all about location, location, location! Strong tides prime the deep waters surrounding Waterfall Resort with millions of baitfish that attract annual returns of trophy-sized salmon, halibut, red snapper and ling cod. The historic cannery turned Legendary Sportfishing resort is located on the west coast of Prince of Wales Island, 63 air miles west of Ketchikan. All fishing gear, rain gear, and fish processing are included in your Waterfall package.

Brian Mayberry, Sahuarita, AZ, with his 60.5 lb. King caught 7/24/09!

This past summer, Waterfall’s Marketing Manager, Joel Rayden, supported a fundraiser at Lake Cachuma –20 miles east of Santa Barbara — for a local PBS radio affiliate. While enjoying the festivities, Joel grilled up some of the salmon and halibut that he had caught at Waterfall shortly before the event. The savory aromas drew in several Santa Barbara County Sheriffs! Joel very kindly shared his fish taco feast with the Sheriffs who enjoyed every delicious bite.

Sgt. Walton, Joel Rayden, Sheriff D. Allen

Feeling akin with nature
Southeast Alaska remains a timeless and unchanged wilderness

By Pete Ottesen
June 24, 2009 12:01 AM
Recordnet.com

KETCHIKAN - In a brief, 75-minute flight from Seattle, outdoors adventurers are transported to an isolated wilderness surrounded by water. Here in southeast Alaska the landscape is punctuated by misty fjords that spike the clear sky and abundant wildlife - soaring bald eagles, breaching humpback whales and feeding Chinook, the king of salmon.
The center of this great wild place is Prince of Wales Island, where bears, whales, sea lions, black-tailed deer and eagles overwhelmingly outnumber humans, and things don’t seem to change. Poke around the rocky cliffs and promontories, and mountain-covered forests of Sitka spruce, hemlock, cedar and pine, and you feel akin with nature in a timeless place, where wild creatures still are in charge.
Exciting, unexpected encounters with wildlife actually are common. Just when and where, well, you just never know.
A four-day stay at Waterfall Resort, a self-contained wilderness lodge on the west side of Prince of Wales Island, afforded a glimpse of the severity of nature and the symbiotic relationship between 50-foot, 40-ton humpback whales, bald eagles and a small marine bird, the rhinoceros auklet. We had just boated a 26- and 32-pound Chinook salmon when auklets suddenly began to fly past, dive and herd tiny candlefish into a massive, chaotic heap. We stopped fishing, the activity was so intense.
The birds forced the tiny fish - key parts to the food chain - into a dense ball of silvery, undulating bait that actually rose above the ocean’s surface with fish that thrashed on top of each other and out of the water. Bald eagles took advantage, 16 in all, swooping down and grasping fish in their talons, eating them in flight and returning time after time. A trio of whales appeared, too, as if a dinner bell had been called and seined the water with their massive snouts held perfectly vertical about 8 feet out of the water, as they pushed through the candlefish.
Creatures, large and small, worked in unison. The carnage lasted just minutes. Then, the rodeo ended and calm returned. Whales dived out of sight, eagles rested atop nearby spruce trees and satiated auklets preened in the sun, having done their jobs.
“That’s how nature works,” said Colin McCrossin, who has guided these waters for 12 years. “Here, nature rules, and we’re just observers.”
Many visitors are attracted here to catch for four species - salmon, halibut, lingcod and yellow-eyed cod that abound in the nutrient rich waters. But strict conservation regulations mean people come here to do more than simply fish. There are countless islands, coves and inlets to discover and hiking trails into the rain forest. Tall cedar totems are eminent witnesses to the first peoples of the island and striking saw-tooth mountains, pushed up by glaciers eons ago, outline the incredible vistas.
Years ago, Waterfall was a cannery, the largest salmon packing outfit in the southeast. The clapboard warehouses and cabins have been retrofitted into a resort where eagles and black bears still abound in the remote setting, reached only by a 45-minute float plane ride from Ketchikan.
Prince of Wales is the third-largest island in the U.S. with more than 990 miles of shoreline, where there are remnants of deserted canneries and rural villages worth exploring such as Claig, Klawock, Coffman Cove, Hollis and Hydaburg that exist on tourism, fishing and timbering.
Contact outdoors columnist Peter Ottesen at (209) 546-8269 or pottesen@recordnet.com.

Let’s Go Fishing!
by Stuart J. Faber
BizTravelers Choice
Winter 2009

Ever since I was a toddler, I loved to go fishing. Today,
many fishing holes are overcrowded or fished out.
But every trip to Alaska yields enough fish to throw
a huge party. This year, I spent a few days in Ketchikan, then
hopped on an Otter floatplane charter with Promech Air for the
flight to Waterfall.
Waterfall is nestled on the shores of Prince of Wales Island,
an area of clear, cool deep water which attracts hoards of salmon,
halibut, red snapper and ling cod. In the early 1900s, what is
now the resort was the largest salmon packing plant and cannery
in the region.
Many
of Waterfall’s
buildings,
which are now
used for guest
cabins, recreation,
a general
store and
fish processing
plant, were
constructed in
the 1930s for
the cannery
operation.
As I stepped out of the Otter, I was immediately taken with the
timeless aura of this resort
Although Waterfall is a resort for the serious and dedicated
angler, the impeccably trained staff caters to all levels of angling
expertise. And they wasted no time uniting us with the fish.
Moments after the floatplane reached the dock, we were escorted
to the registration office where we picked up our fishing licenses
(pre-ordered and waiting for us), obtained our boat assignment
and were directed to the gear and tackle room to pick up our
boots and raingear-from there to the boats.
These Coast Guard certified guides are not just college kids
who seek guiding jobs in the summer. Most of these grizzled
guys have been working at the lodge for over ten years. They
have intimate knowledge of every fecund fishing hole in the
region.
Soon we were over a halibut habitat. As the guide activated
the fish finder and deftly maneuvered the boat back and forth
over the hole, we hooked up with one fish after another.We
barely had time to take a break for our specially packed lunches.
By the time we gleefully returned to the dock, each of the three
fishermen in my
boat had his daily
limit.
Approximately
one hour
each day was required
to navigate
to the best fishing
holes. Along
the route were a
variety of companions
including
humpback, orcas
and grey whales.
The tackle provided by the resort is the best quality the
industry has to offer. The GPS and fish finding electronic equipment
were also first class.Throughout the trip, we never had an
equipment breakdown.
Our catches of the day usually included the limit of six
silver salmon, aka, Coho, ling cod and two halibut. Many record
size catches are brought back to the dock. My August trip was
too late for the run of king salmon which populate the waters
from May to mid-July
HANGIN G OUT
Accommodations are more than comfortable. Neat-as-apin,
full housekeeping cottages and deluxe suites have large,
shiny bathrooms and are furnished with comfy beds and an array
of cozy-country furniture.There are no phones or TVs in the
cabins-but who needs them? At night (and it does not become
dark for most of the summer), take a stroll and see the waterfall
that supplies water to the island (the tap water is better than
any bottled water), commune with the resident black bears, tell
fish stories at the friendly bar-or, as I did, go to sleep right after
dinner.
Food is fabulous at the resort. The morning starts with
freshly baked rolls and breads, breakfast meats, yogurt, cereals,
flapjacks, waffles and eggs of every description. The supper
buffet is always
stocked with
freshly caught
king crab, juicy
grilled prime
steaks, an
elaborate salad
bar and a variety
of other soups,
pastas and hot
dishes. For dessert,
homemade
cake, pie or an
ice cream sundae.
HOME WIT H THE BOUNTY
At the end of each day as we returned to the dock, a crew
was waiting to process our fish. Our catch was placed in a tub labeled
with our names. Immediately, the fish were transported to
the processing shack where they were professionally cleaned and
carved into filets, then flash frozen. On departure day, we did
not have to worry about the shipment to our homes. The resort
has an in-house Alaska Air Lines representative who tagged our
boxes of fish, presented us with baggage tags and a boarding pass
and we never had to handle the boxes until we arrived at our
hometown baggage claim area.
I think about Waterfall every day. The fishing was great, the
scenery was stunning and the accommodations were perfect.
For reservations and information on Waterfall Resort,
contact 800/544-5125 or www.waterfallresort.com or wfreservations@
kpunet.net. For more about Promech, call 800/860-3845
or info@promechair.com.

Waterfall Resort

On-Site Alaska Airlines Representative

*Alaska Airlines On-site Representative
*Location, Location, Location
*Trophy-size Fishing
*Fleet of Custom Cruisers
*$100,000 King of Kings Tourney
*4-star Meals & Accommodations
*1:1 Guest to Staff Ratio
*Historic Cannery
*Off-the-charts Wildlife

One Reason Why 80% of Our Guests Return!

Waterfall is the only resort in Alaska with an on-site Alaska Airlines Representative. While our guests enjoy the Waterfall experience, our Alaska Airlines representative personally will reconfirm your airline travel itinerary and departure information for your return trip home. On Departure Day, our representative will check you in with your seat assignment/boarding pass, and your luggage and fish box claim checks. Upon arrival at Ketchikan airport, your luggage and fish boxes will go behind the scenes and be loaded onto your flight. All you need is your carry-on luggage and boarding pass. Our guests appreciate this worry-free convenience that allows them to by-pass the Alaska Airlines Ticket counter at Ketchikan Airport and proceed directly to Security.

Airlines Supervisor

Hawaiian Ti Leaves tied to Ken Abe's Boats.

Colleen Cockrell, Hospitality Supervisor

Andrew Kikuta and his KOD, 44.2 lbs. 8/1/09.

Ken Abe’s annual fishing adventure to Waterfall brought in 4 KODs for his group from Hawaii. Hawaiian Ti leaves tied to their cruisers had many guests wondering about the significance of this tradition. It’s simple. Ti leaves bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. And it certainly did for Queen of the Day/Week Cynthia Meyada, 42.9 lbs. 8/3/09, and King of the Day/Week/Month Andrew Kikuta, 44.2 lbs. 8/1/09. Cynthia and Andrew took the top 2 places in August. Akira Watanabe, 31.5 lbs. 8/4/09, and Mark Mayeda 18.9 lbs. 8/5/09 each won KOD.

Queen of the Day, Cynthia Meyada, with her 42.9 lb. King. 8/3/09.