Team Saltery
Greetings from Lodge Owners, Dave & Alana!
Saltery Lake Lodge was originally owned by my grandfather Jim Magoffin. It was used as a rest and relaxation area for the employees of Alaska International Air, a small airline he started in the 1960s. Airline pilots, baggage handlers, and mechanics were invited to enjoy the lodge when they weren't busy helping build the Trans Alaska Pipeline.
Naturally, I grew up spending my summers on Saltery Lake. It is here that I caught my first salmon, saw my biggest bear, and learned how to truly appreciate Alaska. My best childhood memories involve flying in bush planes and hauling in salmon that seemed bigger than me at the time.
As the owner and operator of Saltery Lake Lodge, this place is still as special as it was when I was a kid. While I take care of the nitty-gritty flying and filleting, my wife Alana is excited to share her culinary skills. She is dedicated to producing hearty meals with fresh ingredients that will satisfy even the most hard core angler. Nothing beats a five star meal in the Alaskan wilderness!
We invite you to continue our family tradition by hopping in my plane and letting us show you why my grandfather fell in love with this place nearly 60 years ago. Alana and I cannot wait to share the best salmon fishing that our home state has to offer.
We hope to see you this summer for your Alaska fishing adventure!
-Dave & Alana
The Guides
At Saltery we take pride in the fact that our guides come from many years of river experience, have graduated from guide school, and have worked professionally in the fishing industry in the past. We rotate through a great core group throughout the season so you get the best guide for your species!
Mike Patten
Almost every angler had their humble start in a farm pond but lets skip to the juice. Mike was candidate for Angler of the Year by Rapala during his non professional days due to his salmon expertise. His 3 hour seminars had record turnout and regularly hosted the bass casting tank at outdoor expo’s. Mike is also a professional fly tier and owns his own tying company. Bug Chucker Flies Did we mention his Montana guiding days chasing big browns and rainbows all over the state. Sure he has a business degree from Cal State Domingues Hills but the only overhead he’s worried about is protecting your tight looped cast. Mike has guided at Saltery Lake Lodge for years and loves every aspect of his 15 year professional fishing career. He is focused on big fish and making sure you have a trip of a lifetime.
Guy Pachner
Guy was born in NE Colorado and grew up on a ranch in Northwest Oklahoma. At 7 years of age he found his dad’s old fly rod buried in the back of the garage. Since that day he has spent the majority of my life time fly fishing. Guy has graduated from two guide schools. One in Vail Colorado, the second in Southlake Tahoe. Through these schools he realized that there is no better feeling than helping other people catch fish. Fishing is definitely his passion but he also dabbles in welding, and is a leatherman/blacksmith.
Taylor Norton
Taylor grew up on the shores of Long Island Sound in Connecticut. His love for chasing fish on the fly stemmed from a backpacking trip through Montana high country, where a friend happened to bring a rod along. Since then he has been fish obsessed, taking every opportunity he can to chase fish on the fly wherever he is in the world. Taylor currently resides in South Lake Tahoe. When he is not chasing anadromous fish in the Saltery system, he spends his time guiding and fishing the many trout streams and lakes in the greater Tahoe area.
Tyler Bowman
Tyler Bowman is a Lowcountry Native who found fly fishing at the ripe age of ten years old. After discovering its vast possibilities, he decided to pick up a camera to help express his love for the place he calls home on Edisto Island. After mentorship and working at Seven Mile Fly shop in the Florida keys, Tyler’s has returned season after season to Saltery Lake Lodge where he guides and produces the awesome video and many of the still fishing shots you see on this site! He can be found from Kodiak, Alaska to the Florida keys, fully obsessed with this thing we call “fly fishing”.