Fish on! Derby winner provides visitors with urban fishing experience.

• Author: Orr, Vanessa
• Position: TOURISM

Everybody knows that there's amazing fishing in Alaska, and now visitors to Anchorage can enjoy it right outside their hotel rooms. Sportfish guide Jim Lavrakas has created The Alaska Urban Angler, a fishing experience on Ship Creek that even those in town for just one day can enjoy.

"I was looking for a niche that I could fill locally while getting ready for retirement," explained Lavrakas, an Anchorage Daily News photographer for the past 27 years. "In 2004, I won the Ship Creek King Salmon Derby, and since then, I've had a blast bringing friends and relatives to the Creek and teaching them how to fish. I realized then that my experience on the creek and my understanding of the fishing conditions gave me the unique opportunity to show others how to fish in what is the most urban salmon fishery in the United States."

While the majority of people who fish on Sheep Creek are locals looking to fill their freezers, visitors coming into Anchorage are also welcome to purchase a license and try their luck.

"Most of the requests I'm getting are from families coming into Anchorage who are staying at downtown hotels and have a day to kill before going on to Denali or somewhere else," explained Lavrakas. "While the wives and younger kids may want to spend the day at the downtown market, the fathers and older sons want to come down to the creek with me."

Lavrakas provides a three-hour guided session, during which time he teaches clients about the conditions of the creek and the best way to bring home a fish. The experience is not for the faint-of-heart, however; Lavrakas describes the scene on Ship Creek as 'competitive combat fishing.'

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"There can be 40 or 50 people on the bank and in the river in a 200-yard stretch, and they're all fighting for the same fish," said Lavrakas. "I see a lot of the hardcore locals there...