Cooper Neblett – Unknown Neighbor Becomes Our Bear Trail Lodge Guide
It’s a small world and an even smaller fishing community.
Pete and I traveled over 3600 miles to King Salmon, Alaska, to fish at Bear Trail Lodge. When we got there, we were surprised that our guide turned out to be our neighbor -- Cooper Neblett, who grew up about 90 miles down the road near Richmond, Virginia.
Over the course of several great days on the water together, we learned how he ended up in Alaska from Virginia and some of his background. For a young guy, he has a lot of perspective on why the Alaskan fishing experience is so compelling and a MUST for every serious angler.
We wanted to share some of those thoughts with you, so as we waited for our float plane to arrive one afternoon Pete grilled him on his back story, his opinions and his plans for the future. As I rewatched it, I realized that Pete was probably at least a little jealous. If the internet would have been what it is now back in the early 90s, Pete might have followed a similar path, and now he’d be the second coming Grizzly Adams.
Check out Cooper’s story in this fun video:
We remain jealous of his skill set and life journey, and hope to see him in the next year when we chase smallmouths together back in the Old Dominion. You should book a trip to Bear Trail Lodge and if you are lucky enough to be guided by Cooper, tell him Half Past First Cast says hello. If that’s not on the agenda for some inexplicable reason, consider a trip with him in the Lower 48. Email me today and I can make the introduction.
