Char/Dolly Varden Information

Slightly differing from the dolly varden but almost indistinguishable in beauty, the arctic char is a special fish. A member of the salmonid family but most closely related to the brook trout, the char is identifiable by a belly whose fire-orange hue rivals even the most stunning of sunsets. Char are native to the water in and surrounding Lake Clark National Park, which makes catching one even more special. Fishermen from the east coast and anglers who fish alpine lakes in the western mountains will feel right at home viewing the white-brushed fins and craggy jaw of a char, as these fish very much resemble brook trout at smaller sizes; what will be new though, is fighting one at twenty inches of well bigger! And for those who have dreamed of but never landed the famous brook trout, char will more than satisfy your craving for the fish so fitting of the American beauty paradigm. No fish really characterizes the far north quite like the char does.

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The dolly varden (usually called a trout, but truly a char) is so similar in appearance to the arctic char that many anglers consider them the same fish. The differences between dollys and chars, which are minute, become apparent only in mating season when male dolly vardens develop a more pronounced kipe (hook on the lower jaw) than char. Additionally, the spots on the flanks of dolly vardens are generally smaller than those on char. Regardless, both species are native to only the far north of the continent, and are truly metaphors for the beauty and mystery of the land north of the 60th parallel. Contact Talon Air Service today to begin what can aptly be called the most adventurous experience of your life in the Alaskan wilderness.