We are a family owned and operated business and take a great deal of pride in providing individuals and families with the opportunity to make memories that will last a lifetime. Alaska Sport Fishing Expeditions has the best people serving you anywhere and we would not be able to provide the awesome experience that we have come to be known by if it weren’t for them.
It all started when Kirk Thomas came to Ketchikan when he was first married and started working on the docks washing float planes. He loved it here and was just looking for any reason to be able to live in Alaska. As he worked cleaning the planes he got to know the owners and they encouraged him to get his pilot’s license. So he got trained and got his license and then started flying float plane tours for guests. He worked harder and harder and eventually the owners sold him the float plane business. He bought more planes and built it up to the biggest float plane business in the area.
After Kirk sold the float plane business he was approached by a gentleman who was building Fish-On Village, a floating fish camp to be located north of Ketchikan. The man ran out of money during construction and Kirk and some additional partners took over the endeavor and changed the name to Silverking Lodge. At the time it only housed 16 guests, with two cabins that are now Cabins 1 and 2 of the shoreside facility (they were kept when the lodge moved to the beach in 1993). He worked with family and friends to build it up like he built up the float plane business. Since the lodge came to the beach in 1993, it has undergone many additions that have expanded the capacity from 16 to 38 and have added additional amenities for guests including the walking trail and the gazebo.
Kirk and his family wanted people to experience Alaska and fall in love with it like they did. Some guests have been coming each year for the last 35 years. Over 70% of guests are return guests. Kirk and his family wanted to offer an experience for a price people can afford so that they can experience Alaska like they have.
In addition to Silverking Lodge, Kirk and his family also converted their 12-room executive-class hotel to a fishing lodge in 1997, renaming the hotel to The Cedars Lodge. As Kirk’s family came back from college and showed an interest in continuing to work in the family business, Kirk and his business partners, the Ruth Family and Olson Family, expanded the business, buying Clover Pass Resort in 2003. Kirk’s children, his children’s spouses, and many of his grandkids now work in various parts of the business.
