Brooks Range Voices: Oliver Ancans
This maniacal fly angler shares his love of the Brooks Range and explains why the proposed Ambler Road would be bad for local and visiting hunters and anglers
Oliver Ancans lives in Eagle River, Alaska, where he serves in the Air National Guard and writes of his fishing adventures for Flylords and other publications. Ancans is a hardcore angler, willing to venture deep into the wilderness, go broke, and do just about anything else to make good on his fishing dreams. That drive has taken him all over Alaska, including on more than 10 trips to the Brooks Range.
Ancans is a firm believer that the proposed Ambler Road is a terrible idea for the Brooks Range, Alaskans, and local and visiting hunters and anglers.
Here is his story.
Describe the types of activities you’ve enjoyed in the Brooks Range.
Most of my attention is dedicated to fishing. I have targeted Arctic grayling, lake trout, char, and Dolly Varden. I’ve tried my hand at hunting for caribou with my bow, but I haven’t been successful yet.
Think of your first trip to the Brooks – what was different than you expected?
My first trip to the Brooks was so much more than I expected. I found myself staring at mountains as we floated through valleys, truly in awe of their magnificent stature and wild beauty. The fact that places like the Brooks still exist is amazing.
What is most special about this place?
It is still so wild, unless you are on the Dalton Highway. The only other people I’ve seen during my time in the Brooks were people hunting or fishing. It’s cool to see how everyone has a similar goal up there. The Dalton Highway is nice in a way, but having semi-trucks roar by you while you are hunting or fishing does not exactly leave you feeling connected to your surroundings.
Please share a favorite hunting or fishing memory or story from your time in the Brooks Range.
Aside from the Brooks Range’s huge Dolly Varden, the region’s char are pretty cool. They usually require some effort to get to but are very feisty and fight hard for their size.
Share at least one piece of essential gear you’d recommend packing or advice you’d share with someone going to the Brooks for the first time.
A high-quality sleeping bag that’s rated 10 to 20 degrees colder than you think you’ll need.
On an August float trip a few years ago, we did not realize how cold it would get. We had just come out of Fairbanks, where it was still in the 70s during the day. It snowed on us as soon as we landed in the Brooks, and we knew that we were in for a very cold week-long float.
How do you think your experience in the Brooks would change if the Ambler Road was built? What do hunters and anglers stand to lose?
I understand that progress is necessary, but making a private road into the Brooks is ridiculous. It is hard to find untouched areas these days, and the Brooks should not be developed.
What aspect of the proposed Ambler Road project concerns you most?
Everything from the stream crossings to the eyesore of the private road itself. I have always and will always lean toward the conservation side of things. I want my kids to be able to fish the Kobuk and surrounding rivers and not ask me, “Dad, what is that road?” At this point in our society, we need to leave wild places wild, because there aren’t many left.
What’s the biggest misconception you’ve heard about the project? Do you have any questions about the project that you would like us to help answer?
I’m not sure if it’s a misconception, but I have heard, “I’d love to hunt that road once it is done.” Well, as of now, it is not a public road. I don’t really understand how you can fly over that area, look down, and say, “You know what this place needs? A road.”
I guess that is where I feel disconnected from the need for progress. I was born in Bozeman, Montana, and grew up in a sleepy Michigan town – both have boomed, and you can never take it back. Overdevelopment has to stop somewhere.
What might you say to someone who said, “I don’t understand why this road is such a big threat?”
Progress is important, but not in the Brooks. I am sure if this project were to happen, then there would just be another proposal for another road going to another mine or oil field. The Ambler Road is a way for big corporations to get their foot in the door, while the majority of Alaskans would not see any benefit from this road.
Header Image: Oliver Ancans
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