Mat-Su—The Matanuska-Susitna Borough recently received its trademark for the phrase: Stillwater Fishing Capital of Alaska. More than 80 lakes, stocked and wild, are within an hour’s drive of each other. Tuesday night, resident Bob Andres was also honored with a mayoral proclamation for recognizing and promoting the stillwater fishing potential.

"Bob began his long standing passion of fishing as an infant when his
father and mother placed him in a cardboard box on the bow of their boat and heated his baby bottle with a flare while they fished the waters of Washington State where he grew up," wife Annette Andres wrote.

Bob Andres recognized the bounty and serenity of Mat-Su lakes. Fishing in the Mat-Su offers plenty of options for the angler looking to break away from the river fishing crowds. Within six minutes you can hop to new lakes and fly fish a different experience: semi-remote lakes, hike-in lakes, drive-to lakes. Rainbow Trout and graying, Dolly Varden landlocked salmon, and pike are swimming around, getting as big as the lakes will allow.

Andres, owner of the Windbreak Cafe, brought the idea to the Borough and lured world-renown stillwater fishing expert Phil Rowley to the Mat-Su with his film crew in June 2008. Rowley produced two cable TV shows, dubbing the Mat-Su the "Stillwater Fishing Capital of Alaska' in his show The New Fly Fisher, which reaches 90 million households.

View two episodes on the Borough's YouTube channel at this link: http://youtu.be/FVCP1B-WX00

The Borough has a dedicated website for Stillwater as well. http://www.alaskastillwatercapital.com

View the Stillwater Fishing Capital trademark here.

Borough Executive Assistant Carol Vardeman produced a stillwater fishing booklet pointing anglers to the many lakes and their species.

Tuesday night, Andres could not attend the Assembly meeting. His wife, Annette, accepted the award for him. In her words "Bob's life changed when he was in a car accident on Sept. 12, 2010 ... His back and neck were broken ... His usual determination caused him to ... once again pursue, with passion, his love of fishing."

Some  of the text of the proclamation reads: Bob’s experiences were instrumental in The New FlyFisher, a cable fishing program, producing two episodes promoting Stillwater fishing in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough; and

 WHEREAS, at Bob’s suggestion the Borough worked to further establish itself as the Stillwater Fishing Capital of Alaska; and

 WHEREAS, August 30, 2011 the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted the Matanuska-Susitna Borough the Service Mark “Stillwater Fishing Capital of Alaska”.

Photo: Borough Mayor Larry DeVilbiss hands over a framed proclamation and patent to Bob Andres' wife, Annette Andres. Photo-Patty Sullivan/MSB

For more information call Carol Vardeman at 745-9687 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Patty Sullivan at 745-9577 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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