Catch and Release: The Insiders' Guide to Alaska Men

Although the odds are no longer good (the male/female population ratio in Alaska is now 50/50), you won't have to go far to find a woman who will vouch for the truth of the second part of that statement! For women, Catch and Release, by Alaska residents Jane Haigh, Kelley Hegarty-Lammers and Patricia Walsh, is a very entertaining guide to identifying and finding the Alaska man of your dreams. For guys, it provides a look at the competition - why does the term "Alaska men" have such a mystique to it? The first Alaska man, we discover in the first few pages of the book, came across the Bering Land Bridge from Asia some 10,000 years ago. Why did he come? Well, "...he did it because he needed to sow some wild oats and he wanted a good hunting story to tell his buddies." When the Russians settled Alaska, there were few women: "Thus, the pattern of self centered Euro-Alaska Bachelors was established..." The construction of the Alaska Highway "...further enhances the can-do machismo of the Alaska man and provides direct overland access for women to pursue them." And thus is the mood of the rest of the book lightly set. While the history provides interesting background material, the next chapter on Lifestyles gets into the important stuff for women who are thinking about heading North on a hunting trip. The tips on identifying lifestyles ranging from Architect to Bush-Dweller, Dog musher, M.C.P. and Zoologist can save you a lot of time. For example, if mechanics are your type generally, "Keep in mind that an unemployed mechanic may fix your car when it breaks down at 40 below; one with a job won't have time." The illustrated guide to footwear will also be of great benefit - knowing whether those are Lobens or Bunny boots on his feet will allow you to start talking about his probable interests as an ice-breaker, for example. "Women think these guys can change if only they have the love of a good woman ...it's a seductive myth." Woman boarding the plane home. Now that you have a good outline of the possibilities, where do you find your Alaska Man? I'm glad you asked, because the next 50 pages tell you exactly that - the communities, the places and the types of men to be found. In downtown Juneau during the summer, the authors tell us, there's hardly a local guy to be found - one of the few exceptions being the Red Dog Saloon, where some Alaska men go to meet tourists. In Talkeetna, the base for most climbs of Denali, "your chances of meeting attractive, single climbers from all over the world are high; your chances of distracting them from their peak quest are low." Coldfoot, on the Dalton Highway, offers the chance to meet "truck drivers, miners, sourdoughs, and permanent bachelors at this 'manly' kind of place." Nome is the best party town in Alaska when the Iditarod ends, but an aggressive nature is needed to be part of it. And in every community, the post office is a good bet: "Some have bulletin boards inside or out; some h

I laughed til I cried (or was it - I cried til I laughed?!) I lived the single life in Alaska for 16 years and can attest that EVERYTHING in this book is absolutely totally true. Yes, it's all in fun, but these ladies really are not joking. I could add my huntin', fishin', goodlookin' boyfriend who insisted on wearing no pants except for sweatpants. To work, nice restaurants, funerals, everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE. Or my "Alaskan cowboy" who had a good job, nice car, dated only very successful career woman, and lived in a shack. A real SHACK! Or the redneck oil engineer making $80,000 who refused to pay any taxes because as an Alaskan he was "sovereign". (Huh?) He sued the IRS - I said HE sued THEM - they had a field day. Or the nice, polite man I had dated 4 times until the day I happened to get behind him in traffic and saw his bumper sticker, "Follow too close & I'll flip a booger on your windshield". Alaska man magazine, Alaskan men on the Oprah show? Oh Pahleeze! Ladies, ladies, please save yourself from heartbreak, disappointment, and your life savings. Don't go to Alaska expecting to find a husband. This book tells the sad, myth shattering, and very funny truth of the "Great Alaskan Man".