- Ben

Small Town Fish Man
by Ben Hendler

         Fishing can be a hobby, a profession, even a way of life. For Ben Morrison, all these apply. Throughout Morrison’s time spent in Alaska, fishing not only as job but also for enjoyment, had many impacts on his life in different ways then one would think.
         Originally from Northern California, 26-year-old Ben Morrison has lived in Alaska for 9 years. Working at the Talkeetna Lodge is what brought him to Alaska. “I came up here, caught five species of fish in one afternoon, went back down to California, threw everything in the car and moved,” Ben said. Ben is now an office manager for Tri-River Charters, a local fishing charter. 
         Ben really likes the town of Talkeetna and the people who live there. “I came up here for the hunting, fishing, and the people. If something happens to somebody, everybody knows about it in ten minutes,” Ben joked, “Everybody really comes together here, it’s not like the big cities”. He really enjoys quality, and loves how helpful everyone is.
         Ben moved to Alaska while he was still a junior in high school, continuing school at Su Valley High, just outside Talkeetna. Ben started college for electronics engineering, but stopped because his future workplace collapsed. “I didn’t really see the point in paying $7,000 a semester for someplace that I wouldn’t have job when I finished school,” Ben said. “And I’m glad I did.”
         Ben is moving to San Antonio because he recently signed up for the Air Force. “San Antonio is the site for the boot camp for the Air Force,” Ben said. He will be going through basic training and will be working in avionics (putting electronic systems to use on an aircraft). The word literally means aviation electronics, the combination of these two fields. Ben plans on moving more after boot camp this fall. “[I’ll go] where ever the government decides to send me. I signed my life away. It’s a big decision, but it will be good,” Ben said.
         Ben Morrison is a down to earth guy with a great story and a lot of ambition. From California to Alaska, and where ever life takes him, Ben Morrison will definitely have many adventures in his life still to come.