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Kenai River Sockeye Fishing, DIY or DIWHY?

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 For one of my first posts I wanted to dig into the topic of hiring a guide. More specifically, why you should think about hiring a guide for sockeye fishing when you come to Alaska when you could just go DIY. I will preface this post with a short story that seems to occur every summer, then get into some of the details on why I think it makes sense to book a guide, for at least 1 day of your trip to Alaska. Storytime:  As my guide Aaron and I row into the take out on the Upper Kasilof river the first time salmon anglers inside our drift boats are nothing but smiles. In each boat is a cooler filled with 48 sockeye salmon fillets- the results of a good day of fishing with the liberalized early July limits that have become so typical the last 4-5 years. As we begin to offload our guests and their fish a small crowd forms. It is a group of anglers in Alaska for their first time. After talking with them we find they have been fishing on their own at Crooked Creek State Recreation area the
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May: Something to Look Forward to

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                                                                 As an exceedingly long and snowy winter slowly begins to give way to longer days and melting snow it is  hard not to think about the upcoming spring fishing season. Bait opener on the Kasilof river comes in mid May, and these days catchable numbers of kings seem to enter the river shortly after. But before we get to experience our first king salmon takedown of the year there is much work to be done.  Permits need to be applied for, various odds and ends need to be replaced or repaired on the drift boats. Don't even get me started on trailer wiring and mice. Rods & reels need to be re-rigged with fresh line & leaders. Dozens of fresh Spin n' Glo rigs rigs get tied, usually over a couple of drinks with other guide friends. Bait needs to be prepped. Once all is said and done many hours of prep work has been completed before I even have an opportunity to dip the oars.                                          
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The short but essential Alaska guided fishing trip packing list

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I will be starting out my blog by posting some simple, short  but informative posts. Here is a short list of things you should bring on your Kenai River guided fishing trip.  1) Raingear: An absolute must! A high quality set of rain pants & jackets can mean the difference between being miserable and wet or nice and dry while out and about. I feel like I need to note that bringing the rain pants is very important as boat seats get wet not only from rain but also morning condensation. Avoid the annoyance of starting your day with a wet rear end by wearing your rain pants onto the boat the morning of your charter. 2) Sunglasses: Extremely important! Not only do sunglasses protect you from the bright glare from the water but also play a vital role in protecting your eyes from flying hooks, sinkers and lures. If you pay attention you will rarely see a fishing guide without some sort of eye protection on. Accidents happen in a split second and you only have two eyes. Protect them with a
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Introduction

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As my first post on this blog I just wanted to start out by introducing myself. I grew up on a small lake in Minnesota where I developed a passion for fishing at a young age. I spent most of my free time fishing for panfish and largemouth bass off the dock and once I was able to attain my boating safety certificate at age 12 I had free reign on the lake with the family fishing boat. Growing up I was lucky enough to travel with my family every year to various fly fishing destinations in the American west. Fishing closer to home I targeted walleye on many of the larger lakes in Northern Minnesota. I was also able to make several trips with my father to lakes above the tree line in the Northwest Territories where I was able to further hone my fly fishing skills on large northern pike and lake trout. U pon graduation from high school I moved to Duluth, MN where I attended UMD and graduated with a  degree in Environmental and Outdoor Education. When I was not in class I was usually spendin
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