I met with a financial advisor this winter and one of the questions he asked is if I had a 401K. I told him I didn’t, but I have a 401K16, a 401K15, and a 401K14. And, I have lots of them. He wasn’t a fisherman and was puzzled by my answer. I explained to him that Luhr Jensen makes a lure called a Kwikfish and the …
2021 Upper Cook Inlet Sockeye Forecast
I’ve been patiently waiting for a press release from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for the 2021 second run Kenai king forecast. It usually comes out in February, and needless to say, I’ve been curious why I haven’t seen anything. I decided to dig deep on the ADFG website to find the report, and to my surprise, I …
Bring Your Own Rock To Stand On
I don’t want to burst anybody’s bubble, but fishing in Alaska is not always a wilderness experience. If you’re on the road system and salmon are in the streams, you’re bound to have plenty of company. Surprisingly, the vast majority of all participants get along just fine. I find having the right attitude is essential. First …
It’s Right Around The Corner Part 2
I teed up this blogpost for Jane to write. The working title was Guest Blogger- Jane. I told her after seven years of writing weekly, I needed a break. It’s not that I ran out of topics, I just didn’t feel like writing. I showed Jane photos of fireweed and flower baskets and thought that would be inspiration enough to …
It’s Right Around The Corner
It sure doesn’t look like it right now, but the river will be flowing in less than two months. I can hardly wait. It seems that Jane and I aren’t the only people experiencing COVID fatigue and spring fever. Our phone has been ringing quite a bit this past week. I’m trying to be patient, but it seems like an …
Give Moose A Brake!
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game estimates that over 800 moose/vehicle collisions will happen each year. Sunrise, sunset, and winter are the times when it occurs most frequently. If there is an upside to all the collisions/moose fatalities, it’s knowing that there are very few human casualties. An article in the Alaska …
COVID Travel News
This past week Alaska Governor, Mike Dunleavy, elected not to extend the COVID emergency travel mandates. Since last spring travelers to Alaska have been required to show documentation of a negative COVID test 72 hours prior to arrival (or test at the airport), and quarantine for 5 days. Not any more. Governor Dunleavy …
Sticker Shock
Jane and I spend quite a bit of time helping our guests plan their trip to Alaska. Not only do we want to manage expectations, especially when it comes to fishing, but we want the unexpected to be expected. There is no bigger sticker shock when talking all things Alaska than the cost of rental vehicles. How about …
“I caught all these fish, what do I do next?”
I’d like to share a recent conversation I had with a new guest. After booking multiple days of fishing on the river, and a day of fishing on the saltwater for halibut, he asked, “how do I get all that fish home?” I replied, "well, the pressure is on me to make sure you have fish to bring home. The rest is easy. It just …
Early Run Kenai King Salmon Forecast
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has released their forecast for the 2021 early Kenai king salmon run (May/June). Details can be found here. First, the good news. The run is projected to make the optimum escapement goal. The fishery will open to retention of king salmon under 34”. Now, the not-so-good news. The …