Frequently asked questions
Where do the trips start? All the trips start in King Salmon, Alaska. It is serviced out of Anchorage by Alaska Air and Penninsula Air. Most trips start on Sunday around noon and end the following Saturdayaround 2-3 PM
Can you help with air travel to King Slamon? Better than that, Alaska Wilderness travel can. There number is 800-544-2236. She is extremely good at getting the best fare from Anchorage to King Salmon and sometimes from the lower 48 to Anchorage. She also has a list of hotels in Anchorage and King Salmon if you need them. Tell her you are fishing with me and she will send me a copy of your flight schedule.We stay at the Ponderosa Inn (907)246-3444 when we are in King Salmon
How big are the groups you take? The groups are limited to four people. If you have a larger group (up to 8) that wants to go together we can accomodate that as well.
Do I have to have 4 people? No, you can come alone, 2 or three and we will match you up with up tother people to bring the trip size to 4. If your group is less than 4 people and you want to limit the trip to your group you can choose to pay a surcharge to keep us from adding other people. If you are happy to match up with other like minded folks then there is no extra charge, even if we don't happen to match you up - as long as you are ready to do so.
How much experience do I need to fish your area? We are happy to take first time flyfishers and show them the ropes. It is a great place to learn because the fishing is pretty easy. You get a lot of feed back (from the fish) and your learning curve goes up fast because of it.
How are the bugs? Buggy. Those from the east coast and upper midwest don't think they are that bad. People from the west think they are horrible. If there is a little breeze you hardly notice them. If it is dead calm they are thick and you have to wear a headnet. The bugs are generally thicker in the June and gradually taper off to very few in September.
What is the weather like? The weather is always wet. Be prepared for rain or drizzle every day. There have been a few weeks of solid sun and there have been a few weeks of solid rain. If you are expecting rain every day with good rain gear you will be ok. More often than not the weather spits for a while breaks, rains for an hour, breaks, you see the sun a little, then it rains for a while ( you get the picture). In general the weather is dryer in June gradually turning wetter the closer you get to September.
How many fish do you really catch?
Do I need to be in good shape? Yes. These are participatory trips and everyone pitches in to set up camp, assemble the rafts, lug the gear on and of the plane, etc.. There is no medical help at hand, and an emergency evacuation will take 6-12 hours to pull you out of the field. That said however we get varying degrees of fitness. The most common being a father and son/daughter team of 60 and 30 years. The thirty year old works to his or her fitness level and the 60 year old works to his or her level. Certain rivers require more than basic fitness like Grizzly Creek, while the Alagnak and Moraine is pretty gentle.
How many guides do we get? The standard trip is two guides for 4 people. The fishing is so good here that you don't need someone standing over your shoulder saying " 3 inches to the left" all the time. The price of our trips is lower because they are participatory. Your guides work their butts off from 6 am to dark ( and on bear call all night) but the trip works only if every one pitches in. There is lots of daylight up here so don't worry, your hour of chores won't cut into your fishing time.
Will my wife like the trip? If you are asking this it means she probably doesn't like to fish much. If she is a camper, and loves the outdoors I would say yes even if she doesn't like to fish. The wildlife and natural beauty here is awesome. We have also had tremendous sucess teaching newcomers to flyfishing. Talk with Lisa ( my wife) to get a realistic view from a woman. Rachel is a top notch guide by any standard, and definitely one of the best female guides in the country. Lisa will accompany most trips that have women on board as well. Between Lisa and Rachel it doesn't matter how many men are in camp, we will definitely be outnumbered!
What is the best time to come? There really are so many answers, do you want a smorgasbord of species? the biggest rainbow of your life? Do you want Silver Salmon? (no you can't say yes to everything!) The list goes on. Every week is different and I will be very careful to make sure you know as much as I do about the week you select. If you have a specific species that you want I will give you an honest estimate of the best week, regardless if it is available.
Can You supply flys and equipment? Yes, we have extra rods, reels and lines to loan and always carry a complete assortment of flys - We go through 1,000 flys each summer so please let us know if you need to buy some from us in advance. If you tie your own we can tell you what you need to work on . If you would rather buy a selection for the week we can put that together for you or steer you in the right store. You will probably need a box of 50 flies to get through the week. ( see our tackle page)
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