Realistic expectations of the Kenai River experience is what this post is all about. I have had the good fortune of guiding many accomplished anglers from all over the world and I have also had the pleasure of guiding people to their first fishing adventure ever. A large component of making sure the trip is a successful one is managing the expectations before they take a step into my boat. This is usually done by phone, email, or in person at a sport show, and it's done well before the trip even begins. I want no surprises and I want people to know and understand what can and can not happen on the river.
Let me start by saying that a guide can not, nor should ever guarantee a fish. That is not what it's all about. Granted, you are on a guided fishing trip, not a scenic cruise, but the guarantee should be about an opportunity to catch fish and about the entire fishing experience. If we all have this understanding before we hit the water then the trip will be a success. It reminds me of a saying that one of my guide friends likes to use, "....if you sell the fishing, the catching will take care of itself." I've been amazed how often this statement rings true. The people that are happy just to get out actually outfish the people that define their entire vacation by whether or not they kill a fish.
Now the "opportunity" to catch fish is different for everyone and I always want to be crystal clear about the action that can be expected. For instance, if you come in May, June, or July to fish for king salmon I tell everyone to prepare of a long day on the water. If you come in August or September for pink and silver salmon you will have a lot of action. When it comes to king salmon fishing patience is a must and not everyone will catch fish on the trip. In fact, I usually explain that over the years a good catch rate for king salmon is 25%. That's one in four anglers retaining a fish! Oh sure, some days everyone in the boat catches a king, but there are also days when no one catches a fish. That's just the way it goes when you're chasing king salmon. On the other hand, it is very rare that we don't catch fish in August and September. Pink and silver salmon are great fish to introduce families to fishing because the catching is usually pretty darn good.
If you know me, you know that I like to talk and occasionaly get off topic (ha!) but I remember a conversation I overheard years ago at the local tackle store. It's a great example of managing expectations. This conversation was between someone new to Alaska and one of the oldest, most respected guides in our community. It went like this:
"Are you a guide? I'd like to catch a king salmon on the famous Kenai."
"Yeah."
"Can you take me out?"
"Yeah."
"Will I catch so many fish that my arms will get tired?"
"I guarantee you your butt will fall asleep before your arms get tired."
"I thought this was Alaska. I thought you're suppose to catch fish all the time."
"This is the Kenai and it's king season. If you want action, come in the fall."
A good guide will tell you what to expect truthfully. A poor guide will tell you what you want to hear and then make excuses all day long about why fish aren't being caught. It all boils down to ethics and hopefully during the "interview" of your guide you'll be able to to distinguish if he or she is being upfront with you or not. A little hint: if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.
A few comments about the photos. If you follow the blog, I'm sure you've seen the guys in the top photo before. Jeff and Brian, "Team ABC", have done a lot of fishing on the Kenai and they have fished nearly every month and have experienced all the different run timings on the river. They have filled their coolers and they have also gone home empty handed. As you can see by the king salmon in the photo they didn't exactly set the world on fire. But, they had a great time (Brian will say he had a better time because his fish was bigger) and the best thing for me is they keep coming back. The next photo is one of those magical days that happens a couple of times a summer. Definitely not the norm on the Kenai. The final photo is a typical fish box filled with silver and pink salmon caught in August.
5 comments:
I never fished before and you told me exactly what to expect. If anything, expectations were exceeded.
Thanks,
JT
Keith
I think getting married my king fishing luck went to Alisa and Claire!!
Jeff
My expectations..... have a good time! Fish or no Fish. I've fished with you three different seasons and have one King in the boat. But I have enjoyed every minute on the Boat, Keith....Even if sometimes its just raising my hand instead of setting the hook!!
And I expect to see you on the Kenai in July of 2012!! Seems that brother backed out for 2011!! Wait till hears about the million extra Reds! Hey Jane
george
George...you've only caught one? I thought you were at zero, hahaha! You've been a pretty good fishing voyeur over the years watching the people you brought with catch a king.
Jeff....it's not getting married that's changed your luck it's moving to the Valley!!! No doubt the first few years we fished together you were the luckiest guy I knew. I think right now its a karmic balance going on....Now Lars, I can't figure that one out when it comes to hunting and fishing in Alaska....he's due big time.
Keith
I like that attitude. I can't stand when people lie about that sort of thing. I've had more than one negative experience like that where the guide promises you this and that up, down, and sideways just to get you in his boat to prove he was either full of it or didn't know what he was doing in the first place. Though I did learn about The Sportsman's Guide from just such a guide and that piece of information was worth the fish-less trip. I've since bought at least 75% of my equipment from them directly. If I ever find myself up your way I'll definitely be stopping by for a lesson on fishing the Kenai.
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