As a former professional guide for 10 years, I knew what I was looking for in hiring a guide on a recent trip to the Kenai River. The Kenai is such a huge river, knowing where the fish lie, and how to get to them is a challenge.
After talking with several fly shops about potential guides to hire, Kenai River Trout Anglers was the name that repeatedly came up. I decided to book a one day trip and JJ was my guide; after the first day I knew that I had made the right choice and we spent spent several days fishing together.
We met early morning at the boat ramp and the first thing that I noticed was a clean and well organized boat, along with a warm greeting. JJ showed a high regard for trip safety and compliance with river regulations while pursuing our worthy goal - catching trout. Big trout. Guides who are in it for the long haul know that embracing the right values is key to success vs those guides who are just passing through. JJ's professionalism is top notch.
Within a short time, I hooked the first of many nice trout. We successfully worked the current seams and eddy's that only can be fished from a boat. We fished pockets that I would have passed up without the help of a knowledgeable guide. By the end of the day I had a huge smile on my face and was ready to re-book and hit it again!
I found Kenai River Trout Anglers / JJ to know what patterns to fish during the day and to adjust as conditions changed. I'm generally a catch and release guy, and appreciated the respect for the river as he gently released fish so that others might catch them another day.
My trip occurred during the sockeye run and I decided to book a day to target these powerful fighting salmon. JJ suggested that we meet at 4 AM to beat the crowd of other guides and fishermen. Wow, we had the river to ourselves and had first lines in the water to nearly every hole that we stopped at. These fish hadn't seen anything since the previous day(s) and fishing was hot! We had a blast while others were still sleeping.
You can't go wrong hiring Kenai River Trout Anglers, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned angler. Professional, knowledgeable and personable. Wishing you all tight lines on your next trip to the Kenai River.