Story by Jeremy Anderson & Photos by Alaska Drift Away Fishing
In 2002, Nick Ohlrich and I found our way to Alaska, landing jobs at the Russian River campground in Cooper Landing. That summer we fished every second we weren’t working, and decided it was our goal to become guides on the Kenai River. Why not fish for work instead of work to fish, right? The next summer we returned to Alaska, met Nigel Fox, and he joined in on our plan. As the summer of 2005 approached, our goal was realized and we started Alaska Drift Away Fishing.
My son, Gavin Anderson, the next generation, with one of his two big rainbows he caught on a nice afternoon in September 2024.
This upcoming summer will be our 20th season together as owner/operators. Facing a milestone like that provokes thought about all that’s happened along the way. There have definitely been lots of clients and so many nice rainbow trout. A guide’s job, after all, is putting people on fish. But guiding is so much more than fishing. It’s getting to know people and helping them achieve a goal. You learn a lot about a person when you spend eight hours together in a boat.
2024 is the 20-year anniversary with Nick, Nigel, and Jeremy of Alaska Drift Away Fishing. Lots of lessons have been learned along the way.
Multiply that by about 100 days of guiding per season and it’s easy to say I have a lot to reflect on. As I look back to my early days of guiding, I can see the many ways I’ve been shaped by the experiences of fishing with people from all over the world. The impact of these experiences has followed me off the river and taught me a lot about life as well. To celebrate our upcoming 20th year of guiding, here are 20 of the lessons I’ve learned.
20 Lessons in 20 Years of Kenai Trout Fishing
1. Things change. As the old saying goes, you never step into the same river twice. For example, when I first started trout fishing on the middle Kenai River, we all used drift boats. Power boats were used by salmon fishermen. Now the middle Kenai is primarily a powerboat area for trout fishing. We’ve adapted to this change, but our roots have also shaped how we fish. When learning the river in a drift boat, you have one drift and you better make it count because you’ll likely not row back up the river. We learned to fish long drifts so we let the hole rest for another angler or opportunity later.
2. When in doubt, chill out. Why? Because things change. And, of course, you’re here to have fun, not be stressed. Don’t get discouraged if the first drift is slow. That doesn’t mean there will be eight hours of slow fishing. We’re in it for the long haul, and the bite will change throughout the day. Any longtime guide will tell you that a slow drift is actually an opportunity. It’s a time to connect with the person sitting next to you, or a chance to take a deep breath and relax. It’s also a prime opportunity to perfect your cast. When the fish are ready, then you will be, too.
This trout was caught after a major rapport-building session while crossing Skilak Lake. Build rapport and clients listen.
3. Shit happens. You had a long, exciting fight with a big rainbow, but you lost it at the boat. It’s a major bummer. Winds make casting challenging. It can be frustrating. Floods, forest fires, low water, pandemics, emergency orders…the list goes on. The common theme of this list is that there is much that is out of our control. We’ve traversed a lot of unforeseen experiences over the years. We have learned to take a deep breath, analyze the situation, and make a plan for moving forward. As Nick says, “It will buff out.”
4. Your day actually starts the night before. Being a fishing guide puts you in a position where you must be organized and efficient with time management. Long days and many of them in a row necessitate this. Our day starts two hours before we meet our clients, and it doesn’t end when we pull the boat out. The boat needs to be cleaned and gear must be refreshed for the next day. In between it all, there’s a few short hours to eat, sleep, and take care of all the other aspects of our life. Being organized allows me to sleep well knowing I’m ready for the upcoming day. That way I can focus on my clients while we’re on the water.
5. Be prepared. At the beginning of each season, I outfit my boat and make sure I am prepared for all the possible contingencies I can foresee. Every day I go through a gear checklist to make sure I am ready for all the twists that nature, the river, and the fish throw my way. It’s also my job as a guide to prepare my clients for the trip. Having the right gear, particularly layers of clothing, sunglasses, and rain gear, can make or break a trip. It’s typically hot and sunny when your clients bring those extra layers of clothing, but it’s also guaranteed to pour buckets if you don’t bring your rain gear.
This nice rainbow was caught while the 2019 fire in our area was burning close by on a warm June day.
6. Alaska is wild. During my tenure as a guide on the Kenai River I have encountered people from all over the world. Some have spent lots of time in the wild, but others have never been outside an urban environment. I’ve had people in my boat who have never been in an environment with wild animals or without cell-phone service. While this is totally normal for me, it can be unnerving for some. Good communication on the front end of anything gives clients some expectation, but some need time to settle into the experience. I make sure that people know that their safety is my first priority, and that my only expectation for the day is to have a good time.
7. Honesty is the BEST policy. When talking with clients, it’s important to be real and not “fluff the pillow.” I always let our guests know the range of possibilities for the water, the fish, the weather, and the many other circumstances out of our control. I know that there are slow days during the historical peak days of the season, and I also know that there are amazing days of fishing outside of those peaks. I want my clients to have appropriate expectations so that they can develop a sense of trust with me and truly enjoy the time they have on the water.
8. Know your people (and their goals). At the end of the day, I want my clients to be happy. I always start the day by asking them what they’d like to gain from the experience. For some, the goal is simply to catch (lots of fish, or “THE” fish). As a guide, I know to expect this. And truthfully, I’m always looking for that 35-inch trout and I love those days when you hook up on nearly every cast. But for some clients, the primary goal might be to disconnect from reality and relax, to perfect the dead drift, or to watch their child experience their first day fishing. Once I know their goals, I can work towards making them a reality.
Last drift, last cast = being in the moment.
9. Keep it simple, silly (KISS). Throughout the past 20 years of teaching skiing and trout fishing, I’ve learned the value of KISS. Think of all the steps, motions, and body positions that go into a single cast. There’s a lot going on. Break down the complicated into small, simple steps, and teach one concept at a time. Then you can build simple concepts into a complete learning experience. While KISS-ing, it’s also important to provide feedback, keep it positive, and adapt your teaching to your client’s learning style whenever possible. Remember that some people learn from watching or doing, others by thinking, and/or feeling.
10. We all need less distraction. In everyday life, I often find myself distracted from the task at hand. More often than not, the distraction is the phone or computer. The beauty of time on the river is that many of those distractions are held at bay and I’m able to live (and fish) in the moment. Not only is this time restorative, but it’s extremely productive as well. It has shown me just how powerful focus is. Free of distraction, I often see clients hone their casting and drifting, master the hook-set, and savor fighting the trout.
As we approach our 20th season, I have relaxed (some) and have a few more grey hairs as time has flown by!
11. Sometimes it’s not the fish they’re after. Thoreau wasn’t wrong about this one. Yes, rainbow trout are usually an expected outcome of fishing the Kenai. But the experience offers so much more than that. There’s the calming aspect of being on the water, the picturesque scenery, the feeling of leaving the real world at the launch, and the simple joy of spending time with friends and family. My kids love to catch rainbows, but half the time they are just as happy to eat snacks on the boat and have my undivided attention. The perfect day of fishing is usually the result of enough action to keep us excited and enough quiet moments to truly see how sweet the day is.
Flyfishing for rainbow trout in a drift boat with J-Rod, Nigel, and Nick.
12. Don’t let the hard days win. Gary McFadden is a long-time Kenai River guide and a mentor of mine. He once told me, “The hardest day of guiding will be ensuring the clients have a good time when fishing is slow.” It’s about showing someone new a good time, trout or no trout. Part of this is managing expectations before the trip starts, but the other part is on the water in real time. There are tough days of fishing. But even on tough days, I still love being on the water. Part of my job is sharing this love of the place and keeping the vibe on the boat positive and hopeful. It’s happened many times that the best fish of the day is caught on the last cast.
13. Some of my best stories are of fishermen, not fish. If my boat could talk, the stories it would tell. I’ll never forget the 75-year-old woman who stood up in my boat, pulled up her shirt, and flashed a Cessna flying overhead. Or the World War II veteran who got in my boat only to drop down and do 10 pushups to start the morning. Or the kid, who for some crazy reason, decided to give his parents a shock and jump out of the boat into the glacially cold waters of the Kenai. Thank goodness for life jackets! I don’t want anyone else jumping out of my boat, but I do know I’ve done my job as a guide when my clients feel they can truly be themselves on the boat.
14. In the pool where you least expect it, there will be fish. In this lesson it’s more appropriate to say, in the fishermen you least expect it, there will be fish. The biggest Kenai rainbow ever caught in my boat was 35.5 inches. It was landed by a fighter pilot just home from deployment on his first-ever rainbow trout fishing trip. Every year I have a client who is just “along for the ride” with other more serious fishermen. Time and again, it’s this person with the least experience and fewest expectations who has the most striking outcomes. I can’t explain it, but those who just go out with the goal of having fun tend to have the best fishing mojo.
The ultimate stoke while heavily rewarded for being in the moment.
15. When in doubt, change it out. It didn’t take long to understand this concept, but it is often overlooked. Most of the time your leader and tippet can withstand the abuse of line abrasion, temperature change, getting wrapped around debris, or any other type of line compromise. Always error on the side of caution and change your line or leader if you have any possible concerns. All it takes is one big Kenai rainbow to get on the line and you will be glad you have a fresh leader and tippet. A line failure is a terrible reason to lose a nice trout.
16. Don’t get stuck in old habits. We all create plans and have routines. However, it’s important to be aware of the line where our routines can lead us to getting stuck in old habits. With more anglers trout fishing in recent years, we have had to develop tactics and explore new fishing holes to keep catching nice fish. Some days I show up to the hole I’d like to start fishing only to find other boats there already. The answer is not to get in line with everyone else. It’s not enjoyable for the clients and the added pressure is not good for the fish. In that case, I’ll go find a new spot that offers serenity and a possible good bite.
Teaching my daughters Remi and Tayla about decaying salmon and how it provides a food source for rainbow trout.
17. All life is interconnected with other life. This saying holds true with the fish of the Kenai River as well. The health of the rainbow trout fishery is dependent on the strength of the salmon returns. Trout feed on the eggs and decaying flesh of spawned out salmon. Salmon runs fluctuate annually, and over a period of years. As this happens, trout patterns move with salmon numbers, locations, and conditions. As a trout guide it is our job to know exactly what is happening with salmon, their decaying matter, and how those variables affect trout outcomes. I actually think of salmon fishing as an opportunity to be in tune with the salmon so we can predict trout behavior.
18. Begin with the end in mind and plan from there. What is that end? For me, it’s that my kids, who love fishing, will still be fishing the Kenai years from now. That will only be possible through responsible caretaking of our resources and making decisions that keep the long-term health of the fishery in mind. For instance, trout fishing is closed for roughly six weeks (May 1 – June 11) in the spring so the Kenai rainbows can spawn, uninterrupted. We’ve seen that the actual dates of the trout’s spawn can vary from the closure dates, making the trout vulnerable to stress and injury from anglers. From the beginning, we made the choice not to target trout on spawning beds in the early trout season to give them more time to spawn freely.
19. If you care about it, protect it. The middle Kenai River is an amazing trout fishery, but it has changed dramatically in the last 20 years. Back in the day, there were just a few of us Cooper Landing trout bums throwing indicators for trout. The secret got out, and now there are more and more private anglers and salmon guides seeking out Kenai rainbows. The king salmon collapse, social media, and marketing have been contributors to this as well. We want to be fishing Kenai rainbows 30 years from now, so we use sustainable practices. We also try to be aware of and be active in the efforts of organizations like Trout Unlimited to help protect the fishery.
20. Lead by example. I try to keep in mind that I am setting an example for proper trout angling for my clients. I also know that other guides and fishermen are also watching me on the river. To protect the fish and ensure the future success of the fishery, it’s in our best interest to lead by example. I try to demonstrate tactics for safe handling of fish, and make sure that any photos or videos we share are promoting good practices. If our younger generation gets the proper mentorship, then they can carry the torch of trout conservation on the Kenai.
Over the years of guiding on the Kenai, this is still one of my favorite spots to soak it all in and smell the roses.
Time really does fly when you’re having fun. 20 years is a long time. When I look back at photos of Nick, Nigel, and me in the early Drift Away years, I’m flooded with memories of clients, guiding, and of course, fish. At the same time, it seems to have happened in a flash. I think it’s the result of finding something I love to do. Most days of guiding trout get me excited for the next, and already I’m looking forward to the 2024 season. It’s a pink salmon year, and you know what that means!
As you embark on the glorious adventure of trout fishing in Alaska, make sure you soak everything in along the way. Between casts, take in the scenery. As you fight the fish, appreciate the amazing resource that it is. As you take a lunch break, enjoy the uninterrupted company of your friends or family. At the end of the day, reflect on the lessons learned in the boat and how they might carry over into your life on shore. Fish on!
Jeremy Anderson is a contributing editor for Fish Alaska magazine and co-owner of Alaska Drift Away Fishing. His passion for the Kenai River, sharing fishing with others, and educating anglers is what keeps him on the water. You can find out more about trout fishing on the Kenai River with Drift Away at guidekenairiver.com.
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