CategoriesJasons Guide Service, Rainbow Trout, Salmon by

Prime Time to be on the Kenai

Late October on the Kenai River is prime time for big silver salmon. It’s also a great place to be right now because the rainbow trout bite well on flesh flies.

If you can handle the colder temperatures and still want to get out and fish, the last two weeks of October can be pretty dang good.  The Kenai has less people fishing on it when the weather gets colder and the fish receive less pressure, which creates more opportunity for the adventurous angler willing to brave the cooler weather.

When you fish with  Jason’s Guide Service you will have one or two MR Buddy heaters in the boat to warm your hands so you can fish all day.  Time on the water is important because the bite turns on and off throughout the day for both the trout and the silver salmon.

Fall fishing on the Kenai River is legendary for a reason. As long as you have a line in the water you have a chance to catch and release that trophy rainbow trout-of-a-lifetime, or land that huge silver salmon which is going to provide a great dinner.

CategoriesDolly Varden, Fly Fishing, Jasons Guide Service, Rainbow Trout, Salmon by

Full Day or Half Day Which One Should I Book?

When you book a guided fishing trip on the Kenai River with Jason’s Guide Service you have a choice between a half-day guided trip or a full-day guided trip.  The difference between the two is time on the water and where you can fish.

Booking a half-day fishing trip, whether it be for sockeye salmon, silver salmon, rainbow trout, or Dolly Varden char, allows you to get enough time on the water to target a species of fish, either the salmon, or the trout and char. The half-day trip doesn’t allow for enough time to do a combo-trip and target multiple species and it doesn’t allow enough time to use multiple techniques like fly fishing and spin fishing.

When you book the half-day trip you are booking a four-hour trip from boat ramp to boat ramp and need to book a species and technique and stick to it.  We offer the half-day trip for family’s with younger kids, or people with friends or family that don’t really fish much but they want a guided fishing trip.  The half-day trip is a great way to expose youth to fishing and make sure you get a little time on the water even if the rest of your party aren’t avid anglers.  The other bonuses are the fact you get to float eight miles of the Kenai River and enjoy all of its beauty and maybe see some wildlife like bears, moose or eagles.

The full-day trip is a six to eight hour trip (your choice) down the Kenai  River.  The full-day trips are longer so we have more options on whatever stretch of the Kenai we fish.  The full-day guided trips give you an opportunity, time-wise, to do combo trips for the salmon, rainbow trout, and char, and we will use fly fishing and or spin fishing gear on that outing.

We always recommend the full-day trips for people who want a better shot at limits for sockeye and silver salmon because sometimes it takes time on the water to make things happen or to give the migrating salmon time to get to the gravel bars you are fishing.  The rainbow trout and Dolly Varden char don’t eat vigorously all day everyday. They have different feeding habits and times from day to day and more time on the water means better odds of fishing when the bite is on.

Both trips are great trips to book depending on your group, time schedule, and desires.  Both trips give you an opportunity to see the Kenai River in all her glory and experience a taste of the good life in Alaska.  The difference in the guided trips is time on the water to allow things to happen, where you fish, and the ability to try multiple techniques and fish for other species.  You should book what ever guided fishing trip meets your needs and enjoy your ride down the Kenai River.

CategoriesDolly Varden, Fly Fishing, Rainbow Trout, Salmon by

Cast Out a Fly and Enjoy the Ride

Every year the Kenai Peninsula has millions of visitors from all over America and the world. Fishing for trophy rainbow trout or one of the many species of salmon on Alaska’s Kenai River is on many of these people’s wish list.  So, every year I get hundreds of calls from people coming to the Kenai River to fish for salmon, rainbow trout, and Dolly Varden char and a question I get a lot is, “Should I fly fish?”  Then they tell me how little if anything they know about fly fishing, and want to give me their beginner resume if they have one.

My answer is always the same. You should try and fly fish if you want to, and we don’t care how much experience you have because it’s our job to teach you in a low-pressure fun environment.

When an angler comes to us with zero experience it means they don’t have any bad habits and that’a a good thing.  Sometimes the journey of learning and flowing with the river as you run a dead drift from the boat is as exhilarating as hooking into a trophy rainbow trout or Dolly Varden char.  The learning curve can be as rewarding as catching a huge silver salmon or sockeye salmon.  Fishing isn’t always about catching the most, the biggest, the fastest. It’s also about the camaraderie and the pure enjoyment of being out in nature. Alaska’s Kenai River is one of the most beautiful places on the planet to learn how to fly fish so no matter what your skill level is, so don’t hesitate to book a fly fishing trip on the Kenai and enjoy the ride.

CategoriesRecipes, Salmon by

It’s Time For Some Smoke on that Salmon

We have given you a couple recipes for cooking salmon, and have many more to share, but now it’s time for some smoked salmon brine formulas.  I have a basic brine that is my foundation for every batch of fish that goes on the smoker.

When I was a child I grew up idolizing my Grandpa who grew up dirt poor on a farm in Iowa with 10 brothers. He ate anything he could catch or kill.  Luckily for Gramps, Grandma was a phenomenal cook and could make anything taste good. I learned a lot from both of them. My gramps taught me the fine art of harvesting fish, fowl and game and grandma taught me how to prepare it so it was delectable.

I also had a lot of uncles who would take me fishing on the Cedar and Mississippi Rivers where we would catch carp and catfish and bring them home to Gramps. He would take those huge carp and fillet them with a Sawzawl and then brine them in salt and sugar, occasionally adding a touch of liquid smoke.

The carp were phenomenal smoked.  If you can make Iowa carp taste good with your brine you can make anything taste outstanding. I use his brine recipe with less salt than he liked, and I only occasionally add any liquid smoke.

I will be giving up two recipes to use when smoking fresh-caught Kenai River sockeye or silver salmon.  With king salmon I only smoke the tail and belly, but I don’t fish for Kenai River king salmon or suggest you do. There are many other locations that offer quality king salmon fishing.

The first formula will be what I call my “simple smoke” recipe (grandpa’s modified a touch) and the second is my Lesmeister’s “Bomb Diggidy” recipe, which is legend in the Cooper Landing Alaska region.

 

Simple Smoke Recipe (Gramps Modified)

1 part salt

3 parts sugar.

 

I use white or brown sugar, what ever I have on hand.

 

Lesmeisters “Bomb Diggidy” recipe

1 part salt

3 parts sugar

Yoshidas sauce

Honey

 

I lightly coat both sides of the salmon fillet with my dry rub mixture of salt and sugar.  When I make my Bomb Diggity recipe I add the Yoshidas sauce to the top of the fish in a bowl and mix well. Then add honey. (more is better)

Once my fish is brined with either recipe I then cover with Seran wrap and put in fridge, I like to stir fish every eight hours or so.  I leave fish in the brine for at least 24 hours and sometimes as long as 36 or 48 hours.

With either brine I put the fish on the smoker racks and let the fillets dry to a tacky texture. This is usually over night, or it can be longer, before I fire up the smoker.

Some people like to put the fish fillets in front of fans to dry. I do not like doing this. I let it dry up and get tacky feeling naturally.  When the fish has the right texture, smoke it to your taste.  Some people like it more dry and some more moist.

These are my two go-to formulas when I smoke salmon.  I suggest you start simple and add anything you may want in your brine mixture you think you may like until you create your own masterpiece.

 

CategoriesRecipes, Salmon by

Salmon Piccata Recipe

Last week I shared a world class salmon burger recipe that I know was enjoyed by many of you. This week you are being treated to one of my favorites of all time; a salmon piccata recipe.  I love this one and usually add more capers then the recipe calls for.  My wife added some of her freestyle touches to this recipe when we had guests over who were pescatarians, and we have been eating it ever since.

 

Ingredients:  For one serving, we usually do this recipe with an entire fresh caught Kenai River sockeye salmon.

 

6 oz Kenai River sockeye salmon fillet (remove skin and cut or pick pin bones out of fillet)

1/2 cup or so of flour

2 Tbs sea salt

1 Tbs course black pepper

Half a stick of butter

2 Tbs chopped shallots

1 Tbs capers( I like a lot more)

1/4 cup wine (Chardonnay)

1 Lemon

2 Tbs cold butte

Pasta (I prefer Angel Hair)

Mix the flour and salt and pepper on a plate or bowl coat the salmon on both sides and shake off excess flour.  Heat up a good frying pan on med-hi heat and add salmon when pan is hot, cook until; both sides have started to brown.  Add the capers and shallots and cook until shallots are translucent.  Add fresh squeezed lemon juice from half the lemon and the white wine.  Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes.  The sauce will thicken slightly.

Reduce heat, remove salmon and put it on your plate with warm pasta (My wife likes to squeeze more lemon on her pasta). Add your cold butter to pan and let it melt while you stir the sauce until it looks smooth and creamy.  Pour sauce over salmon and pasta and enjoy.

 

 

 

 

CategoriesRecipes, Salmon by

Best Way To Cook Salmon

On one of my initial interviews to get a position as an Alaskan fishing guide, an early question was, “Do you know how to cook?” My answer was, “I can cook”.  Fortunately for me, my mother noticed my interest in cooking at an early age, bought me cook books and encouraged me to try new recipes. My grandma who is a master of cooking wild game and baking incredible bread also inspired me.

There was a reason for the question about my cooking skills. A guide may not need the abilities of a five-star chef, but fishing guides are often asked about how to prepare their catch of the day. As a Kenai River fishing guide, a frequent question I get is; “What is the best way to cook my sockeye (red) or coho (silver) salmon”?  I have a few favorites though sometimes my favorite recipe depends on the time of year and how much salmon I’ve eaten to date. I will painfully admit that my wife Stephanie Lesmeister is a far superior chef than I am when it comes to cooking the fresh caught or frozen salmon from the Kenai River.  I will make my next few blogs about our family’s favorite recipes and our two favorite brines which we use in preparation for smoking the  salmon.

Before I give you a recipe I will say the first couple fish of the year are grilled over charcoal – and occasionally alder – from the yard and cooked medium rare with a light sprinkle of sea salt.  That is it!  After our initial craving for the rich and simple taste of salmon is satisfied and salmon becomes a regular part of our diet, we start piling on the spices and sauces depending on our mood.

Salmon Burgers

2 pounds of Kenai River sockeye

3/4 cup panko crumbs

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

1tsp grated fresh ginger

1 clove of garlic minced

2 egg whites

3 Tbs soy sauce

Juice of half a lime

1/2 tsp salt

 

Mayo Wasabi

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbs wasabi paste

1 tsp soy sauce

Mix all the ingredients for your salmon burgers in a bowl then make round patties to size.  We use Hawaiian rolls for the smaller sized sliders, and brioche buns for magnum burgers. Heat the skillet and add avocado oil to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes per side.

As a bonus, we  pre-make and freeze burgers for me to cook for lunch.  When I make them for lunch I like to make wraps and add red onions and greens with the wasabi sauce and sometimes unagi sauce.

Stephanie found this recipe in the cookbook, The Alaska From Scratch Cookbook, and we have been eating these delicious burgers ever since.

Bon Apetit!

CategoriesJasons Guide Service, Salmon by

Shipping Fish

There is nothing as mouth watering as the smell of a wild caught salmon as it sits in a layer of sizzling oil. There’s nothing that gets the stomach rumbling like a big slab of wild caught salmon sitting over a bed of charcoal. It’s one of the main reasons anglers from all over the world come to Alaska. We have great salmon runs.

A question I get all the time is, how do I get my fresh Kenai River salmon home?

When you fish with Jason’s Guide Service we fillet any salmon you catch and keep.  After your day on the water we will direct you to a reputable fish processor who will vacuum pack your fish for you.  Once you have your fish packaged you have the option of paying the processor to freeze and store your fish, or you can bring them to where ever you are staying.

After you have packaged and frozen fish the best two options for transporting home is shipping through FedEx or bringing it home as luggage.  The FedEx option is great for people who are on the front end of their vacation and don’t want to travel with fish.  The luggage option is my favorite because it costs a lot less.

How much it costs exactly to ship salmon by Fed Ex, varies depending on weight.  The cost of bringing it home as luggage depends on what airline you fly and how many checked bags you have.  With a couple phone calls you should be able to come up with a ball park estimate of cost and budget it into your trip.

Once you get your fish home the only logistic left is making sure you don’t let the secret out that you have some Kenai River salmon on the menu or you may discover you have loads of close friends and neighbors who will just happen to arrive at your door around dinner time.

 

CategoriesJasons Guide Service, Salmon by

Common Questions

Is there a toilet in the boat? Will flip-flops work on my feet? Are those albino eagles?

 

These are not common questions, but I get them on occasion. And there is really no question that doesn’t warrant an answer. Because there is nothing scarier than the unknown. Having all the answers mean you have all the solutions to anything that can arise during your trip and this means smooth sailing, or in our case, is a smooth drift.

 

One key question is, “How long have you been guiding?” Now I agree that experience is a major benefit, and I’ve been on the rivers in Alaska for 30 years, but there are some old, cranky, burnt-out and impatient guides out there that have a lot of experience but little tolerance and even-temperedness anymore. So, experience is only as good as the personality and passion of the guide.

 

On the other hand, Through experience I realize there are some phenomenal young guides on the Kenai River. I have them working for me. I firmly believe that a well-trained young guide with a high level of motivation to treat their anglers with the best trip possible.

 

Young guides are inspired to produce by many differing emotions. The quest to be the best on the water can be driven by their fear of failure, their desire for prestige among their peers and elders, and their determination to prove they can get the job done.

 

The only way to ensure a young guide is capable of becoming an all-star and providing anglers with the experience they deserve is through a rigorous training program. My guides all start training well before the season begins beginning with boat safety, and ending with customer satisfaction.

 

I get asked a lot, “Are there restrooms on the river?” The Kenai River has restrooms at the boat launches, but that’s it. If you have to answer nature’s call while we’re drifting I can easily pull the boat over to the shoreline.

 

How do I get my fish home? That’s one that everyone loves to hear my answer. Because, I fillet your salmon right on the river. I will recommend the best processor in Cooper Landing where you can have them vacuum packed, paying by the pound. Your fillets can either be taken on the plane as luggage in a cooler or freezer box you purchase from the fish processor, or you can ship the fish by FedEx. Most all fish processors can store your fish and will arrange the FedEx shipment.

 

How do I get a fishing license? The easiest way is get it online at ADFG.com. You DO NOT need a king salmon stamp when you fish with Jason’a Guide Service. You can also purchase a license at any sporting goods store in Anchorage when you arrive. Even some grocery stores will sell you a license in Alaska. Just check at the Customer Service desk.

 

How much do I tip my guide?  Millions in stock. Cryptocurrency works well too. All kidding aside. There is an industry standard. This is ten to twenty percent. Many tips are directly related to the amount and size of fish that were caught. While this makes sense to many, what people don’t realize is when the fishing is good, it’s really easy to be a great guide. When the fishing is tough, and it can be in a fair-chase environment where the resource gets a lot of pressure, a great guide will dig deeper and work harder to put a fish in the net.

 

When you log 150 days on the water a year you realize that only a small percentage are truly phenomenal. With that in mind you can grasp that a great guide is there to provide you the best experience based solely on the conditions that are present when you are on the water. The best guides will use every resource at their disposal to guarantee your trip was a complete success.

 

With that in mind, tip according to the overall experience.

 

Oh, and how about those albino river eagles?  In states where you see real eagles you’ll know immediately that those are just big sea gulls.

 

 

CategoriesJasons Guide Service by

No (KNOW) Hidden Costs

They told me the trip was a thousand bucks. I was handed a bill for twelve hundred. And that didn’t include the tip. What? Where did the extra come from?

It was hidden costs. Added fees. Charges for additional equipment. All ways to squeeze more money out of someone who has never used a guide service before.

They might charge you extra for waders and boots. You might end up paying for lures or equipment rental. They might try to stick you for parking or the ferry costs.

Know exactly what you are paying by asking, “What is the final bottom line?”

Every state or region has their own customs as to what is included in the price of a guided trip. I include everything in the cost of a trip. Waders, tackle and flies, flotation devices, rods and reels, everything but your fishing license, food and drink and rain gear. We even fillet your fish. But this is not always the case with everyone.

So, be sure to ask, “What is the actual total cost?” And, don’t feel embarrassed to ask more than once. It is your right to know how much you will need to budget and ensure there are no surprises.

CategoriesJasons Guide Service by

Figuring Out Your Accommodations

It looked like the Taj Mahal on the web site, but when I got there it had morphed into a cockroach infested flophouse with two neighboring roosters and six barking dogs on chains next door.

What you need to know is what accommodations fit you best. Do you want a kitchen to cook your own meals, or will you be dining out for every meal. Do you want water front or are you looking for an economical option. Is this a base camp where you will be venturing out every day and just need a bed and a shower, or do you want deluxe accommodations where you might wish to spend some time utilizing the amenities. You’re needs will dictate your shelter so knowing what your parameters are before doing the research will not only get you the best deal possible, but put you in the perfect location for your plans.

To be right in the middle of all that is happening on the Kenai Peninsula, I chose Cooper Landing as my base of operations. This incredibly beautiful town, that is nestled where the Kenai River begins and the mountains cascade down to the valley floor, allows me quick access to the Kenai River, the perfect ocean habitat for halibut and rockfish and lakes to recreate on.

I have researched every possible lodging facility from Homer to Seward and I can attest to many well-run operations on the Kenai Peninsula. I can also confirm there are many that I wouldn’t recommend with good conscience. This is why I would recommend that once you know what your program consists of, call your guide.

The guide you are working with is going to understand how to help you schedule your lodging needs to fit the logistics of your trip. It’s that simple. Once you know what you want, ask for some recommendations to get you what you need.