Exploring with your Guide
written by Jason Bowers, photo credits: Jeremy Koreski
Leaving the dock as a fishing guide each morning has its challenges – the desire to fulfill the fishing dreams of their eager guests is in the forefront of every guide’s mind. Every guide feels this base level of pressure but when a guide says ‘We’re going exploring today’- the stress level really ramps up. Some anglers love this challenge, while others prefer the tried and true fishing holes. When you leave your comfort zone, the spots that have generated countless memories, and where magic has happened in the past – you can bet you feel the pressure. Investigating new areas can be as frustrating as it is rewarding, but anytime you learn something new it’s always a positive. Some locations immediately reveal themselves to be hidden gems that we’ll fish for years to come, while others are a bust and still others need multiple exploratory trips which take in factors such as tide, current wind, bait etc. to reveal their true potential.
With such a vast area and endless terrain to cover, the Haa-Nee-Naa guide crew is always eager to explore and learn new areas. Whether you are targeting salmon, rockfish, halibut, lings or all of the above, the sight of a bow rod bending sharply to the water and not knowing what to expect is an adrenaline rush. Maybe it’s a halibut cruising the upper zone of the feeding column or a giant Chinook – this experience of the unknown keeps us excited as fishing guides.
All this knowledge and experience gained from exploring gets put into the memory bank and makes us better guides. On your next trip to the lodge keep an open mind when faced with the exploratory question, it may turn out to be your best fishing day EVER!