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FOR YOUR INFORMATION
For the record, I believe honesty is the best
policy, as it will eventually come back to bite you
when you attempt to deceive someone, especially in
this business. Therefore, I will just give you the
facts based on my 14 years (over 13,000 hrs.) of
full-time guiding experience on Alaska's Kenai and
Kasilof rivers. Rather than using high-pressure
tactics, I prefer to inform the client as best
possible and let them make up their own mind.
All bait and tackle are included in all my
charters. I might mention that I pride myself in my
equipment, and use only the very highest quality
available. When you board my boat, you will be
handed a G.Loomis (one of my sponsors) graphite rod
with a premium Shimano (another of my sponsors)
reel valued at $300-$500 each. I also have full
factory sponsorships by Ande monofilamont, Beau-Mac
baits, and Gamakatsu hooks. My river boats are new,
custom-built vessels that are set up specifically
for guiding salmon fisherman. They are 20 to 21
feet long and seat four fisherman maximum. There is
plenty of room for additional gear such as duffel
bags or ice chests. They are hand-scrubbed each
evening and are guaranteed spotless when you step
aboard at 5:30 a.m. I bring coffee and snacks each
day, but you will be responsible for your own
lunch.
Unlike most of my competitors, my charters are
"all-day" 8 1/2 hour trips, not the industry norm
of "half day" 5 1/2 hour charters. In this way, I
can take the time to explain things better, work
the bugs out and offer a less rushed, higher
quality trip. Obviously, my success rate is much
higher as we fish for 3 more hours than the other
guides, who try to fit in two trips a day. (This
usually makes for a rushed trip AND a tired and
grumpy guide!) This decision to go to high-quality,
all-day trips has been instrumental in building my
business, as I have a return rate of over 75% and
therefore a need for very minimal advertising.
Check my references and get back to me if you need
more!
Please keep the "all-day" factor in mind if you
compare prices. In other words, be sure to compare
"apples to apples". You are welcome to shop around,
as you will soon discover that my charters are
actually a better value in the long run. In guided
fishing, you seem to get what you pay for and cheap
charters are usually just that! Cheap! With this in
mind, please remember that all my charters are
premium trips of the highest quality available. We
generally meet at 5:00 am, begin fishing at 6:00
and fish till 2:30 or 3:00. By the time we arrive
at the fish processor in Soldotna it is often after
4:00, so you can see that it is a full day indeed.
I have enclosed a current price sheet inside my
brochure.
When considering a saltwater charter, be aware
that halibut fishing remains good throughout the
summer. However, it is the size of the tides that
dictates whether the particular day of fishing is
only fair or outstanding. I usually like to
determine the time frame that a group is here and
then schedule their Halibut fishing at the
beginning or end of their visit, according to which
day has the best tides! Then, I schedule their
other fishing (salmon) around this.
I have several excellent Halibut skippers I have
used for years. They are true professionals, with
lots of patience and good people skills. In
addition, they are superb fisherman who specialize
in saltwater only. This is very important-if I
personally tried to bounce back and forth between
three different fisheries (i.e. Kasilof, Kenai, and
saltwater) I would not be "in touch" with any of
them, and my success rate would suffer. (Fishing
salmon on two different rivers is difficult
enough.) But a "specialist" can constantly monitor
the ever-changing tides, water conditions, and
movements of the fish. Our Halibut skippers are on
the saltwater every day of the season, and their
trophy catches directly reflect this! The boats are
custom built 29 foot off-shore hardtops with an
enclosed cabin to get out of the occasional wet
weather. For performance and safety, they are
powered by twin 150 h.p. Yamaha outboards and fish
six people maximum.
I do not offer "package deals", only day-trips.
In this way, I can customize your vacation
according to your own needs and desires. It does
not matter if you are a single person who wants to
fish one day, or a group of 20 who desire to fish
for two weeks! As for lodging, I have numerous
choices that I have used with good success. These
are all newer, clean establishments with nice hosts
and reasonable rates. They range from condos or
B&B's, to fully furnished log cabins in the
country, to nice, clean motels right in town.
Several of them are located directly on the Kenai
River! Again, this allows me to "customize" a trip
for the individual group's needs and personal
desires. (A retired couple may want different
lodging than four old high-school chums!) I will
assist in setting up the lodging, but the payment
is made to the lodge owner. I make no commission,
thereby keeping your cost down!
There are no "hidden costs" on my trips. As
mentioned, my charters are day trips. All bait,
tackle and gear is included, however all guests are
responsible for their own airfare and lodging. This
ultimately keeps your cost down and has the
potential to save you thousands of dollars over
"package deals". Likewise, you are on your own for
meals. Most of my guests stay in B&B's or
cabins, where they can eat a light breakfast and
pack their own lunches. In the evening, they will
BBQ a fresh salmon or steak, again keeping costs at
a minimum. At the end of a long day of fishing, you
may choose to eat out at the almost unlimited local
restaurants. Soldotna is a very modern community
that has everything from Safeway to Pizza Hut to
McDonalds. Of course, we also have fine dining
consisting of fresh sea food, Italian, Greek, or
Mexican food.
Alaska fishing licenses are required, and can be
purchased locally on an individual basis. They are
available nearly anywhere (this area revolves
around sport fishing, remember!) 24 hours-a-day.
There are numerous options available to fit the
length of your stay. For example, this year a
non-resident fishing license for one day is $10,
three day is $20, seven day is $30, fourteen day is
$50 and the annual non-resident fee is $100. In
addition, a King Salmon stamp is needed if one
intends to target Kings. This stamp is the same fee
as your chosen fishing license, that is, a one day
King stamp is $10, three day is $20, etc. While
Alaska's license fees initially seem fairly
expensive, please bear in mind that we have some of
the best Salmon fishing in the world and all
revenue generated goes directly back into our
fisheries!
All fish kept will be cleaned and bagged at the
end of the day for no additional charge. However,
for your convenience and the proper preservation of
your prized catch, I have a quality professional
fish processor that I work closely with on a daily
basis. This service is strongly recommended. For a
relatively small additional fee, your fish will be
cut into steaks, fillets, bakes or smoked (your
choice!). It is then vacuum sealed, one-hour flash
frozen and stored in their freezer locker for the
remainder of your trip. In fact, there is no need
for you to even handle your fish (except to take
photos of your catch!) as I can personally deliver
your salmon each day at the end of your charter.
When you are ready to return home, you simply
settle your account with the processor and your
fish is packaged in a sealed, waxed fish box, ready
to be checked with your airline as another piece of
luggage. Your fish will remain frozen for up to 48
hours. This has proven to be the simplest and most
inexpensive way to get your fish home.
Hopefully, I have answered many of your
questions and you now have a better "feel" for both
me and the services I have to offer. Take a look at
my brochure, articles and references and feel free
to contact me ANYTIME with ANY questions you may
have!
Eagerly awaiting your reply,
Greg & Sherri Brush
EZ Limit Guide Service
PO Box 4278
Soldotna, AK 99669
(907) 262-6169
E-mail: fishme@alaska.net
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