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A 90-minute scenic drive from Anchorage, Ray will put you on the fish!

Ray took us on a Deshka River Chinook Salmon trip in late May and it was great! Although we had to get to the river pick-up point at 5:00 AM it was for good reason. You can't fish until 6:00AM and many of the guides focus on a 300' x 100' honey hole to give their clients the best chance. Ray got us to the spot after about a 30 minute run and anchored the flat bottom boat on the bow and stern to give us the perfect casting zone. At 6:00 AM we began casting and retrieving a spinning bait after 5 casts my wife hooked up a screamer ripping the line of her reel. We had to pull the anchors and chase the fish for almost 100 yards. Everything was happening so fast but it was clear our guide Ray was well prepared and been through this drill many times before. She ended up with a 45 lb beauty and Ray quietly drove the boat back down the river to the place we were and I looked at my watch and it was only 6:15 AM. A little later that day I caught mine about an hour later, a 18 lb Chinook. Ray did everything possible to make sure we had a good time and he knew when to coach, when to compliment a cast, and when to just let the clients enjoy the quiet beauty of the Deshka river. We caught our limit and we had more action than any other boat on the river that morning. We saw eagles and big Kings jumping which made it wilderness type adventure only 90 minutes from Anchorage. On the way back up the river Ray pointed out some of the key land marks and talked about his wildlife observations over the past week which really made the trip enjoyable. The only recommendation I would make is for clients to wear good ankle support boots/shoes because there is no dock at the launch point. Being rustic Alaska it's a steep embankment which you have to navigate carefully, especially us old folk. Ray was an outstanding personable guide who I look forward to booking with again in the future.

"Diamond"; Atlanta, GA