Customer Reviews

Fishing Alaska's Kenai Peninsula: A Complete Angler's Guide

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If there ever was a perfect recipe for an area fishing guide, this is it. Beautiful photos, great maps, fantastic stories that bring the areas alive and just plain great advice. Atcheson, has created the mold that I wish others would follow for the other states and regions I fish. He covers the whole gamut of the Kenai Peninsula, not exhaustively, but by picking a handful of representative locations, fishing styles and target species. Then he gives away his fishing secrets like an old and trusted fishing buddy. In fact in his intro he says the book's first objective is to tell you where to fish. He claims to do this to improve his fishing Kharma, and I hope it is working.

He doesn't spell out exactly what hole to drop which lure into, but he does give some great suggestions based on fishing, scenery, and wilderness experience. And in an area where 90 percent of the fishermen are going to 10 percent of the fishing areas, he gives some great alternatives to being shoulder to shoulder on the Russian or lining the Kenai. He does cover those areas well, but he suggests other options like hiking up to the Russian Lakes and fishing their outlets for trout.

Whether you are a tourist planning a trip to the Kenai or a resident of South Central Alaska, you should get this book. It has a lot of great area experiences that get overlooked in the shadow of the Kenai, the Russian and the saltwater charter fishing options. Try one of his hike in float tube lakes some time.

I read the book while on vacation in Mexico and found myself thirsting for the clean waters of Alaska. The author is obviously a devout fisherman. Woven throughout the book are comments, observations and short essays that address the intangable elements of fishing that can result in a love of the sport. Atcheson has not forgotten what the essence of fishing is all about and he can be downright poetic at times. This is not to imply that important planning details and valuable local knowledge is glossed over. On the contrary, Atcheson hits all the bases and offers many fishing techniques, super maps, and detailed information on many quiet out of the way trout and salmon hang-outs and the large rivers. This book is educational and packed with advice and seasonal information that is applicable and unique to fishing in Alaska. A really good book that delivers years of local knowledge and a better understanding of life below the surface.

I picked up a copy of this book when I was on vacation in Alaska fishing the Kenai. First off, the author is an execellent outdoors writer and really makes you wish you were there. As far as fishing info, the book gives a great overview of the most productive techniques (which are used by practically every guide in the area) used to catch each type of salmon and trout in the area. It gives good information about all the local rivers, streams, and lakes,and most importantly timing information on salmon runs and most productive trout periods. The first section on Lake Fishing is a bit more geared toward local anglers with access to a canoe, but I would definately recommend this book for anyone planning a fishing trip to the Kenai Peninsula.

Intend to spend a week fishing the Kenai this Summer. This book gives me the information I wanted to wander on my own and feel that I will still catch fish. Well organized both in terms of fish to expect, but also well broken down by areas. The author provides sufficient information on those fishing Alaska for the first time to feel relatively comfortable that they will be prepared with the proper equipment and knowledge to have a successful trip.

I think this book would be helpful in planning a trip to Alaska to fish. After reading about the crowds fishing from the roadsides I believe I will hire a guide and a boat for my trip. Without reading about it I would probably have been disapointed in having to do "Combat Fishing" at the road crossings.

Charles