Help - Anyone been to this place?

I am considering a trip to AK next year and found this place on the
internet. There trips sound really good.

Does anyone have any first hand experience with Frontier River Guides?

The are here on the net: http://www.frontierriverguides.com/index.htm

Thanks in advance for any help provided.

Sincerely,

Tim Cianciola

On Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:04:53 -0400, Tim Cianciola
wrote:

Does anyone have any first hand experience with Frontier River Guides?


Well, from the looks of their rafts and tents, I believe they were on
a float trip to Moraine Creek in the Katmai area of Alaska when I was
there a couple of years ago.

Their camp site looked pretty well set up with sleeping tents and a
large eating area. Moraine Creek isn't very long from the put-in, but
it is some of the finest rainbow fishing in AK. You could easily hook
up with 60 fish in a day, landing half of them. Lots of big grayling
also. My largest rainbow on a trip three years ago (29 1/2 inches)
came from the Moraine. Two foot bows are common. We only had about 6
hours to float the river/fish. If you spend five days on that river,
you will be in fly fishing heaven.

If you go to the Katmai area, you will see 25+ brown bear every day
regarless the river you float. Since you can not hunt the brown bear
in the Katmai, they are used to seeing man, and are not afraid. At
times I would stop fishing (when we stopped to wade), sit down to
watch them, and take pictures. Facinating. We chased a sow and her
three cubs from an island used as a lunch break area, while I was
"asked" to move off of a couple of gravel bars by big males.

Dave

"Tim Cianciola" asked:

Does anyone have any first hand experience with Frontier River Guides?

Nope but I've seen them at several West Coast shows and have not heard
anything bad about them. I'd suggest you ask them for two positive and two
negative references.

FWIW the pic of the owner shows him with his rifle slung. IMHO that's a good
sign. I would not go into bear country with a guide that DID NOT have a
suitable firearm. There are too many dingleberry guides in Alaska that only
carry jingle bells and pepper spray.

Good luck and enjoy!
John

On Sat, 22 Sep 2007 22:20:00 -0700, "John" bass wrote:

FWIW the pic of the owner shows him with his rifle slung. IMHO that's a good
sign. I would not go into bear country with a guide that DID NOT have a
suitable firearm. There are too many dingleberry guides in Alaska that only
carry jingle bells and pepper spray.

It depends on *where* you go in Alaska. If you are in the Katmai
area, guides do NOT carry firearms. The bears there get fat on
salmon, not humans. They are intent on catching fish and totally
ignore the humans *during the salmon runs*, when most folks are in
Alaska. Folks have been killed by browns in Katmai, but only when the
bears were very hungry - without salmon to feed on. I have shared a
pool or two with bears on several creeks and rivers within the Katmai.
It is illegal to shoot a brown bear in the Katmai.

In Western Alaska bears are hunted, and are far more shy of humans,
therefore you are less apt to come in contact with them. The best
thing to remember is to not surprise them. Make noise when walking,
avoid thickets even if there is a "trail", and if you see a bear, talk
to it. Again, in this area, fish get fat mainly on the salmon runs.

Inland bears in Alaska are without salmon and tend to be more
aggressive towards humans. A firearm there is probably a good idea.

The joke about bells and pepper spray is a good one, but it is true
that you should make noise (talking, not bells) while walking in bear
country so as to not surprise them. I got tired of saying the
Gettysburg Address (still remember it from Jr. High), as did my
friends. Pepper spray would probably further **** off a bear intent
on attacking, but if you feel comfortable with it........

Dave

In article , Dave LaCourse
writes
On Sat, 22 Sep 2007 22:20:00 -0700, "John" bass wrote:

FWIW the pic of the owner shows him with his rifle slung. IMHO that's a good
sign. I would not go into bear country with a guide that DID NOT have a
suitable firearm. There are too many dingleberry guides in Alaska that only
carry jingle bells and pepper spray.

It depends on *where* you go in Alaska. If you are in the Katmai
area, guides do NOT carry firearms. The bears there get fat on
salmon, not humans. They are intent on catching fish and totally
ignore the humans *during the salmon runs*, when most folks are in
Alaska. Folks have been killed by browns in Katmai, but only when the
bears were very hungry - without salmon to feed on. I have shared a
pool or two with bears on several creeks and rivers within the Katmai.
It is illegal to shoot a brown bear in the Katmai.

In Western Alaska bears are hunted, and are far more shy of humans,
therefore you are less apt to come in contact with them. The best
thing to remember is to not surprise them. Make noise when walking,
avoid thickets even if there is a "trail", and if you see a bear, talk
to it. Again, in this area, fish get fat mainly on the salmon runs.

Inland bears in Alaska are without salmon and tend to be more
aggressive towards humans. A firearm there is probably a good idea.

The joke about bells and pepper spray is a good one, but it is true
that you should make noise (talking, not bells) while walking in bear
country so as to not surprise them. I got tired of saying the
Gettysburg Address (still remember it from Jr. High), as did my
friends. Pepper spray would probably further **** off a bear intent
on attacking, but if you feel comfortable with it........

Dave






Perhaps it was the parrot on your shoulder, the cutlass in you hand and
the black patch over one eye that kept the bears away.

You pirates are an evil lot :-)
--
Bill Grey

On Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:24:37 +0100, "W. D. Grey"
wrote:

You pirates are an evil lot :-)
--

Aye, we are, especially to bloody Welchmen! Aye! s;o)

Hi, Bill. Just got back from another trip to the fine state of Maine.
Did a single day float trip on the W. Branch of the Penobscot with a
friend from town.

Hope all is well with you and Ann.

Dave

In article , Dave LaCourse
writes
On Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:24:37 +0100, "W. D. Grey"
wrote:

You pirates are an evil lot :-)
--

Aye, we are, especially to bloody Welchmen! Aye! s;o)

Hi, Bill. Just got back from another trip to the fine state of Maine.
Did a single day float trip on the W. Branch of the Penobscot with a
friend from town.

Hope all is well with you and Ann.

Dave



Well done Dave. Isn't floating a bit cold at this time of the year?

We don't see too much of this activity in the UK.

Anne and I are fine thanks and Geraint now 8 years of age is slowing
down a bit.

Regards to Joanne
--
Bill Grey

"Dave LaCourse" wrote in message
...

snip
It is illegal to shoot a brown bear in the Katmai.
snip
Dave

Not entirely true. A legal hunt in the Katmai occurred at about the same
time you wrote the above. About Oct. 1 this year, while I was in Alaska, I
read a front page article in the Anchorage paper about someone who had
videotaped one of the legal hunts in order to bring into question whether
hunts for human acclimated bears could be considered "fair chase". The tapes
even caused the biologist who had authorized the hunts to question his
decision.

Bob Weinberger