General Information about our trips
How many people can I bring on my trip?
The legal max boatload is six anglers, but with six full time guides available we are able to accommodate large groups of more than six people.
Is lunch/drinks provided on my trips?
We do provide a BBQ lunch and drinks on all Clearwater, Snake, and Dworshak trips. Lunch and drinks ARE NOT provided on any of our Columbia River or Grande Ronde river trips.
How many hours are we on the water?
Look forward to at least 8 hours of fishing unless you book a half day trip, then look forward to 4 hours of fishing
Do you provide all the gear we need to fish?
Yes, each guide is fully equipped with top-notch rods, reels and bait to ensure success on your trip.
DO you clean and fillet our catch?
Yes, all of our guides will clean and fillet your catch unless otherwise specified.
Do I need to pre-pay or place a deposit down to hold my spot?
We require a 50% deposit at the time of booking, final payment must be made in full 10 days prior to your trip. We do not offer refunds for cancellations or head-count changes made inside 10 days of your trip.
Curing Eggs
When curing eggs, the most important step is to start with fresh, blood-free eggs caught within 24 hrs. Your Salmon and Steelhead must be bled-out for the roe to be blood-free. If not, you might as well feed them to the dogs. Never under any circumstances freeze the eggs before you cure them. The best eggs to use are fully matured eggs taken from fish that are close to spawning. Combo this curing process with Pautzke’s Fire Cure and you are sure to increase your catching success.
The curing process is the most important part that takes time to master. To produce a good fish-able egg, you must spend a considerable amount of time curing the eggs. Start by cutting the eggs down the middle exposing the inside of the eggs (see pic 1). I like to cut the eggs in half down the middle of the membrane or use the butterfly process by cutting down the middle of the egg exposing it like a book or a butterfly, be careful not to cut completely through the skin. You do not cut the membrane at all (see pic 2). In a quart jar add one tsp cure then place a layer of eggs (approx. ½ cup of roe) into a jar and sprinkle cure onto them (approx.1 tsp).
Repeat this process until the jar is ¾ full. You will have to play with the amount of cure used to get your desired color. I like bright eggs, almost fluorescent. Scents can be added to the jar if desired. Let the eggs sit for an hour then shake the jar to spread the cure evenly. A few hours later, shake the jar again and repeat the process until the eggs become the desired color and appear firm. This usually takes 24 hrs. You will notice the eggs will become very juicy and then seem to suck up the juices and firm up again. Do not refrigerate unless the outside air temperature is above 80.
Remove eggs from the jar and strain for 1 hr. Proper drying is also important. Lay down several layers of paper towels and spread the eggs out to dry (see pic 3). Cover the eggs with another layer of paper towels to keep flies, bacteria, etc. away. You can speed up the drying process by using a fan but keep a close eye on the eggs. Proper drying time usually is 12 hrs for a wet, soft fish-able egg; 24 hours for a firm, durable egg; and 30 hrs for a very durable egg.
Watch the video below to learn more about the storage of the eggs.
Eggs will keep in the freezer for up to a year and fish just like the day you cured them. Another great way to store the eggs is to fill a vac bag with 2 cups of Borax. Shake the eggs to spread the Borax. Freeze the eggs first then vac loc otherwise you will smash the eggs. This is a great method but there are plenty of others that work well too. Scott Haugen has an excellent book about curing eggs that I recommend for other cures: His book called Egg Cures is available if you click the button down below!
Fish Recipe’s
ULTIMATE SMOKED FISH BRINE
3 cups h20
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup salt plain
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp garlic
1 cap liquid smoke (optional)
¼ tsp thyme
1 lemon squeezed
1 tbs tabassco
1 tbs soy
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp maple extract
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp red food color (optional it is for looks only)
Heat and stir but don’t boil, soak skinless fish fillets for 2 days then smoke to desired firmness the best smoked fish is usually very moist. You can give credit for this recipe to Lewiston Idaho’s Sean Literal who won numerous smoke competitions.
BAKED SALMON FILLET WITH SUN DRIED TOMATO BUUTER
1lb butter
1 cup sun-dried tomatos or steeped sun-dried tomatos
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1 tblsp fresh garlic
salt and peper to taste
1 half fillet of Salmon
SALMON CAKES
1-2 c. left over baked salmon
4oz. cream cheese softened
¼ c. mayonnaise
¼ c. grated onion
Dash of Tobassco and a dash of cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
HALIBUT (Ale Mary)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 Tbls. garlic, minced
2 tsp. lemon juice
HALIBUT PARMESAN
2 lbs. halibut fillets- serving size
½ cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
4-oz olive oil
¾ cup buttermilk
4 Tbls. butter
½ cup flour
lemon wedges for garnish
20 Ritz cracker crumbs
Use three mixing bowls. 1] Parmesan and cracker crumbs; 2] buttermilk; 3] flour. Coat each piece of halibut with flour, dip into buttermilk and then cheese/crumb mixture. Set aside on dish, cover with waxed paper and refrigerate for 2 hours to set the breading.
Heat a large frying pan- medium heat, combine olive oil and butter. Heat until bubbly, add fillets and sauté until golden brown on both sides.
CRAB CAKES
1 lb of shucked crab meat
½ c. celery finely chopped
½ c. onion finely chopped
½ c. mayonnaise
1-2 eggs to combine mixture
¼ tsp cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 dashes of tobassco sauce
2-3 cups panko (Japanese fish breading)
Oil enough to fry cakes in