River Fishing and Bear Watching

From the moment we booked online, the entire experience was seamless. Natalie made sure we had everything we needed ahead of time, including how to obtain our fishing licenses, gear information, and sizing. The directions to find Chris and the NatVenture van were perfect, and as soon as we arrived, he had us suited up and ready to go. Once we made our way to the creek, we truly could not have asked for a more incredible experience. As we approached our fishing spot, we looked down to see bears feeding on salmon below us! The bears continued to come and go throughout our fishing trip, making an already amazing day absolutely unforgettable. We had three generations of our family on this trip, and every one of us walked away feeling the same way—it was truly the experience of a lifetime. We caught probably more than 30 fish, and Chris was there every step of the way. He helped us learn how to lure and reel in the fish, made sure everyone was comfortable, extremely safe and even took the time to capture some wonderful family photos for us. The combination of incredible fishing, beautiful scenery, bears in their natural habitat, and Chris’s knowledge and attention made this an experience our family will be talking about for years. I would without a doubt recommend this company to anyone looking for an unforgettable fishing adventure. From Natalie’s preparation before the trip to Chris’s guidance throughout the day, everything was exceptional. Five stars all the way. We would do it again in a heartbeat!

Natalie was an amazing guide and very knowledgeable! This is definitely an adventure to be had while visiting Hoonah!!

I can't say enough about Natalie and her guided tour. This was the absolute highlight of our trip to Alaska with me and my son. We hiked for about 20 minutes to the most serene spot and fishing was simply incredible! Pretty much caught them every cast. We caught so many Salmon we decided to try and catch a few trout and did that as well. Simply amazing trip and thank you Natalie!

An Unforgettable Hoonah adventure in Icey Strait, AK with NatVentures! What an absolutely excellent experience! Our family group of fourteen, including our 2 year old, had an incredible day in Hoonah with Natalie Vaz, owner of NatVentures, along with her additional guides, Chris and Gavin. With such a large group, we were especially impressed by how attentive, knowledgeable, and energetic all three guides were throughout the entire excursion. We hiked through a beautiful Alaskan forest down to the river, where everyone was provided waders — even our 2-year-old! From the very first cast, the fishing was fantastic. Everyone caught plenty of fish, and Chris, Gavin, and Natalie worked tirelessly, hustling up and down the river with their nets to scoop up and carefully unhook fish after fish. Almost everything was released, with the exception of the fish Natalie kept and later cooked for us in a nearby park. Freshly caught Alaskan fish prepared for our family was the perfect ending to an already amazing day! Natalie also knew that seeing bears was high on our wish list. Because she understood our time constraints with the cruise ship, she made sure we had the opportunity to look for them after we had enjoyed plenty of fishing. Before hiked up and back through the beautiful Hoonah forest, we waded along the river and, unbelievably, saw six bears right there in the river fishing for their own food! Watching them in their natural environment was an absolute thrill and a memory our family will never forget. We have been to Alaska eight times and have experienced some truly outstanding excursions, so we have a lot to compare it to. Without hesitation, NatVentures is hands down one of the very best experiences our family has ever had. Natalie, Chris, and Gavin went above and beyond to make sure everyone — from our 2-year-old to the grandparents — had an amazing time. This is an experience our entire family will be talking about and reminiscing over for years to come. If you’re visiting Hoonah, do not miss the opportunity to experience NatVentures!

We had A wonderful day river fishing in Alaska with Gavin. It was great to have a local take us to spots that tourist typically wouldn't know to access. Gavin was extremely knowledgeable and extremely patient with all of us. We are a family of five there were several times where our rods needed to be untangled or re-hooked and he was patient and prepared. Gavin was extremely knowledgeable about fishing and also everything Alaska. After fishing he took us to a beautiful lake area where we were able to look for bears and he had five binoculars for us to use. I would highly recommend booking this experience