Our first trip is a week away, and we couldn’t be more excited to get out on the water.

We've been busy in the best possible way. Between getting Sir Reel ready for the season and spending a little too much time watching arctic terns do their little fish dance, we've also been writing and filming. We just published two new pieces on the blog and lots of new videos on our YouTube — we think you're going to love them!

New On Our Adventure Blog

Halibut Fishing Juneau Alaska
Halibut are some people’s absolute favorite fish, and for good reason! They’re fun to fight, incredible to look at, and delicious! We broke down everything you might want to know as an angler about this beautiful fish and Alaskan staple. Whether you've fished halibut before or you're dreaming about it, this one's for you!
→ Read Our Halibut Guide

Juneau Fishing: The Complete Visitor’s Guide
Juneau is an incredibly beautiful place with great fishing, and we’re so honored to call it home year-round. In the post, we go into detail about what fishing with us is like here in Juneau. The best time to come fishing, what to pack, charter details, and more!
→ Learn More About Fishing In Juneau, AK

Sir Reel Fact Series + Our Latest Sea Otter Video

Earlier this year, we presented 31 days of facts about Alaska, and wow, did people respond! We gained a plethora of new followers, made some really lovely connections with other wild curiosity-focused content creators, and learned some truly surprising facts about this place. We’ve lived here for over a decade, and we both learned so much through the series.

You can check out our Sir Reel Facts series on any of our social media channels!

Also, we finally got around to posting some incredible footage of a sea otter we met during our stay in Monterey in 2024. We're not even a little sorry about how much we love these animals. Give it a watch, and you'll understand why we’re obsessed!

Grab Some Sir Reel Gear For Your Alaskan Adventure

Want to rep Southeast Alaska wherever life takes you? We've got hats, tees, and more in our swag store — all designed for people who love the water, the wildlife, and a good adventure. Perfect for yourself or as a gift for the angler in your life!

→ Shop the Sir Reel Store

Come Fish With Us This Summer!

The season is starting, and our available dates are filling up fast! If you've been out with us before, we offer a returning guest rate — just reach out, and we'll take care of you. We'd love to have you back on the water!

And if you’re looking to go fishing this season, we think a trip through Southeast Alaska with us might just be one of the best decisions you make! We’re offering 10% off our daily charters now through the end of May. Just use code GOFISH26 at checkout!

→ Check Availability & Book Your Trip

Until next time — tight lines, calm seas, and keep an eye out for sea otters! 🦦

2025 Seasonal Sightings

• May 25-31: Salmon and Seagulls

• May 18-24: Sculpins and Whales

• May 11-17: Harbor Seals and Herring

• May 4-10: Return of the Halibut & Black Turnstone Pipers

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Well, to some of us at least. Early spring is when Alaska truly starts to come alive again. A couple of weeks ago, eulachon returned to the Chilkat and Chilkoot outside of Haines, Alaska. This critical little fish is cause for celebration among all the residents of southeast Alaska.

For more than a millennium, these fish have been processed for oil and traded by the Lingít with Athapaskan tribes and First Nations people to the north. In Lingít, eulachon are known as saak and are still an integral part of seasonal life in Haines. When these fish return, so do the sea lions, harbor seals, humpback whales, and orca!

By James Crippen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Eulachon.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=377375

For our fisherman friends, the season starts to get really exciting the second or third week of May. Halibut return from their migration, and the weather begins to warm up enough that fishing is fun again. Although king salmon are also popular to fish for in the springtime, they’re usually closed to everything but catch and release until early June.

This post will be updated weekly with the latest sightings. To save your inbox from unwanted clutter, we’ll send out a notification via social media that our weekly updates are live.

Check Back Weekly For Our Latest Sightings of Wildlife in Alaska!

We aim to update this blog every Saturday throughout the summer with the past week’s sightings, listed from newest to oldest.

(Click Here to Return to Our Website)

May 25-31: Salmon and Seagulls

Photo by Lance Anderson on Unsplash

Fish

Hatchery kings

Mammals

Humpback whale and orca

Birds

Bonaparte’s Gull

May 18-24: Sculpins and Whales

Photo by Lance Anderson on Unsplash

Fish

Sculpin, polluck, double-dark-sided halibut at Alaska Northern Outfitters

Mammals

Humpback whale and orca

Birds

Murrelet

May 11-17: Harbor Seals and Herring

Photo by Lance Anderson on Unsplash

Fish

Our family friends visited this week, and their youngest son snagged his first fish ever! Dave taught him how to cast for the very first time, and a few minutes later, he’d caught a herring. It was extraordinarily impressive because the luhr was about the same size as the herring 😅 Just for fun, here are two interesting facts about herring: 1) They can live up to 16 years, and 2) They’re found on the surface all the way down to 1,300 feet deep. Learn more about herring from this article by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game.

Mammals

We’ve had a harbor seal hanging out in the harbor near our boat this week. Like the terns, they’re likely feasting on herring and other juvenile fish this time of year.

Birds

The arctic terns are continuing their courtships, but it seems as though the sandpipers have moved on to their next migratory stop. However, I heard the distinct call of a Greater Yellowlegs on Saturday morning!

May 4-10: Return of the Halibut & Black Turnstone Pipers

By Len Blumin from Mill Valley, California, United States - Black Turnstone, breeding plumage, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3597409

Birds

Many bird species migrate through Juneau at this time of year. This week and last, the Arctic terns were courting each other on the harbor’s breakwater. A flock of Black Turnstone sandpipers shared the dock with the terns, resting on their migration north.

Bonepart gulls and terns alike drove off curious juvenile eagles, if they dared to land on the breakwater. And our herring gulls made the most of the commercial fisherman cleaning their boat in port. We (or at least, Jojo) consider them wildlife in Alaska…

Fish

We’re not running trips yet, but a friend of ours found their first halibut hole of the season! We took advantage of the sunny days to do some fishing from the back of Sir Reel here in the harbor. Jojo caught a “big” sand dab and a sculpin she thinks is a cabezon. It’s hard to tell with scuplins, and we’ll defer to our local experts as to what species it actually is!

Want More Insights About Adventuring In Alaska?

Drop us a comment with what interests you, and we’ll likely write a post about it!

And remember to subscribe to our newsletter, Sir Reel Times, for regular adventure updates, fishing tips, and stories from southeast Alaska.

Join us for an adventure vacation by visiting our website!

2025 was a very special season! We’re so grateful to have had a huge array of guests come and spend time with us (and Mr B) aboard Sir Reel. They caught a LOT of fish, shared many stories, and hopefully took a bit of Alaska home with them.

To celebrate Small Business Saturday, we’re offering special discounts on our trips and at our new store!

Simply use the code GOFISH26 at checkout.

Discounts are good today, Saturday, 11/29, through Monday, 12/1, and can be shared with friends and family!

Joined us already? Keep an eye on your inbox on Tuesday, December 2nd, for a special ongoing discount!

Multi-Day Trips

Use the discount code GOFISH26 to save $750 per day on our multi-day trips.

• 3-Day: Save $2,250

• 4-Day: Save $3,000

• 5-Day: Save $3,750

• 6-Day: Save $4,500

Daily Trips

Use the discount code GOFISH26 to save 20% off daily tours.

• 4-Hour: Save $400

• 6-Hour: Save $600

Sir Reel Gear (Our NEW Store!)

We’re thrilled to finally have our store up and running. Adventure Fishing Tours branded t-shirts and hats to blankets and backpacks!

Use the discount code GOFISH26 at checkout to save 15% storewide through December 1st.

Want More Insights About Adventuring In Alaska?

→ Click Here to Visit Our Website

Or, drop us a comment with what interests you, and we’ll likely write a post about it!

Subscribe to our newsletter, Sir Reel Times, for adventure updates, fishing tips, and stories from southeast Alaska.

It’s the storytelling time of year, with friends and family coming together for the holidays. These days, our stories almost always include our guests. Their reactions to experiencing Alaska for the first time. Their very first Alaskan King salmon fishing trip. Their sheer awe when seeing a humpback whale breach.

It’s difficult to express how grateful we are to have met so many wonderful people this season. We’re deeply honored that they chose to spend their short time in Southeast Alaska with us.

To show our gratitude, we’re offering a discount for guests who’ve joined us, and a Small Business Saturday discount (good from Saturday, 11/29, through Monday, 12/1).

(Click Here to Visit Our Website)

Things We're Grateful For

• Guests Who Joined Us This Summer

• Local Businesses That Make Our Business Better

• Our Lenders And Others Who Believed In Us

• A Summer Full of Adventure Stories

  • Discount For Guests Who've Joined Us

  • Discount for Small Business Saturday

Guests Who Joined Us This Summer

It would be an extremely long post if we recounted every single amazing person we had the honor of taking fishing this summer. But, if you are one of those people, please know that the time you spent aboard Sir Reel was deeply meaningful to us. We’re delighted to have shared in part of your journey to Alaska with each of you!

Seattleites and Juneauites

Juneau is a short plane ride from Seattle. We had several guests who came to Alaska’s capital city for a weekend visit. We also met a handful of locals in Juneau who were able to make it out for a day. Most locals in Juneau have a boat or a friend with a boat, so we don’t see many of them throughout the summer. But we love taking locals out fishing!

Cruise Ship Guests

The majority of our guests this year joined us for a 4 or 6-hour fishing trip. The best thing about these trips was how excited people were about everything: whatever was biting, whales breaching and diving, and the experience of being on the water in a big boat!

A few of these included catch-and-cook adventures. And despite claiming that they didn’t care for salmon, tasting freshly caught and cooked Alaska salmon converted at least a few of our guests. We’re so grateful these visitors spent their time in Juneau with us and Mr B.

Reel Warriors Foundation Trip

This was a boisterous and fun-loving group of friends from California who won a 3-day trip through the Reel Warriors Foundation at their annual gala. This foundation is amazing and supports U.S. military veterans through saltwater fishing and other outdoor activities.

Our cheeks are still hurting from how much we laughed and smiled with this group! They made the most of the weather, which wasn’t all that great, and enjoyed the absolute heck out of fishing on Sir Reel. They were polite, kind, and full of stories. We’re so honored to work with the Reel Warriors Foundation and are already excited for our 2026 trip!

Family With Boys Who Love Fishing

A family from New Mexico decided to have an Alaskan adventure during their son’s break from football training. This three-day trip was amazing! The weather was stunning, and the whole family was into fishing and having an Alaskan boat adventure.

Over the course of the three days, we saw a large orca pod, humpback whales breaching, and the small village of Hoonah. The family caught a ton of fish, including halibut, rock fish, salmon, and cod. We’re so thankful that they spent their precious time off from training with us on the Sir Reel!

Our Close Friends and Family

Joining us for our shake-down tour this year was Jojo’s dad, John, and Toyin, our long-time friend and a skilled fisherman (and our deckhand in training). In late June, we cruised from Juneau to Hoonah to Elfin Cove and back in 6 days.

We saw whales breaching, caught halibut, cod, an Alaskan Mackrel, and king salmon. We even got out on a short island hike while near Elfin Cove. The trip was magical, and we’re so grateful to John and Toyin for spending their time with us and Mr B.

Local Businesses That Make Our Business Better

We love showcasing other small businesses here in Juneau and southeast Alaska. We’ve included them here so our guests can order their own at home.

Here’s a shoutout to our favorites from this season - thanks for making our tours better!

Our Lenders And Others Who Believed In Us

A final moment of gratitude for our leaders and grantors, Spruce Root and the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. And an additional thanks to our friends and family who’ve helped out along the way. Without all of you, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do!

A Summer Full of Adventure Stories

We hope that as our guests gather around the turkey or haliubt, their stories from their travels in Alaska are some of the first they share. We hope they share what it was like to experience the endless wilderness and reassuring abundance.

Thanks for being a part of our 2025 season - we hope to see you again!

Want More Insights About Adventuring In Alaska?

Drop us a comment with what interests you, and we’ll likely write a post about it!

Subscribe to our newsletter, Sir Reel Times, for adventure updates, fishing tips, and stories from southeast Alaska.

Join us for an adventure vacation by visiting our website!

This post features a sampling of various meals we offer on our trips. We like to accommodate guests’ preferences and consider other factors, such as seasonality, when preparing for an adventure. Our daily charters include hearty snacks and also change seasonally depending on what’s available at the time of your visit!

We’re confident that our beautiful dishes will please even the pickiest palate! Whenever possible, we use organic, local, and wild-harvest ingredients.

We proudly feature other local businesses on our menu, such as Barnacle Foods, Sea Quester Farms, Alaska Pure Sea Salt, Juneau Greens, Foraged & Found, Wild Oven, Wildfish Cannery, Jerry’s Meats, Worthy Seafoods, and many others. A complete catalog of all our local partners will be available soon!

Quick Note About The Pictures: We’re working on updating our photos. For now, the photos are graciously provided by various artists via Unsplash. Check back soon for up-to-date images!

(Click Here to Return to Our Website)

2025 Menu

• Daily Adventures Tapas

• Breakfast

• Lunch

• Happy Hour Hors d’oeuvres

• Dinner

Daily Adventures Tapas

Salmon Puffs Photo by AnaCristina Smith on Unsplash Locally smoked salmon and freshly made cream cheese stuffed into bite-sized homemade puff pastry goodness.

Wild Berry Pavlova Photo by Serghei Savchiuc on Unsplash Light and crunchy meringue shells filled with lemon crème patissière, topped with chantilly cream and fresh, wild berries.

Fresh Fish & Chips Photo by Christoffer Engström on Unsplash Fresh caught halibut or rockfish, beer battered and fried with home fries.

Breakfast

Lox & Herb Cream Cheese Photo by Bakd&Raw by Karolin Baitinger on Unsplash Fresh Alaskan sourdough topped with local lox and fresh herb cream cheese.

Four Cheese Frittata Photo by Taylor Walling on Unsplash A satisfying mix of cottage cheese and other melty cheese with a mild kick!

Pain Perdu (Stuffed French Toast) Photo by Vicky Ng on Unsplash French toast stuffed with cream cheese, topped with spruce tip syrup, and wild Alaskan berries.

Orange Ginger Scones Photo by Ben Stein on Unsplash Made fresh on the boat first thing in the morning - not too sweet, served with Yukon honey butter or wild preserves.

Colorado-style Skillet Photo by Anshu A on Unsplash Made in the spirit of Denver Omelet with country ham, red onion, and orange bell pepper.

Hearty Overnight Oatmeal Photo by K8 on Unsplash Steel-cut oats with assorted nuts, Alaskan berries, Yukon honey or birch syrup, butter, and organic cream.

Lunch

Gourmet Sammies Photo by amirali mirhashemian on Unsplash Artisan meats and cheeses on locally made sourdough bread.

Deluxe Salads Photo by Christine Isakzhanova on Unsplash Locally-grown greens, carrots, tomatoes, radishes, and avocado on a bed of quinoa. Choice of protein and cheese.

Charcuterie Board Photo by Shayna Douglas on Unsplash Featuring in-season berries, goat cheese, brie, aged cheddar, fig spread, local preserves, artisan meats, crackers, and baguette slices.

Happy Hour Hors d’oeuvres

Catch of the Day Ceviche Photo by Aleisha Kalina on Unsplash Made with the catch of the day and a serrano-lime marinade with spruce tip sea salt.

Smoked Salmon Dip Photo by Lisha Riabinina on Unsplash Small batch smoked salmon mixed with garlic cream cheese, served with thin sourdough toast and artisanal crackers.

Crab Rangoon Photo by Connie Perez on Unsplash Cream cheese and crab fried in a delicate wonton wrapper. Crab-free wontons also available.

Dinner

Blackened Rockfish Tacos Photo by Spencer Davis on Unsplash Fresh-caught rockfish dressed with locally grown veggies and Alaskan Sea Salt - served on handmade tortillas.

Prawns & Grits Photo by Alexandr Popadin on Unsplash Local shrimp and creamy white cheddar grits. A family recipe bringing the American Southeast to Southeast Alaska!

Alaskan Seafood Chowder Photo by Helgi Olgeirsson on Unsplash The best meal on chilly days! Bursting with fresh-caught halibut and local root vegetables.

Salmon en Papillote Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash A delicate French preparation of salmon filet, steamed in paper with julienned veggies.

Wagyu Chili Burger Photo by amirali mirhashemian on Unsplash Fresh roasted green chilies from New Mexico, herbed aioli, Monterey Jack, & cheddar cheese.

Vol Au Vent Photo by Jojo Marinated, thin-sliced steak, locally grown mushrooms, and garlic mashed potatoes served in homemade puff pastry.

Want More Insights About Adventuring In Alaska?

Drop us a comment with what interests you, and we’ll likely write a post about it!

And remember to subscribe to our newsletter, Sir Reel Times, for regular adventure updates, fishing tips, and stories from southeast Alaska.

Join us for an adventure vacation by visiting our website!