Before I took my vacation up to Alaska, if a little understanding of how large Alaska was, and how remote some of its destinations. My Alaska fishing guide told me a fact that is common knowledge to many, but that had eluded me up to that point: Alaska is so large that if it were divided into two equal parts, Texas would have the rare honor of being the third largest state in the country. It truly is the last frontier out there, although the native Alaskans will grimace when you say such a thing to their faces.

Along with its largeness, and its remoteness, Alaska is wild and sparsely populated. This is what makes Alaska fishing and hunting so attractive to some many people. Alaska fishing lodges are some of the most isolated in the world, and along with that have some of the best fishing. Most Alaska fishing guides are knowledgeable – you need to be knowledgeable to survive in such a brutal and isolated environment.

Our Alaska fishing guide was a gruff old fellow. He had not set out to be an Alaska fishing guide originally, but then again few do. Generally, your Alaska fishing guide will fit into one of two types. Either he is some young adventurer who's traveled all over the world, and found Alaska to be the only place harsh enough, isolated enough, and beautiful enough for him to finally settle in, or he is a native. It is native to Alaska, he is likely to be a man of few words; strong and independent, and with a quiet but hilarious sense of humor. Our Alaskan fishing guide was of the former type.

Mike was the name of the Alaska fishing guide, a plain name for a man who was anything but plain. Before settling into his current role as an Alaska fishing guide he had been, in no particular order, a Mountaineer, a translator, and an attaché to several American consulates. He even spent some time as a firefighter. But of all these jobs, he said, his job as an Alaska fishing guide suited him to a tee. You get to spend all of his time in the great outdoors, showing some of the most beautiful, pristine, and undisturbed wilderness in the world to travelers from all over who loves nature almost as much as he did. Although his job as an Alaska fishing guide meant that he had a tough life, it seemed to be worth it for him.