About Chugach Backcountry FishingBorn on the Water. Built for the Backcountry.
Corey Hetrick grew up at Trail Lakes Salmon Hatchery in Moose Pass, Alaska — fish weren't a hobby, they were a way of life. He started guiding at 15, bought his first drift boat at 18, and never looked back. Chugach Backcountry Fishing is the result of a lifetime on the Kenai River.
Corey's StoryA Life Shaped by Alaska's Rivers
Growing up at the Trail Lakes Salmon Hatchery gave Corey something most guides spend years chasing: an instinctive understanding of fish, water, and the way the two interact. By the time most kids were figuring out how to drive, Corey was already guiding paying clients on the Kenai.
That early start built a foundation that no certification or classroom could replicate. He reads the river the way some people read a room, instinctively and always a half-step ahead.
Today, Corey operates out of his private dock on the Kenai River in Soldotna, leading both float trips on the main river and fall backcountry expeditions to spots most anglers will never find on their own.
More Than a Guided Fishing Trip
Private Access
No boat launches, no crowds. We fish out of a private dock with our own private parking and bathrooms.
Local Knowledge
Corey and his guides have decades of combined time on the water. That's not something you can fake or fast-track.
A Family Operation
Kristin, Corey's co-owner and wife, is a trout specialist with six years on the water. This is personal, not corporate.
Meet The Guides
Trevor Guernsey
Guide
Moose Pass | 4th Year on the Kenai
About:
Trevor “Missile” grew up in Moose Pass and has been chasing fish on the Kenai since he could hold a rod. He's young, high energy, and genuinely loves being on the water… and it shows. Clients who fish with Trevor always come back talking about how much fun they had. He's finishing up his college degree in the winters and spends the rest of the year counting down to the next season.
Known For:
Making every trip a good time without sacrificing the fishing.
Zack Fetta
Guide
Palmer | 9 Years on the Kenai
About:
Zack was born and raised in Palmer and has been hunting and fishing his whole life -- which is exactly what you'd expect from someone who works the North Slope in the offseason and spends every spare minute planning his next Alaska hunting trip. Nine years on the Kenai gives him a read on this river that's hard to teach. He's calm, collected, and genuinely loves introducing people to what the Kenai is all about.
Known For:
Quiet confidence and nine years of knowing exactly where the fish are.
Kristin Hetrick
Co-Owner & Guide
Sterling | 6 years on the Kenai | Trout Specialist
About:
Kristin is co-owner of Chugach Backcountry Fishing and one of the most requested guides on the roster. Six years on the Kenai and a specialty in trout fishing means she knows this river intimately. She has a way of making sure everyone on the boat actually enjoys themselves… less intensity, more experience. When she's not on the water she's home with her and Corey's son Carter James, who's already logging his hours as a guide in training.
Known For:
Clients who fish with Kristin ask to fish with Kristin again.
DRYFT Ambassador
Corey is a proud ambassador for DRYFT Waders, gear built to handle Alaska conditions. When you fish with Chugach Backcountry, you're in the hands of a team that takes their equipment as seriously as their fishing holes.