ABOUT ExpLore Kenai

Dustin Voss, Head Fishing Guide

Dustin is a life-long Alaskan who grew up in Barrow, a town located above the Arctic Circle. After High School he attended the University of Alaska Anchorage and used every excuse to fish the Kenai and surrounding rivers between classes. After graduation, he landed a job as a professional fire fighter on the Kenai Peninsula giving himself ample time to fish. Using his flexible fire fighting schedule, Dustin is able to guide during the summer and fall months.

A member of the Kenai River Professional Guide Association, Dustin runs a 20ft North River Scout for kings, sockeye and silver salmon and, of course, rainbow trout.

Dustin Voss

Dallas Voss, Fishing Guide & Trip Planner

Running a 20ft Willie Predator, Dallas helps clients of Explore Kenai land trophy fish in her backyard. Her hometown of Kenai, features five species of salmon, world-class rainbow trout, while steelhead and grayling are just a few minutes away.

A life-long Alaskan, Dallas was raised in the town of Kenai after her family moved north when she was three. Growing up, almost every adventure she can remember revolved around fishing – exploring large rivers, small streams and the Cook Inlet. Her family not only found free time for sportfishing, but also took part in multiple commercial fisheries – gill netting for salmon, longlining for halibut and farming oysters.

As a teen, Dallas spent multiple summers working for a commercial-fish processing plant - Inlet Salmon - and three summers working for the Alaska Department of Fish & Game in Soldotna. Both part-time jobs helped prepare her for guiding the Kenai and understanding the fishing community as a whole.

A fly-fisherman at heart, Dallas is a member of organizations that aim to unite the angling community and bring new people to the sport – United Women on the Fly and Alaska Fly Fishers. Additionally, she helped host Fishing Tv's ‘World Fishing Day’ on June 23, 2018, which was broadcasted globally. She is a member of the Kenai River Professional Guide Association and an ambassador for Dryft Waders and a Trout Unlimited Kenai Guide Ambassador.

Dallas is married to fellow guide, Dustin. Together they have their son Blake and daughter, Andrea.

Dallas Voss

Kenai, Alaska History

The city of Kenai is named after the local Dena'ina word 'ken' or 'kena', which means 'flat, meadow, open area with few trees; base, low ridge', according to the Dena'ina Topical Dictionary by James Kari, Ph.D., published in 2007. This describes the area along the mouth and portion of the Kenai River near the City of Kenai. Archaeological evidence suggests that the area was first occupied by the Kachemak people from 1000 B.C., until they were displaced by the Dena'ina Athabaskan people around 1000 A.D. Before the arrival of the Russians, Kenai was a Dena'ina village called Shk'ituk't, meaning "where we slide down." When Russian fur traders first arrived in 1741, about 1,000 Dena'ina lived in the village. The traders called the people "Kenaitze", which is a Russian term for "people of the flats", or "Kenai people". This name was later adopted when they were incorporated as the Kenaitze Alaskan Natives in the early 1970s.

In 1985, a world record largest sport-caught Chinook (or "king") salmon was taken from the Kenai River, weighing in at 97 lbs 4oz. Eight of the ten largest king salmons caught in the world have come from the same river, making the city a popular fishing tourist location.

LEAVE NO TRACE Principles

1. Plan ahead and prepare. Know the regulations and identify the LNT practices appropriate for your area. LNT practices in marine environments are different from practices in the desert.

2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces. Learn when to hike together and when to spread out across the tundra. And, when it’s time to camp, avoid that lush bench of soft green heather and camp on the gravel bar.

3. Properly dispose of:

i. Human waste. That includes burning toilet paper or carrying it out.

ii. Cooking waste.

iii. Hunting and fishing waste. Follow ADF&G regulations and recommendations.

4. Leave what you find, so that others experience the joy and wonder that you have.

5. Minimize campfires. Build fires in places where they will not leave a scar, like the gravel river bank.

6. Respect wildlife. Follow recognized practices in bear country, and maintain appropriate viewing distances.

7. Be considerate of other people. When you make camp, find a spot well off the trail so you minimize your impact on other groups.