with the state opening up the Salmon River locks above our fishing location the night before we made the best of it with rain and murky water for our first trip ever on the Salmon River. All three of us that went caught fish had a few extra bites. The overall experience was great with the captain. The Equipment was excellent. We made the best of the higher waters. I would recommend this charter to anyone for the first time or even a repeat customer.
would never fishing for salmon the captain was patient and explaining the technique after losing the first couple bites we hounded in our techniques and we’re successful

I started thinking about a Steelhead trip for my 12 year old son and I in early January so I started googling charters near me. the list popped up and “Locked with Lorensen” was a perfect 5.0. I read every single review (73 of them) and some common themes were “patient with beginners, passionate about fishing, knowledgeable, and professional” The one that stood out to me was that he is great with kids.

From the time we got on the boat it was time to learn. He doesn’t treat kids like kids… but as young anglers. He was very concise with his instructions and Evan was off and running within 3 casts. Captain Ryan kept him so interested that he never once got bored, never complained, or asked when the trip was gonna be over, he just fished til his hands cramped up. He would take a couple mins to stretch em back out eat some beef jerky and was right back at it. of the 8 hours and change we were on the river he maybe missed 40 mins of fishing which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Hats off to Captain Ryan cuz I really doubted my son’s fortitude in the beginning.

We were able to get a few bites and I was able to hook up for about 10 seconds before it spit the hook. No matter what happened he never gave us a chance to get ourselves disappointed about the missed opportunity just kept telling us that its all about the next cast. And that made the experience that much more enjoyable.

The weather was gorgeous, the water looked good and our spirits were high but unfortunately it was nobody’s day on the river as we ran into several other guides and all said that the fish just wasn’t feeling fishy. He was able to put me onto a large sucker fish and that brought a tremendous amount of levity and filled the boat with laughter.

My son and I now have a core memory and a tradition to follow that is just for him and I and that’s what matters to me. We are already looking into a trip in the fall if there is availability. ( just got home from our trip an hour ago and wanted to do a review before I look). As cliché as it might sound, this trip wasn’t about the fish as much as it was finding something new that my son and I can learn together, bond over, and ultimately teach and pass down to his own kids.

We really had a fantastic time. Captain Ryan was extremely communicative and flexible with his schedule, and he took the time to call me before and walk through everything from the plan, fishing techniques, pickup, and all the details. He was very accommodating and took us out even though it was essentially an open window between snowstorms. He was very friendly, extremely knowledgeable, taught my kids quite a bit and he taught me quite a bit as well. He really coached my son through his second catch and gave him confidence to complete the catch. He also really knew what he was doing. We went to multiple spots, got hits at each one, tried different techniques, and walked away with 3 keepers (Steelheads). He took lots of pictures and sent them to me. Really a wonderful human being and I can’t say enough things about how much we enjoyed the trip (and we’ve done multiple guided fishing trips before, so we have a good understanding of how they should go). He had a heater/warmer on his boat, which was key. Great price also, especially since he spent extra time with us to fish in one more spot before an enjoyable ride home. We will definitely be back and will connect with Captain Ryan again.

I’ve been fishing for steelhead about 20 years. Today I landed five and probably lost 15. Most ever in a day. Ryan was very patient with my brother-in-law and he had the time of his life. He caught a monster, his first, and a few more after that. Can say enough about this trip. I’ve fished in Alaska and Montana. Some days you can’t beat the good old Salmon River!