Meet Our Fishing Guides
Jon Hulcher
Jon grew up in the Piedmont region of North Carolina fishing for bass and warm-water species until he was introduced to fly fishing by a fifth grade teacher. He immediately fell in love with the sport, fishing for everything from Trout to Tarpon and constantly searching for the next new adventure.
As an avid outdoorsman who is passionate about wildlife conservation; Jon enjoys every aspect of guiding fishermen, new and old. He attended Appalachian State University in North Carolina, where he obtained a B.S. in Sustainable Development and Biology. When he isn’t fishing; you can find Jon out hiking, traveling, tying flies or planning the next fishing destination for the off season.
Jon has been guiding at Drifter’s Lodge since 2015. When he’s not in Alaska, he owns and operates a light tackle and fly fishing charter at Cape Lookout North Carolina. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard Masters License. He has the experience to put you on any Alaskan fish you would like to target, from powerful King Salmon to the Kenai’s famous Rainbow Trout!
Jack Mister
Jack Mister was born and raised in southern Maryland. He grew up spin fishing with local legends Captains Cornette and Bartgis for striped bass, croaker, perch, large mouth bass and just about any other fish found in the Chesapeake Bay, Potomac River and their tributaries. His love for fishing expanded to the fly rod as he moved west to the mountains of Colorado. From there, he made his way north to the Kenai Peninsula where his dedication, knowledge, patience and easy-going attitude all added up to becoming a fishing guide here with us at Drifters. Jack loves what he does, and it’s easy to see as soon as you get out on the water with him.
Ben Hulbert
Bio Coming Soon.
Hunter Heafer
Hunter was born and raised in Anchorage, spending most of his youth on Sand Lake where he learned how to fly fish. He started guiding right out of high school and hasn’t looked back, working on the waters of Denali, Bristol Bay, Katmai National Park and now the Kenai. Hunter also happens to be our in-house spay fishing guru, and loves the Kenai for its vast species of fish, its mystique and the nostalgia tied to growing up here and spending time fishing with his family. When he’s not putting clients onto fish, he’s tying flies, working as a commercial painter in the winters and building his first house on the peninsula.
Kail Allen
Kail has been a guide at Drifters Lodge since 2019, after working for 8 years as a deckhand for multiple sport fishing vessels out of San Diego. Anyone who’s spent a day on the water with Kail knows he’ll do whatever it takes to put clients on fish, even if it means his waders fill with water. Kail is extremely creative and is responsible for the custom rainbow trout design on the back of our Drifters gear.
Shane Andrews
Shane grew up in Nevada where he attended University of Nevada Reno, studying wildlife ecology and environmental sciences. He started fishing as a child in the Truckee River Basin in Northwest Nevada. He’s been at Drifters since 2021, always coming back excited to get people fishing throughout the Kenai River – one of his favorite ecosystems. His love of guiding stems from his love of fishing and sharing that passion with others. He raced competitively in the 2023 Drift Boat Regatta, coming in a nail biting second despite it being his first year competing. If you’re not sure where to find him, look on the softball field or just keep your eyes peeled for the Britney Spears shirt behind the oars of boat 420. In the off-season, you can find him snowboarding, camping, hunting, and enjoying the outdoors
Cam Burggrabe
Cam was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, fishing Lake Michigan with his dad for Walleye and Musky. He has been a Drifters fishing guide since 2021 and is excited to continue guiding clients through the Kenai Peninsula waters he knows and loves. During his free time, he loves tying Steelhead flies, and Spey fishing the waters around Cooper Landing with his friends. During his winters in Michigan Cam spends all his time outdoors ice fishing, hunting deer, and snowmobiling.
Austin Stephens
Austin taught himself how to fly fish when growing up and has traveled most of the U.S. in an endless pursuit for fish on the fly. He eventually made his way to Southern Colorado to guide trout trips in the San Juan Mountains. Austin is coming back for a second season on the Kenai river and is excited to get his clients on the water around Cooper Landing, and enjoy the summer fly-fishing season. In the off-season you can expect him to be in the backcountry hunting, fishing, and enjoying the outdoors.
Matt Robinson
Drifters Lodge is excited to welcome Matt to the guide crew in 2023 for his first Alaska fishing season. Matt grew up in downstate Michigan and has been fishing ever since he was a little kid. He made the full-time move to northern Michigan about 5 years ago and has traveled all over the state fishing and guiding for trout, salmon, and steelhead. With the move to Alaska, Matt’s taking the next step in his guiding career and is ready to apply his skills on the Kenai River to ensure great times out on the water for his clients.
Braeden Young
We are thrilled to welcome Braeden this year for his first season with us at Drifters! Braeden grew up outside of St. Louis, Missouri, and has been fishing for as long as he can remember. He spent 5 years in the US Army as a combat engineer, currently attends Lindenwood University, and now is excited to get out on the water and kick off his guiding career. When Braeden isn’t out fishing, you’ll find him golfing, hunting, and dog training with his free time.
