Kevin Long – getting paid for what he likes to do
Ted Escobar/The Sun Tribune When fishermen ask how big, Kevin just pulls out this photo.
Ted Escobar/The Sun Tribune Kevin Long’s wife says fishing and fish barbecues are a family thing.
Ted Escobar/The Sun Tribune Watching someone, like Dave from Town Ford in Wenatchee, catch his first King Salmon is exciting. It weighed 15 pounds.
Ted Escobar/The Sun Tribune ABOVE For Kevin Long, far right, and his father Richard, far left, the work is most enjoyable because of company they keep. RIGHT When fishermen ask how big, Kevin just pulls out this photo.
DESERT AIRE – Countless people watch professional sports on TV and wish they could be paid for playing games, or at least for doing something they love.
That’s Kevin Long, who operates a fishing guide service out of Desert Aire. He was still in diapers when he started fishing, and he still loves fishing.
When Long launched King Hunter Guide Service four years ago, things were slow at first. Now he books a year ahead.
A New Jersey group has hired Long three times. There are many other repeat customers.
“If I were to go to this full time, I’d survive,” Long said.
After a short winter break, Long starts working the Lake Chelan kokanee season in late January. That takes him to June.
In July, Long works up and down the Columbia chasing sockeye, kings and sturgeon. August takes him to Lake Wenatchee for sockeye.
“They open up the Little Wenatchee and White River,” he said.
About Halloween, Long shuts down for some R&R and maintenance and preparations for the coming year.
Long grew up in Puyallup and spent a lot of his time fishing on Puget Sound or in the Pacific. His fishing-crazy father, Richard Long, started him.
Richard is still around, and he works with his son occasionally. His boat is only slightly smaller than his son’s, and both boats sport the company logo.
Long and his family could live off of the guide service alone, but he has a full-time job he loves. He’s firefighter-EMT with the Boeing Fire Department.
Long fights fires at Boeing and sometimes is involved in fires in surrounding communities. He’s on seven to nine (24-hour) days a month and lives at the station during those periods.
Long, 32, started thinking about the guide service because of the free time and the fact Richard has a home at Desert Aire.
“He helped me get the business started and on its feet,” Long said.
Long and his father spent five years getting a good knowledge of the river and lakes. They learned where the fish are and when and how to catch them.
Not all of the work is for pay. The Longs participate in charity fishing events that benefit veterans and other groups. They donate time to the Sagebrush Senior Center in Desert Aire.
Long has a high success rate, but there are times when clients don’t catch fish. Their goal is to show clients a good time anyway.
“Most people understand it’s still fishing. You may not catch one,” Long said.
The boat is equipped with shade and misters for hot days. And it has a barbecue grill for cooking steaks or warming other foods.
“Sometimes we start the day with breakfast burritos,” Long said.
The boat is also equipped with swivel chairs, and the Longs are always ready to help a client land a fish, whether by maneuvering the chairs or the boat. Some fish really fight.
“Fall kings will tear you up,” Long said. “We have to net the bigger ones,”
The fishing day is eight hours long and starts in the early morning. For Long it’s a 16-hour day, from preparing to go out to putting everything away.
“But it’s fulfilling to see people catch their first fish,” he said.