It’s time to meet your Portland, Oregon, fishing guide, Marvin Henkel, owner and operator of Marvin’s Guide Service.
Marvin was born and raised right here in the Portland area. Marvin graduated from David Douglas High School in 1991 and went straight to work at Gunderson as a welder, building rail cars in downtown Portland, Oregon.
Marvin lived for the weekends. That’s when he could fish the Columbia River and try to catch salmon, sturgeon, walleye, or whatever else would bite.
Marvin’s favorite vacation was a two-week fishing trip to Tillamook Bay. He would take this time off from his job at Gunderson to fish for salmon and crabs.
In 2000, Marvin got his Oregon guide license and started guiding part-time on the weekends and vacations as he continued working at Gunderson.
In 2001, Marvin left Gunderson to pursue his dream of being a full-time fishing guide. He set up shop in his hometown of Portland and fished from the Columbia River Gorge to the Oregon Coast.
Marvin quickly found out that building his business was going to be tough. He started working three days a week at Schwan’s, delivering ice cream and food on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Then he would guide salmon, sturgeon, and walleye fishing trips on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
After a year of working at Schwan’s, Marvin had made a name for himself in the fishing industry and was able to become a full-time guide.
Marvin Henkel is a fishing guide who operates out of Portland, Oregon. He offers guided fishing trips for salmon, sturgeon, walleye, and crab in and around the Portland area. Marvin has been a full-time guide for the past 20 years and now guides over 200 trips a year.
Father and son Team up
For the past five years, Marvin has been fortunate enough to have his youngest son, Austin, join him on his guided fishing trips. Austin helps out in many ways, from setting up the boat to landing the fish.
Who knows, maybe one day Marvin will retire, and Austin will be the new captain. Only time will tell.
But for now, let Marvin and Austin lead you to an experience of salmon, sturgeon, or walleye fishing that you will always remember.
One of Marvin and Austin’s favorite places to guide for salmon fishing is Astoria, Oregon, for the world-famous Bouy 10 salmon fishery. This father-son duo will generally start taking clients salmon fishing in the ocean west of Astoria towards the end of July, where the bite first begins. We’ll then move into the river inside of the Buoy 10 marker in the early part of August, when the Columbia River opens for chinook salmon.
This father-and-son team offers guided fishing trips for salmon, sturgeon, and walleye. No matter where they take you, you’ll see their love and dedication to fishing. And they’ll do everything they can to pass that passion on to you.
Father and son fishing team.
Last Updated on by Marvin
