A Kenai man was sentenced last month to 30 days in jail and fined $35,000 for unlicensed sport fish guiding on the Kenai River.
William “Buck” Hollandsworth was found guilty in Kenai District Court of seven counts, including providing support fishing guide services without registering with the Department of Fish and Game, providing sport fishing guide services on the Kenai River without registering with the Department of Natural Resources State Parks, operating a sport fish guide vessel without a guide sticker, providing sport fish guide services in the Kenai River Special Management Area without a permit, and three counts of fishing guide aiding in or permitting violation of law, according to an Oct. 12 Alaska Department of Law press release.
Hollandsworth was charged in 2017, after park rangers and wildlife troopers intercepted him while he was guiding a full boat of out-of-state anglers, according to the release. Investigators, who had been aware that Hollandsworth had been acting as an unlicensed guide for a while, found that Hollandsworth had also allowed clients to fish with bait when the river was open only for fishing with a single unbaited hook, operated his unregistered sport fishing guide vessel after 6 p.m. and allowed a client to continue fishing after catching the daily limit of king salmon, according to the release.
On Sept. 28, Hollandsworth was sentenced in Kenai District Court to 30 days in jail, with 20 days suspended, given a $35,000 fine, and placed on one year probation, during which he may not fish or boat on the Kenai River with those fishing. Hollandsworth also forfeited his boat, trailer and all seized fishing gear and electronics.
