We’ve mentioned before that most of the time our bonefish on South Andros aren’t overly picky. However, we’d be lying if we said we don’t encounter our share of spooky bonefish from time to time. After all, they’re still bonefish! For the most part, we like flies that are big and light. However, we’re also…
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Archives for December 2015
‘Good’ Weather is Relative
A question we get asked all the time in regards to our lodges is, “what’s the best time to go fishing in Alaska?” Our standard answer? “Well, it depends..” We’re aware that’s not the one word answer most folks are looking for, but the truth is, we’re really lucky to operate on an incredibly diverse fishery…
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Spey TV Episode 5: Critical Elements of Presentation
The good folks from Spey TV are back with another great video on the fundamentals of spey fishing. Episode 5 focuses on the finer points on presenting the fly throughout swing from spey legend, Charles St. Pierre. If you’ve ever wondered if you’re fly is doing the ‘right’ thing throughout the swing, we think you’ll…
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10 Obvious Truths of Successful Anglers
It’s been said many, many times before that 10 percent of anglers catch 90 percent of the fish. We’d have to agree, but what if we told you what sets those 10 percent apart are things you already know? There are all kinds of tips and tricks out there to catch more fish (heck, we run…
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Fighting Fish Under the Boat
At Alaska West, we’re lucky to be able to target fish in a whole bunch of different ways; from swinging flies on foot, to walking smaller side channels, to rowing our jet sleds in traditional ‘drift boat’ fashion. Sometimes, when fishing for aggressive ‘podded up’ species like silver salmon, fishing from a fixed position makes…
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Tide Watches for Anglers
Whether we’re poling the flats for bonefish, swinging for tidewater chinook, or waiting for that deep pull at ‘Lower Tidal’ on the Dean, a good understanding of the tide is pretty important where we fish. Tides are on our mind all year long at our operations, and our guides are well aware that knowing the proper timing…
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Fly Fishing Stocking Stuffers
Christmas is right around the corner, and while there are many great holiday gift guides out there, what about the stocking stuffers? Fly rods don’t fit too well in a stocking, so to help you out this holiday season, today we present you with 15 inexpensive stocking stuffer ideas for the angler on your list….
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Underdog
In case you weren’t aware, yesterday was National Underdog Day. Seriously folks, we couldn’t make this stuff up. So, in light of this major holiday (insert sarcastic tone), we’re coming at you with a photo of one of the biggest underdogs of them all, the chum salmon. During the first half of our season at Alaska…
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Spey TV Episode 4: Running Line Management
When it comes to skagit or scandi style spey casting, good line management is key to remaining tangle free and achieving maximum distance. We’ve ran a bunch of posts in the past on various methods of managing running line and today we present you with a great write-up AND video from our buddy George Cook with…
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Spey Fishing from a Boat
We really love working our way down a run on foot, swinging flies, and catching big fish like king salmon on spey rods. Who wouldn’t, right? At Alaska West, we’re really lucky in that our fishery is about as perfect as it gets for swinging flies – long, lazy, low gradient runs made up of big…
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