In many avenues of fly fishing, it is often argued that a fly reel serves as nothing more than a means to store fly line. On the flats however, that’s far from the case. Quality reels with high performance drag systems can make a huge difference when it comes to bringing hard fighting saltwater species…
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Archives for April 2018
8 Tips to a Better Strip Set
Executing a proper strip set is critical to success on the flats. However, contrary to popular belief, there’s more to an effective strip set than simply pulling on the fly line once the fish has taken the fly. Our good friend, Kyle Schaefer of Soul Fly Outfitters, spends his summers on the poling platform targeting…
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Plan D Tube Fly Boxes
We fish a lot of tube flies at our lodges in Alaska and British Columbia. Tubes offer a number of advantages over flies tied on traditional hooks, but perhaps their biggest disadvantage is their inability to be stored in a traditional fly box. When it comes to housing a season’s worth of tube flies, most…
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Chase Down that Fish of a Lifetime
Big bonefish, we’re talking fish-of-a-lifetime ‘big,’ can run far.. Really far. After all, their ability to take hundreds of yards of backing is a huge part of what makes the opportunity to tussle with one so rewarding. Unfortunately, when it comes to fighting big fish the fact remains; the farther they run, the more difficult…
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Timeless Tips: The Best Time to Go Fishing in Alaska
When talking to folks about fly fishing in Alaska, inevitably we get asked the question, “what’s the best time to go fishing in Alaska?” Unlike other fisheries the ‘best time’ to go fishing in Alaska is extremely dependent on your own interests and goals. Our Alaskan seasons are extremely diverse – There is no ‘best time’ per…
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How to Avoid Twist in Your Fly Line – Video
Whether you fish freshwater or saltwater, warm water or cold water, single or double handed rods, or all of the above, fly line twist happens to everybody. But, believe it or not, it can be easily fixed! We recently stumbled upon a great video put together by our friends at RIO on how to avoid…
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The Coho Clouser – Tying Instructions
When asked about our favorite flies for silver salmon, many of our guests are surprised to hear that one of the most popular patterns amongst our guide staff at Alaska West is not a ‘typical’ Alaska-born coho pattern such as a hareball leech or dolly llama, but rather a plain ol’ pink and white Clouser…
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Elements of Great Fly Fishing Photos
Without question, photography has become an integral part of the fly fishing culture and we’re really lucky to have worked with a bunch of truly great outdoor photographers over the years. Those who have been following our blog for the past few years may have noticed many of our photos credited to Gregory Houska. Greg…
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How to Repair Split Jungle Cock Nails
When it comes to fly tying materials, particularly in the world of salmon and steelhead flies, its safe to say there’s no feather more prized than jungle cock. Due to their stunning contrast of color and natural durable enamel-like coating, jungle cock eyes (or ‘nails’) have been sought after by fly tyers for over a hundred…
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Timeless Tips: Fighting Bonefish
In the past we’ve covered how to spot bonefish, and how to set the hook on a bonefish. Great, you’ve done it all right and you’ve got one hooked up. Now what? Here’s what. Let him run. As soon as you’re confident that you’ve got the hook set (you strip-set, right?), let that fish run….
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