One of the most fun and unique ways to target rainbow trout in Western Alaska is by ‘mousing.’ Small voles and other rodents often find themselves in the river, intentionally or not, and our bigger predatory rainbows are always on the lookout for a meal that’s even more filling than their usual diet of salmon…
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Archives for July 2018
Fly Tying Tip: Scruff Your Dubbing
We just finished up a great couple weeks at Alaska West with our good friend, professional fly designer/tyer, and Deneki blog contributor, Stuart Foxall. As you might expect, he showed us a few things, and today we thought we’d share one of those things with you. As a commercial fly tyer, speed is critical to…
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Maxima Sharktooth Line Management System
Whether we’re swinging flies for salmon and steelhead or skating mouse patterns for resident rainbow trout, when it comes to leader material plain ol’ Maxima Ultragreen has become a staple at our lodges in Alaska and British Columbia. Why? It’s super strong, abrasion resistant, relatively stiff for nylon monofilament, and pretty inexpensive compared to most…
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Wind on Your Dominant Shoulder – Top 3 Casts
It’s no secret, excess wind is one of the most challenging variables to overcome when casting a fly rod.. Particularly on the flats. Many anglers fret the thought of having to deliver the fly directly into a stiff headwind, often practicing for hours into the wind in preparation of an upcoming trip. However, we find…
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Nice Fish, Kathy!
We love coming at you daily with the latest tips, tricks, gear, news, and stories in fly fishing. However, sometimes we like to take a day to simply admire what most of us are really after.. Really. Big. Fish! Long time Deneki guest and envy-inducing fish magnet, Kathy Whiting, joined us last week to swing…
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Timeless Tips: Caring for Fly Lines
Contrary to popular belief, the fly line is arguably the most essential part of any fly rod setup. One can spend top dollar for the most elite rod and reel on the market, but their performance rests largely on the quality of the fly line it is paired with. We go to extreme lengths to…
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Ed Ward on the Perry Poke – OPST Video
When it comes to skagit-style spey casting, we think its safe to say that the Perry Poke is one of the most versatile casts an angler can have in his/her repertoire. That being said, its actually one of the least used casts we tend to see from guests at our lodges. Therefore, when Alaska West…
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Puffy Vests – An Alaskan Guide Staple
If you’re like us and spend a lot of time on the water, arguably the most critical pieces of ‘gear’ to take into consideration are the clothes on your back. Proper layering is key to staying safe and comfortable amongst the elements and perhaps no other place on Earth is this more true than in…
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Happy 4th of July
We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to spend the majority of our days operating world-class fishing lodges on world-class fisheries located across several different countries around the world. That being said, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t also extremely proud to be based out of the good ol’ US of A where we’re free…
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Timeless Tips: Fighting King Salmon – Bend the Butt Section
Our king salmon seasons in Alaska and British Columbia are underway, so today we present you with a friendly reminder of one of the most common mistakes made when fighting big fish on spey rods – not putting enough pressure on the fish! Take the photo above taken of Alaska West guide, Ben West, while…
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