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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Stick It to the Taxman
It’s tax season, and what better way to cope than by sticking it to the Taxman himself. Due to their tendency to collect a portion of tropical angler’s hard-earned, sharks have been appropriately dubbed ‘the Taxman’ by the angling community. Those who have fished on South Andros know the Taxman well. With populations of lemon…
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Strip to Your Pocket
Today’s post comes from the questions-we-get-asked-a-lot category. Today’s question being: How long should I strip my fly for bonefish? There are many variables that are important to consider when retrieving a fly for bonefish. The speed of the boat, the speed at which the fish is moving, the depth of the water, and the weight…
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Loon Outdoors UV Infiniti Light
The introduction of UV curable adhesives has allowed anglers to accomplish tasks in seconds that once took hours. From fly tying cements and head finishes, to wader and gear repair, to knot and tackle coatings, there has been a massive introduction of UV curable adhesives over the past several years. However, despite the variety of UV adhesives…
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How to Tie Trevor Covich’s Guide Fly for Steelhead – Video
guide fly /ɡīd – flī/ noun. An artificial imitation designed to catch maximum numbers of fish with minimum effort or production time. Typically comprised of inexpensive, durable, and/or readily available materials. Guide flies are a crucial part of a fishing guide’s arsenal. The ability to turn out a day’s worth of flies in an evening allows…
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Timeless Tips: Popper Fishing for Silvers – The Retrieve
When the massive run of silver salmon come pushing past our camp each year at Alaska West (that’s late July through August in our neck of the woods), one of our favorite ways to target them is with poppers. That’s right, the same type of poppers you may have chucked near the lily pads on your…
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