It’s a picture that looks like a painting! Perfect virgin gravel on the Kanektok River at Alaska West, circa 2004. More Cool Pictures from Alaska At the Ready Go Make Babies We Have Liftoff
Alaska West
Slow Your Swing Down First
When you’re swinging flies for steelhead or salmon, there are times when ‘the perfect swing’ doesn’t elicit the response you were hoping for. We’ve all been there, right? Perhaps the presentation goes unnoticed through the bucket, or you feel the slightest hint of a grab, but no fish to follow. Your first thought might be…
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Have You Ever Seen a More Heavily Spotted Trout?
Check out the lower jaw, the leading edges of the fins, the eyeball for goodness’ sake! This has to be one of the most gorgeous rainbow trout we’ve seen at Alaska West. More Beautiful Alaska West Trout Really Rad Rainbows CSP with an Early-Season Dandy Photo Contest Winner
Cotton Swab Tube Flies
We fish a lot of tube flies at Alaska West, especially when targeting fish on the swing. While there a lot of different tube materials out there marketed by various fly tying companies, when you tie as many flies as we do over the course of the season, sometimes the cheapest option is best. Next time you are…
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Kyle Shea’s Nymphing Rig
Have you noticed lately that a bunch of the posts on our blog have been tagged ‘Kyle Shea‘? That’s because Kyle has been writing a bunch of posts lately! Kyle cut his teeth fishing and guiding for trout and salmon in his home waters of Maine. He now spends his summers guiding on the Kanektok…
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Nice King, Whitey
Spey fishing for king salmon is in our blood at Alaska West. Here’s Michael White with a Bush era king salmon – part of a session that could best be described as ridiculous. Nice king, Whitey. More on King Salmon at Alaska West Stand Your Ground King Salmon Mini Gallery Adjusting the Swing
Fleece Tops in the Deneki Gear Store
Just in time for the chilly weather, we have some new Simms Guide Fleece Tops in stock at our online store. They’re really cozy and embroidered with Alaska West or BC West logos – fly the flag of your choosing! You can check out the Alaska West Fleece Top here, or the BC West…
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Grocery Hole
Rainbow trout in Alaska get big not by eating 5 billion Blue Winged Olives – they get big by eating meat. Salmon flesh, salmon eggs, smolts, sculpins, rodents and more…it takes a big mouth to take down a big meal, and that’s why big trout in Alaska have quite the grocery hole indeed. More on…
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Tie Your Own Flies!
Catching a fish on a fly you tied yourself is a special thing. It gives you a closer connection to the sport and the fish itself. If you have never experienced this, Alaska is the place to do it! Whether you’re a beginner or experienced fly tyer, here are a few patterns that we tie…
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It’s How Your Fly Swims That Matters
For anglers learning the basics of swinging flies for steelhead and salmon, the simplest way to think about presentation is to watch the head of the fly line during the swing and make adjustments. We’re taught that, for example, you can speed up your fly by mending in a downstream belly – meaning that the…
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