2021 has been, without a doubt, one of the most memorable years in modern fishing history. Okay, maybe not in fishing history, but history in general. With that being said, As we close the books on 2021, today we walk down memory lane and share some of our best posts from 2021. January- Fishing Tip:…
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Alaska West
Fly Tying: Chinook Runner
Chrome fresh King (Chinook) Salmon are awesome! It’s an absolute favorite gamefish to target on a Spey rod. They can be challenging to figure out, and even more so to get to the net. There are a few special rivers though where these incredible fish come in silver and aggressive, and this is a go…
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Deneki Chronicles: Sight Fishing for Trout – 10 Tips
This week’s Deneki Chronicles features tips on sight fishing for trout. When you’re fly fishing, and you can see the trout sitting there, that’s like sitting on a winning fly fishing lottery ticket, and when you get a strike, it’s like cashing your ticket. The euphoria and excitement are something else. So whether a sight…
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12 Gifts for the Fly Angler: Part Two
We’re another week closer to Christmas this year, and we got four more gift ideas for that pesky fly angler in your life. If you missed last week, click here for part one of the Christmas gift guide. A fly tying vise is literally the foundation for fly anglers who tie flies. Like a lot…
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Fly Tying: PNW Munker
“Bright day, bright fly. Dark day, dark fly.” right? More on that later. The PNW Munker is just that, Bright. With a wide profile and well-balanced fly, this fly is very effective for Steelhead and Pacific Salmon. Tie Instructions and photos by Alex Belonga. If you’d like to see more of Alex’s flies or want…
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The Benefits of Joining a Fly Fishing Club
For decades fly fishing has been an excuse for adventurous people to liberate themselves from daily routine into nature and find peace and connection at a slower pace. To grasp fly fishing requires one to develop a profound understanding and appreciation of the natural environment, the seasons, the river, and its habitants. One of the…
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Time to Get Chummy
In Alaska, all Salmon are on a spectrum of appreciation. Some are more appreciated than others. Of course, you have your King Salmon and Silver Salmon leading that list, followed by Sockeye Salmon, Chum Salmon, and Pink Salmon. Aggressive, tenacious, and will pull and tug with the best of them, Chum salmon is, bar none,…
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Deneki Outdoors Wishes You a Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is all about being thankful. No matter your situation or the challenges you currently face, it is essential to find things to be grateful for and embrace. Thankfulness is the ability to both give and receive. Especially that turkey, you’re about to cleave. Thank you for letting us be a part of your fly…
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Fly Tying: Turkey Trot Gobble
There is no trot. There is no gobble. What we do have is the Turkey Trot Gobble Fly. There is no material list because we don’t know everything about it. There are no instructions, quite frankly because we’re not sure how we did it. All we know is it looks like a turkey, a pretty…
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Deneki Chronicles: Get the Right Line for Your Spey Rod!
At Alaska West we spend a lot of time chasing anadromous fish with two-handed rods. We see this situation all the time: Angler arrives in camp with new spey rod. Angler sets it up with the line that his or her buddy/mentor/favorite author/shop guy/rep/mother-in-law said would work well. Angler fishes it for a while and…
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