Fly tying is a fantastic way to emulate, create, and design your own awesome fly patterns. Since the internet, there is a huge influx of fly tying instruction videos, and don’t get us wrong, there are a lot of great videos. That being said, before the internet, fly tying books were the best source for…
Read More
Alaska West
Fly Tying: Critter Sculpin
During the October and November months in Alaska, it is the ideal time to fish with two handed rods. The water is low, the scenery is majestic and with less pressure on the river, it is downright peaceful and serene. A swing fly every two hander junky needs to have in their fly box is…
Read More
The Best Time at Alaska West: July
If you’ve never been fishing at Alaska West, and have asked, “when is the best time to fish at Alaska West?”, It’s July. The days are warmer, the river conditions are usually the best, and approximately 18 hours of daylight make for a prime week of fishing at Alaska West Lodge. July can be the…
Read More
Deneki Custom Fly Series: Coho Clouser
Perhaps more than any other fly, the Clouser fly pattern has been tweaked, tuned, and modified to fit a multifarious of freshwater and saltwater fisheries. The original Clouser by Tom Schmuecker and Bob Clouser, designed to run deeper in water, the Deneki’s Coho Clouser was modified with that in mind but for Coho Salmon, to…
Read More
Deneki Chronicles: Trout Fishing-Hold On To Your Hook Set
Today we present you with a simple tip that we’ve seen learned the hard way on, not one, but many heartbreaking occasions. When fishing for trout, particularly when fishing sub-surface flies from a drifting boat, most successful anglers agree that the most effective method of hooking fish on flies you can’t see is by setting…
Read More
Fly Tying: Rainbow Warrior
The days are getting longer, the sun is brighter and more intense, and the thaw freeze cycle puts our wipers to the test. All good signs that spring is coming upon us. As the rivers and streams begin to increase their flow, we can’t help but think about spring fishing, especially after a long dark…
Read More
The Fishing Work Out
“It’s just fishing.” Nothing is more insulting to an Alaskan fly-out fishing guide than this Napoleonic statement. Commonly said by ne’er-do-well non-anglers who regard fly fishing as something more of a hobbyist activity rather than a trade skill used for gainful employment. My typical response to such statements is to politely issue a challenge to…
Read More
Gear Review: Redington Chromer Spey Rod
At the time of the review (fall of 2020), the Redington Chromer rod was available. Since then, Redington had discontinued the Chromer and has replaced it with the Claymore. According to Industry experts, the Claymore is an updated version of the Chromer with minor changes to some details and aesthetics, but the build and essence…
Read More
Fly Tying: Partridge & Orange Soft Hackle
Soft Hackles are a forgotten and underrated fly pattern in Alaska. They shouldn’t be. Soft hackles are divided into two categories; Buzz flies, which are tied with palmered hackle to represent an insect in motion, or winged flies, where the hackles are often a throat then a collar with wings set to imitate an insect…
Read More
Deneki Chronicles: Top 5 Mistakes Fighting Big Fish
At Alaska West and Rapids Camp we see a lot of big fish fought by our guests – we’re talking steelhead and king salmon here. Sometimes our anglers do a great job fighting the big ones. Other times…not so much. Fight hard, fight smart, and get it over fast! Top 5 Mistakes Made Fighting Big…
Read More