To start off I’d like to tell you of an early experience in my Alaska sportfishing career that might help you make a bit of sense out of the fly recipe below. This was the early 90’s and I had only been in Alaska a couple of years at that point and also just out…
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Alaska West
Deneki Chronicles: Secrets of the Flesh Fly
Sometimes all it takes is a little flesh. Photo: Ramsey Smith Trout that live in the lower sections of rivers like the Kanektok and the Arolik in Western Alaska gets a lot of their calories from salmon flesh. That means that at Alaska West we spend a lot of time tying and fishing patterns that…
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Selecting Sink Tips
When swinging flies for salmon and steelhead, a question we get asked a lot is ‘what sink tip should I use?’ or ‘how do I know what sink tip to start with?’ Like all things fly fishing, there is no rule of thumb that pertains to every situation. There are far too many variables…
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Deneki Chronicles: Spey Fishing – Watch How Your Fly Lands
When swinging flies for salmon and steelhead, we talk a lot about the importance of ‘fly profile,’ the broadside silhouette the fly takes on while in the water. Many fly tyers go to great lengths trying to achieve the desired profile, and it is this idea that has stemmed many modern steelhead and salmon patterns….
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Swing is King
Swing is king. Long casts, and big mends, swinging is a technique that we not only appreciate here in Alaska West and Rapids Camp, but it is a method we enjoy. D loops, ripping the line off the water resulting in long, bombing casts then having faith that while the fly is going down and…
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10 Tips to Wade Safely
As fly fishing anglers, wherever you fish, you’re probably moving and at some point have to wade in the water you’re fishing. You move up, down, and across streams to find and access to the holes, sloughs, and seams that hold fish. With constant movement, it is inevitable you encounter a variety of currents, depth,…
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Why Knot
Ask 5 angling professionals which 5 knots are most important, and you may very well get 25 answers. In our humble opinion, here are the 5 knots you need to know for fly fishing, in priority order. Non-Slip Mono Loop. For attaching any sub-surface fly to your leader, this is our go-to knot. It’s extremely…
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Rainbow Trout Fishing – Mend Less.
It’s summer, so I have to eat. Photo: Cameron Miller There are trout streams out there where highly educated trout demand perfect presentation. Long, light tippets are key. Pure, drag-free drift is essential, and if your fourth mend falls 3 inches left of where it should have, that fish is not going to eat. The…
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Gear Review: Simms BugStopper SolarFlex Hoody
While fishing in Alaska, you need to be prepared for a variety of elements. Rain, wind, sun, and bugs. You can experience all of those things in one day of fishing in Alaska especially in Bristol Bay or Western Alaska. The rain is inevitable, the sun, when it’s out is intense, and the bugs are…well,…
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Magnus Jepson
Magnus Jepson is an entrepreneur, photographer, videographer, and most importantly a friend of Deneki Outdoors. Whether fishing, surfing, or snowboarding Magnus, fueled by his creativity and passion to capture beauty and adventure in the outdoors around the world. Magnus has been with us at Alaska West for the last few years. Although this year was…
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