We’ve written a lot of posts on our blog over the years on properly setting the hook on everything from bonefish and permit to king salmon, steelhead, and trout. That’s because the brief moment following the instant a fish grabs a fly is arguably the most critical to eventually bringing the fish to hand. Depending…
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Alaska West
Happy Hump Day
It’s hump day, and every now and then we like to celebrate by paying homage to one of the most under-appreciated and oft-forgotten species that frequent our waters at Alaska West; the almighty humpy, aka the pink salmon. Why? Because pinks are fun! They’re aggressive, they look really cool, they smash surface flies, they’re a requirement…
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Timeless Tips: 3 Uses for Opposing Wader Straps
Ever wonder why the buckles on your wader straps are opposite, male buckle on one strap and female buckle on the other? Most wader companies today incorporate this feature into their wader straps for good reason, its super handy! Odds are you may have found a use or two for the opposing buckles on your…
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Guide Poll: Favorite Fishing Layers
Those who live a life outside know that proper apparel is far more than just ‘clothing..’ It’s gear. Choosing the right layers is important to staying safe and comfortable on the water, and arguably no one understands this more than Alaska fishing guides. That’s why we asked out team of professional Alaska fly fishing guides…
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Jerry French on Tying the ‘Ultra Rig’ – Video
Earlier this year we expressed our excitement about Alaska West alum, Jerry French’s latest steelhead pattern; the Ultra Squid. Why were we so excited? Because the pattern was the first on the market to utilize Jerry’s Ultra Rig; quite possibly the most innovative idea for trailer hook style flies we’ve seen since, well, trailer hooks!…
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Spey Casting: Overhang and Tip, Head, and Rod Length
Last week we presented you with an informative write-up from our pal Stuart Foxall on the importance of adjusting the amount of overhang, an often overlooked principle in modern spey casting, depending on different variables such as wading depth, wind, obstructions, and so on. If you missed it, be sure to check it out by…
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Fly Tying Hack: Hold Materials With Hair Claw Clips
Ever thought a third hand would come in handy when tying flies? You’re not the only one. While there are many fly tying ‘material clips’ on the market designed to fix to your vise to hold single strand materials out of the way while tying, we’ve found the majority to do a less-than-adequate job of…
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Timeless Tips: Sight Fishing for Trout
We’re really lucky to have an extremely diverse trout fishery at Alaska West. It’s not uncommon during any part of our season to catch trout by swinging flies, stripping streamers, dead drifting sub-surface patterns, or skating mouse flies on top. However, one of our favorite ways to target big leopard rainbows is by sight fishing…
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Swinging Flies – 3 Random Tips
Its no secret that swinging flies on spey rods is one of our favorite ways to fish. We know that its many of yours too, which is largely why we’ve put together a whole bunch of tip articles on spey fishing on our blog, and today we thought we add a few more. Enjoy! Feel…
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Spey Casting Tips – Stuart Foxall on Adjusting Overhang
Over the last several years of hosting trips and spending days on the river almost exclusively with spey anglers, I have become increasingly aware of the importance of overhang; the term used to describe the amount of running line left outside the rod tip during the cast. Adjusting the amount of overhang can greatly alter the…
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