A few weeks ago we shared with you a clever hack for rejuvenating those beat-up flies at the bottom of your boat bag or wader pocket using a quick steam treatment. Admittedly, we forgot to include the tip that gave us the idea in the first place.. The same process works wonders on tying materials too!…
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Alaska West
Nate Karnes Fly Fishing Art & Apparel
Last summer at Alaska West, a decal toted by one of our guests caught our eye – a rainbow trout, in the shape of a pig. Brilliant. The level of excitement that brought to your humble editor shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who understands his affinity (some would say obsession) with big, gluttonous,…
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Plan D Articulated Fly Boxes – New and Improved
Way back in 2016 we told you about the first release of Plan D Articulated Fly Boxes – fly boxes designed specifically to house articulated and ‘stinger-style’ flies (something we use a lot of at our lodges). Plan D’s innovative ‘eye-hook’ and slotted foam design was the best solution to taming free-swinging articulated patterns we’d…
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Make Space for More Flies
When fishing for steelhead and salmon, we fish a lot of articulated style flies tied with a ‘stinger hook‘ attached to the body of the fly using a loop of stiff wire or braid. However, many of these flies tend to be fairly large and often take up a lot of space in the fly…
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Spey Casting: The Rewind Cast (Video)
Ever heard of the Rewind Cast? Probably not.. That’s because it was developed by OPST frontman and Deneki alum, Trevor Covich. Not only does it look super cool, for the experienced spey caster the Rewind Cast can help produce efficient casts under some difficult casting situations, not the least of which includes safely setting an…
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Simms G3 Guide Tactical Jacket – Review
Simms recently released their latest wading jacket, the G3 Guide Tactical, as their newest edition to their highly popular G3 Guide series. We were fortunate to receive an early release of the G3 Guide Tactical this past summer and after ample time to put it through the ringer, we’re happy to report that we think…
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Happy Valentines Day
Today is February 14th (ahem, aka Valentines Day), the day to celebrate the ones you love. Whether that’s a husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, family member, friend, or fish.. We hope you’re sharing the water today with someone you love. Happy Valentines Day. More Things We Love Swinging for Chums Popper Fishing for Silvers Mousing for…
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Timeless Tips: DIY Sunglasses Retainers
Call them what you want – retainers, chums, croakies, whatever – but that simple strap on the back of your sunglasses is invaluable in making sure your shades don’t end up in the drink. Whether you’re sporting some gas-station budget shades or a pair of 250 dollar Costas, the fact is, losing your sunglasses stinks….
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Swinging Flies: How to Set the Hook – OPST Video
When swinging flies for king salmon and steelhead, we’d argue that more fish are lost due to a poor hook-set than at any other point during the fight. Unlike techniques associated with traditional upstream dry fly, nymphing, or even streamer fishing, swinging flies requires a different technique to effectively drive the hook home. How so…
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Alaska West in Swing the Fly Magazine
The latest issue of Swing the Fly Magazine (volume 1, 2018) is now available, and we think you should check it out. Why? Aside from being the world’s only magazine dedicated to all things spey, the latest issue features a fantastic photo essay from our own Gregory Houska with shots taken from the banks of our…
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