A while back we told you that our friends at Aqua Flies had begun producing a commercial version of the ‘Kriller‘ – a salmon/steelhead fly developed by Alaska West guide, Greg Houska, that certainly proved itself last season on our Kanektok king, chum, and silver salmon populations. We’re happy to report that the good folks…
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Alaska West
Timeless Tips: 9 Questions About Spey Fishing You Were Afraid to Ask
We love spey fishing. We also know that spey fishing can be a little intimidating when you first dip your toe in. It shouldn’t be! Spey fishing is just another fun way to fish. It’s not better or worse or harder or easier or simpler or more complicated than ‘normal’ fly fishing. Today we present…
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Tying Neater Heads
Nicely finished heads are the mark of a great fly tyer, and today professional fly designer, Stuart Foxall, is here with some step by step tips on finishing your flies with cleaner looking heads. Enjoy! Stuart Foxall on Tying Neater Heads A consistent problem I see from most inexperienced fly tiers are beautifully tied flies…
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Timeless Tips: 5 Reasons to Swing for Trout This Winter
Let’s face it, winter trout fishing is hard. If you are crazy like us, odds are you are not going to sit around and twiddle your thumbs until your next trip to Alaska or B.C. – you’re going to fish! Having hailed from all over the Northern U.S. and Canada (Alaska, Washington, Maine, British Columbia…
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Swing Season – The Slowdown
In case you missed it, our good friends from SAGE just released a great video for all you fellow spey-nerds out there. The ‘Slowdown’ digs past the fun-factor of swinging flies and sheds light on how the two-hander can actually be a great tool for conservation as well. If you like swinging flies for steelhead…
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5 Common Traits of Great Fly Casters
Most anglers want to be better casters. Whether you’re just beginning or have been fly fishing your entire life, there’s always room for improvement. The greatest casters on earth will tell you the same thing. The greatest anglers on earth will also tell you that casting is not fishing, and thus great casting is not…
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Nymphing Tip: Tag Your Split Shot
Way back in 2011, Alaska West alum and trout guru, JEB Hall, gave us the details for his go-to rig when slinging beads for big leopard rainbow trout. It’s still as current as it was six long years ago, so if you haven’t checked it out, be sure to hit the link to give it…
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Timeless Tips: Top 5 Mistakes Made Fighting Big Fish
At Alaska West and BC West 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…
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Choosing the Right Fly
Choosing the right fly is important. Having confidence in the fly you choose is even more important. That said, it’s hard to have confidence in the fly you choose, if you’re not selecting flies based on, at the very least, an educated guess. Whoa. Well then how exactly do you choose the right fly? We’ve…
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Replace Your Backing
Fact: Backing doesn’t last forever.. We help hundreds of anglers each year rig up for hard fighting species at our lodges from bonefish, to steelhead, to king salmon, all of which have the potential to send your backing zipping out the rod guides. However, despite paying top dollar for premium rods, reels, fly lines, and…
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