The “tug” might be the “drug,” but most anglers would agree that a tug that stays attached is ideal. Unfortunately, when swinging flies for salmon and steelhead, that’s not always the case. Quick strikes, followed by an unanswered swing, are common when spey fishing, and can be frustrating at the very least. So what do…
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Alaska West
Timeless Tip Tuesday: Rainbow Trout Lies
We asked our Deneki Expert Panel a question a little while back about trout lies – no, not the tall tales that trout spin about the size of the anglers who almost caught them, the places in the river where trout like to live. A later post will give a number of bits of wisdom…
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We Have Fun
It might seem we’re in the business of running fishing lodges, but really, we’re in the business of having fun.. And needless to say, business is good. If this doesn’t look like fun to you, well, you just might be reading the wrong blog. More Shenanigans from Our Lodges Alaska West Job Requirement #1 –…
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Mouse Fishing for Trout – Try a Dead Drift
When fishing mouse flies for hungry Alaskan rainbows, a typical presentation goes something like this – Cast at a slightly downstream angle above your target, raise your rod tip, wiggle your rod tip back and forth roughly 8 inches apart while at the same time slowly drawing in line with your line hand. This creates…
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Get Hitched – Rigging Stinger Hooks on Tube Flies
We fish a lot of tube flies at our lodges, and while they can be rigged several different ways, one of our favorite ways is attaching an up-eye octopus style stinger hook to a large loop in the leader nested at the back of the fly. Not only does this position the hook at the…
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Spey Casting – Top Three Tips
Whether we’re searching for steelhead on the Dean, swinging flies for kings on the Kanektok, or soaking sculpins for massive Naknek rainbow trout, we do a lot of spey fishing at our lodges. Therefore, as you might expect, we give our share of spey instructions as well, and today we share with you a few…
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Nice Fish, Joe!
When we first got wind that our good friend and long time Alaska West guest, Joe Dudra, was going to be joining us for not one, but two whole weeks during our king season this year, we were pretty darn excited.. Why? Because those that know Joe, know that he’s a fish magnet, and that…
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King Salmon in Low Water – 5 Tips
Like most of Western Alaska, we’re experiencing slightly lower than average water conditions on our home river at Alaska West. As is the case with most anadromous species, low and clear water can make for some challenging fishing conditions when swinging flies for deep holding fish like king salmon, and often requires a few adjustments…
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Happy Fourth of July
We’re really lucky to spend our year delivering fishing trips in several different countries to a whole bunch of great people hailing from all over the world. That said, we’re really proud to be based out of the good ol’ U.S. of A. and wish all of you a safe and happy 4th of July….
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Good Vibes Catch More Fish
It goes without saying, but time on the water yields plenty of time to ponder, and one thing we’ve noticed throughout countless days of watching other people fish is that good vibes catch more fish. No, we’re not paraphrasing Thoreau here, or spouting cliches like, “it’s about the journey, not the destination.” On the contrary,…
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