While winter may have officially just begun, this time of year our minds can’t help but wander towards one of our favorite times of the year.. King season. That’s mid-late June through mid July in our neck of the woods, and unfortunately, that’s a long time away. That’s the bad news. Here’s the good news. We’re less than…
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Alaska West
Managing Running Line – Video from Mike McCune
Last week week we shared with you a killer spey casting video from the folks at Headhunters Fly Shop featuring Mike McCune on the finer points of the downstream perry poke cast – particularly when casting short two handers for trout. If you missed it, not to worry, you can watch it by clicking right…
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Loading Reels by Yourself
Operating fly fishing lodges in remote locations around the world means we spend a fair amount of time loading reels and rigging gear, lots of gear, in the middle of nowhere. There aren’t any fly shops with fancy line machine’s in the bush, so like many of you, most of the time we do it the…
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When Guides Get (Too) Excited
What does a fishing guide do during their time off? The best ones go fishing. And, regardless of how many days a year they spend staring at the water, great guides never quite lose that same level of excitement they felt the first time they caught a fish on a fly rod. There just may be…
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Jerry French Launches Fly Fishing Website
Attention all Skagit junkies – Alaska West alum and Skagit mastermind, Jerry French, has launched his new website, and we think you should check it out! Earlier this month, Jerry shared with us the details behind the design of his new Renegade series of fly rods from Pieroway. Before that, we let you know that Jerry’s…
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Alaska West Mini Gallery – Greg Houska Edition
When Alaska West guide, Greg Houska’s not kickin’ tail on the Kanektok, odds are he’s behind the lens taking some pretty stunning photos.. He just finished editing an impressive batch from this past summer, and today we share a few of his photos with you. Enjoy! More Pretty Pictures from Alaska West Why They’re Called…
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Learning to Cast With Your Opposite Hand – 3 Drills
Ever thought to yourself, “gee, it’d sure be nice to be able to cast both right AND left handed?” If so, you’re not alone. The ability to cast competently with both hands is an extremely valuable skill that very few anglers posses. However, most folks don’t believe us when we tell them that learning to cast with…
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Choosing a Fillet Knife
At Alaska West, the well being of our fishery is of our utmost concern, and when fishing for fragile species like trout, dolly varden, and king salmon we strive to use the most fish friendly methods as possible in hopes of a safe release. However, we’re also extremely fortunate to witness staggering numbers of species such as…
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Triple
Because if the election didn’t quite go your way, what better way to cheer up than a photo of not one, not two, but three fish hooked and landed at the same time at Alaska West. More Pick-Me-Up Posts The Most Mellow Place on Earth Nice Fish, Steve Gully Wash, The Unofficial Drink of the…
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Pieroway Renegade Rods – From the Designer
If you’ve ever swung flies for anadramous fish, odds are you might recognize the name, Jerry French. If not, you probably should. Jerry’s innovative nature has lent itself to much of the way many of us chase fish today. From modern steelhead and salmon fly design to the origins of skagit style spey casting, Jerry’s creations…
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