Want the secret to catching more trout? Here it is – Show your fly to as many fish as possible. Okay, we all know there’s more to it than that, but if there’s one universal truth in fly fishing it’s this; the more fish that see your fly, the more fish you’re going to catch. Period….
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Alaska West
Simms Dry Creek Z Hip Pack
Whether swinging flies for salmon and steelhead, or tromping around on foot for bonefish, we really like fishing out of a hip pack. They’re easy to sling in and out of the boat, strap on when going for a walk, and in our humble opinion, much more comfortable to fish with than a traditional vest….
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Merino Baselayers – Why We Like Them
If we had a nickel for every time someone asked us about our underwear.. Well, we’d probably have a dollar or so, but hey, someone asked! Okay, okay, we’re talking about baselayers here, but for good reason, proper layering is really important when it comes to being comfortable outside. In fact, in extreme circumstances, wearing…
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Gear Repair Tips from Patagonia
They say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.. But what if it IS broke? Well then yeah, fix it, right? Sure, that may sound simple enough, but many of us are quick to replace our old gear or outwear, before it’s really even approached it’s lifetime. Heck, we’ll admit we’re just as at fault…
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The Single-Hand Spey Revolution
Most of the time, when people hear the words ‘spey casting,’ they immediately think of two-handed rods. Heck, we refer to two-handed fly rods as ‘spey rods’ for a reason! However, it’s important to note that by definition spey casting is a style of fly casting, one that can be performed by both two-handed “spey”…
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Tying Tidier, Stronger Steelhead/Salmon Flies
Last week, Stuart Foxall shared with us a nifty fly tying trick for gauging the proper length of stinger loops when tying trailer-hook style flies for steelhead and salmon. Today he continues the topic with step by step instructions on how he attaches stinger loops to create not only tidy looking flies, but flies worthy…
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Popular Posts on Winter Fly Fishing
We might be hiding out in the Bahamas, but that doesn’t mean our hats aren’t off to all of you out there planning to get after it this winter. Winter will be here before you know it, and while it might not fit the description of perfect fishing conditions, fly fishing in the winter can…
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Stuart Foxall on Tying Trailer Hook Loops
Trailer hook style flies have become extremely popular for salmon and steelhead for a number of reasons. They allow dull hooks to be changed, reduce the the number of ‘short’ strikes, and allow large profile flies (i.e. intruders, leeches, and so on) to be tied with shorter shanked hooks for better holding power. However, when tying…
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We Love Our Trout
It’s been a while since we showed some love for our leopard rainbow trout, so today we’re coming at you with nothing but a cool photo of one of our favorite fish from Alaska West. Go ahead, try to count the spots. More on Trout Fishing Fishing Techniques for Western Alaska Trout How to Fish…
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OPST Steelhead Shanks – Why We Like ‘Em
Finally, the shanks we’ve been waiting for.. We tie a lot of stinger-style flies for salmon and steelhead at our lodges. Judging by many of your comments, you do too! We’ve been playing around with OPST’s Steelhead Shanks lately. They just might be our favorite all around shank for spinning up large profile patterns for…
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