Western Alaska is far from the traditionalist’s view of trout fishing. It is not the land of four weights, fine tippets, and microscopic dry flies. Instead, bushy mouse patterns, heavily weighted streamers, and clunky flesh and egg rigs are the norm.. None of which are particularly easy to cast. Most trout specific fly lines are…
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Alaska West
Fish to the Future, Not to the Past
We’re really lucky at our lodges to be able to target trout in a number of ways. However, one of the most common (and most effective) ways in which we target trout is by rowing downstream in traditional ‘drift boat’ fashion. Rowing allows you to cover the maximum amount of water possible, thus putting your fly in…
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Sockeye on Mouse Flies?
Most folks that have fished for sockeye salmon are aware that sockeye are extremely reluctant to take a fly. However, at Alaska West we’ve honed in our sockeye program to catch them on mouse flies. Just check out the photo of our buddy, Kasey Halcro, above! Okay, okay, we’re totally kidding. However, the sockeye above…
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OPST at Alaska West – Video
Earlier this summer, we mentioned that the boys from OPST were joining us for a week at Alaska West to test out their new Commando Heads, skagit heads designed with the shorter spey and switch rods of today in mind. One of their goals was to test them out on our leopard rainbows using single handers. That’s…
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Starry Flounder
We’ve shared countless photos over the years of fish caught by our guests at our Alaskan lodges, from all five species of salmon, to rainbow trout, to Arctic grayling, to dolly varden and Arctic char. However, we haven’t shared many photos of one of the rarest fish in our river, the Starry Flounder. Flounder you…
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Trout Fishing in High “Off-Colored” Water
Whether early season run-off or late season rain, when the river comes up and the water becomes dirty, fishing for trout can be tough. That’s not to say it can’t be done though! Here are 9 tips when targeting trout in high water. Go Fishing. Don’t let ‘the river’s blown out’ be an excuse to stay…
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OPST Ostrich Intruder Plumes
When it comes to tying large-profile intruder-style flies for steelhead and salmon, one of the most difficult part of the whole process is finding materials of consistent quality. Ostrich herl in particular, a material used in many steelhead and salmon flies, varies quite a bit in terms of quality and can be frustrating to the…
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Late Season Dollies
Today we present you with a cool photo of a dolly varden, courtesy of Alaska West guide, Zac Cassill. They might not get the same press as some of our other species, but if fun is your prerogative, we think fast past action for late-season, clowned-up dollies is hard to beat. Drop us a line to come see for…
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Stu’s Tube Leech – Tying Instructions
Stuart Foxall is back today with another great step by step! So, grab a cup of coffee and kick off your weekend right, by filling up those fly boxes! Stu’s Tube Leech – Tying Instructions Last week we dressed a simple but super effective bunny leech pattern, the Miles Davis Leech. Today we are going to be…
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Oh, Hey There
We like catching fish as much as the next guy, but sometimes fishing is more about spending time in good company.. That doesn’t mean they have to be people though. More on Wildlife at Our Lodges Bear Highway Andros Island Iguana Fish Finders – Arctic Terns