We’re not shy about it, we’re gear-heads. We love playing with the latest fly fishing gear and writing reviews on the stuff we really like. With that said, do we really NEED every rod, reel, gadget, or gizmo out there? Probably not.. We just like it! Regardless, every once in a while we come across…
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Gear
Frozen Rod Guides – Try Lip Balm
With a daily high of a whopping 13 degrees Fahrenheit outside our Anchorage office, we’re starting to come to terms that winter is upon us. For many of us, winter brings fishing conditions that are far from ideal. Although, winter fly fishing in cold-weather climates can have its perks, such as less crowds and fish…
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Mystic Sapphyre 590-4 Review
We tell people all the time at our lodges, especially our female guests, that women typically make better fly casters than men do. Sorry fellas, but that’s the truth. Good casting results from a smooth application of power, not brute force and therefore, women tend to pick it up a little faster. Oddly enough however,…
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Airlock Strike Indicators
Its safe to say that ‘thingamabobber style’ strike indicators have taken over today’s nymphing scene. Whether or not you choose to fish under an indicator, its hard to argue their effectiveness. They cast reasonably well, float virtually forever, and are a breeze to attach to any standard leader. However, a downside to many modern strike…
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Splicing a Loop in Miracle Braid (or Backing)
One of our favorite running lines for skagit style spey casting is Airflo’s Miracle Braid. It handles well in all conditions, shoots like a rocket, and better yet, it floats! Not to mention it sounds super cool as it zips through the guides. Creating a loop in Miracle Braid to attach to a skagit head or backing can be…
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Grant Turner’s Alaskan Steelhead Rig
We know many of you enjoy our expert rig series of posts, where we highlight every detail of the setups used by the experts chasing fish in our neck of the woods. It’s been a while since we’ve put out an expert rig, so we reached out to Alaska West guide, Grant Turner for the…
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Hatch Professional Leader and Tippet
Hatch Outdoors might be most well known for their bomb-proof fly reels, but over the past few years, they’ve put out some pretty awesome product on the terminal-tackle side things as well.. Ahem, like their premium backing for example. Hatch recently released their new Professional Saltwater Series of tippet, leader material, and tapered leaders, and since we were able to get our…
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Understanding Fly Line Profiles
Choosing the best fly line for your angling pursuits is the most important consideration of any fly rod setup. Contrary to popular belief, the fly line is the most ‘technically driven’ piece of equipment. Yes, more so than your high modulus graphite or sealed carbon fiber disc drags. There are a wide range of fly lines available today…
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Simms Kinetic Jacket
Simms recently released their newest piece of synthetic insulated jackets called the Kinetic Jacket. We were able to get our hands on one this past summer, and had the pleasure of putting it through an entire Alaska season. We’re pleased to announce that it survived, and today we thought we’d tell you what else we…
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Scientific Anglers SharkWave Saltwater Fly Line
We’ve said it before, but the fly line is the most important component of any fly rod set up. No rod can make up for a poor match of fly line, but luckily there are no shortage of choices on the market today! We love testing out new fly lines and today we present you with…
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