Bruce Chard is best known as one of the elite guides in the Florida Keys, and as a fly fishing instructor. He’s actually a really well-rounded angler who fishes all over the world. Bruce loves fishing for silver salmon at Alaska West. In fact, he’s hosting a group this summer and you can drop us…
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Gear
Grillos’ Quick Silver Popper
Background Andrew Grillos is an Alaska West alumnus, an Idylwilde Signature Tier, a Scott Fly Rods Pro Staffer, a Simms Guide Ambassador…and a guide based out of Seattle (you can contact him here). Silver salmon at Alaska West are incredibly plentiful and ridiculously aggressive, and you can catch them on all kinds of stuff. Andrew…
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King Salmon and Indicators
Gasp! OK, OK! We admit it! Sometimes at Alaska West, we catch kings using something other than a swung fly and a two handed rod. Now why would we do such a thing? Well, because some of these ‘other’ techniques can be really effective, and more importantly, some of these ‘other’ techniques can be really,…
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Airflo Skagit Switch – Video Intro
If you’re a spey geek who reads our blog regularly, you’ve heard a bit about the Airflo Skagit Switch head. We told you about it way back in 2010, and last year we wrote our review of it. Our summary on this head is basically that… It’s a modern Skagit head by Airflo designed for…
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Jeff Hickman’s Steelhead Rig
Jeff Hickman is back again. You know him as a go-to steelhead guide in Oregon. He is also part of the Ross and SA Professional Advisory teams, Guideline Eyegear pro staff and a Signature tier for Idylwilde. Jeff will be returning to host a group at BC West this summer and he is already counting…
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Backing for Bonefish
A recent conversation with a fellow ‘angling professional’ brought to light the fact that there are lots of different opinions out there when it comes to backing and flats fishing. Some overriding backing philosophies that come to mind are Use whatever you can fit more of on the reel Use whatever is simplest Use whatever…
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Plano Boxes
There are some really cool purpose-built fly boxes out there. Threader boxes, streamer boxes, tube fly boxes, slit foam, solid foam, no foam…you name it, there’s a fly box for it. We totally get specialization – just ask your editor’s wife about the ‘selection’ of fly rods in the basement. That being said, we spend…
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Airflo Sinktip System
Our buddy Tom Larimer is back today to tell us a little bit about the Airflo sinktip system and its color-coded loops. Tom’s day job is guiding anglers for steelhead in Oregon. He’s learned a thing or two in his day, though, so he also works as a line designer for Airflo. Airflo has a…
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What’s Your Favorite Trailer Hook?
Look, we know you steelhead and salmon types are a bunch of opinionated…well, we know you’re opinionated. That’s OK – we are too. We want to hear your opinions on a topic that’s near and dear to the hearts of those of us who swing articulated and/or tube flies – what’s your favorite trailer hook?…
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J.E.B. Hall’s Bead Rig
In the past couple of weeks we’ve learned from J.E.B. Hall about how he rigs up and chases rainbow trout in Alaska with mouse patterns and sculpin patterns. Today we wrap up our mini-series on JEB’s trout rigs as he tells us about how he uses beads to imitate salmon eggs. Once again, it’s built…
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