John Toker, livin’ the life on the Dean. John Toker is a long-time fanatical steelheader who used to manage BC West, our lodge on the Dean River. John likes using a lot of different two-handed rigs when he’s chasing steelhead, but if you encountered him on the Dean on any given day, he might just…
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Gear
Tube Flies and Stinger Hooks
Stinger hooks hold well. Photo: Cameron Miller John Toker, our former manager at BC West on the Dean River, checks in today with some comments on tube flies and stinger hooks. “The virtues of one style of hook or another is a fairly common topic of conversation among anglers. When you get around anglers whose…
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Chile Trout Flies
More than just a parachute Adams. Photo: Chris Price We talk a lot about the incredible variety in the trout fishing that we experience during our program at Chile West. Have a look at a typical selection of flies used during a trip with us, and you’ll get a good feel for what we mean….
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King Rig Roundup
Kanektok Kings – an embarassment of riches. Over the past couple of months, we’ve posted the two-handed rigs of six guys who spend a lot of time at Alaska West swinging flies for king salmon. There’s a wealth of information, and a wide range of opinions, in these posts. If you’re headed to Alaska West…
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Autotethers
We’ve installed Autotethers on all of our boats at Andros South. This is a great new wireless system that replaces a lanyard connection to the kill switch on our motors. If for any reason the guide exits the boat while running, the motor is automatically killed without the need for clipping into a lanyard before…
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Ed Ward’s King Rig
This is the first picture ever taken of Ed when he wasn’t casting, or holding a chrome anadromous fish. Photo: Cameron Miller Ed Ward has been called many things. ‘Jedi knight’, ‘Zen master’, ‘Buddha’ and more all apply to Ed when speaking of anadromous fish, particularly when two-handed rods are involved. Ed is one of…
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Simms Dry Creek Boat Bags
We love our Simms Dry Creek Boat Bags. Equally applicable in fresh- and saltwater, they’re easy to get into, totally waterproof, padded and have dividers for keeping your gear straight. We beat the heck out of our gear, so when we say they’re durable we mean it.
Sage 790-4 TCX
Choose your weapon carefully. For skilled casters, the Sage 790-4 TCXis an excellent all-around choice when chasing bonefish on South Andros Island. Compared to its predecessor the TCR, the TCX loads much easier at short range, which is critical in those many situations here in which you’re making a 30-foot shot. This happens much more…
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John Toker’s Bonefish Rig
A large man with a large bonefish. Photo: rustychinnisimages.com John Toker used to work at Andros South, and over the years he’s spent a bunch of time on the flats. Here’s his go-to bonefish rig, with his commentary.”I have had the good fortune of living and fishing on South Andros since 2003 while managing Andros South…
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Chris Price’s Dry Fly Rig
Chile is not ugly. Chris Price is the manager of Chile West, our mobile fishing operation in Chile. In addition to working with us at Alaska West, Chris has been guiding and managing lodges in Southern Chile for years. He spends summers on the Kanektok and lives with his family in Coyhaique when he’s not…
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