Have you ever had a run of losing fish in the “hang down?” If you’ve been fly fishing for a little bit you have probably felt the surprise of a fish grab on the hang-down part of your swing. You’d think hooking a fish on the hang down would be easy, but in actuality, it…
Read More
General
Fly Tying: Larimer’s ES Loop Leech
The beauty behind the Larimer ES Loop Leech is its simplicity with the materials. This super wiggly, swimmy pattern is effective for salmon, steelhead, and trout. The best part of this particular fly is the combination of colors you can tie it in. One of our favorite color combinations is a Chartreuse head and Black…
Read More
Fishing Tips: Rolling in the Deep- Take a Step (or Two, or Three) Back
Every year in Alaska, we repeatedly see a common mistake anglers of all types make. They all wade too deep. Whether they fill the fish on the opposite side of the river or in the middle of the river, many anglers feel if they get deep into the river, they will get closer to the…
Read More
Fly-out Fly Fishing: A Target Rich Environment
If you’re asking yourself, “where have I heard the phrase A Target Rich Environment?” It’s from Top Gun. The 1986 cult classic movie finally has a second rendition coming out soon, and it got us thinking about buzzin’ the towers of all the fly-out locations at Rapids Camp Lodge in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Bristol Bay,…
Read More
Guide’s Corner: Rapids Camp Lodge Guide -Mike Petersen
Born in Minnesota, then raised in Montana, Mike Petersen made a home in Alaska thirteen years ago. Mike got into the outdoor industry as an avid angler and hunter by answering a craigslist ad for a moose packer at a lodge. This lodge also had guided fishing on the docket—Mike Guides for eight months in…
Read More
Fly Tying: Blue Suede Shoe
Tie, Instructions, Photos, and Write-up By Kevin Foley. The Blue Suede Shoe came about in early June 2015 after a day of fishing tributaries of the Susitna River in search of King Salmon. At the time, reports had suggested that King Salmon, the largest of the five species of Pacific Salmon occurring in the Susitna…
Read More
Andros South Lodge: We have Lean Bars
We’ve been getting a lot of questions about our boats. We got new boats last year, and people have been asking “why don’t you have any lean bars?” We don’t blame you. Lean bars are very helpful. They provide anglers support and balance while standing on the bow of the boat. Lean bars are great…
Read More
Gear Review: First Cast, Sage R8 Core & Scott Centric
We had the pleasure of casting two newly released six-weight fly rods from two premiere fly rod companies, the Sage R8 Core 690-4FB and the Scott Centric C906/4FB. Both Sage and Scott have a long history of building great fly rods through innovation. The R8 Core and Centric are considered the flagship lineup of rods…
Read More
Fly Tying: Tyler’s Big Pheasant Tail
Every fly angler has tied on a pheasant tail nymph at one time or another. If you have not, you should. The pheasant tail nymph is a fly that has a long history in fly fishing. Versatile, this fly can be used in a broad spectrum of watersheds across America, and yes, even in Alaska….
Read More
Andros South Lodge: The Best of The Bahamas
On South Andros Island, land and water interlace with a vast network of mangrove cays, endless sandy flats, and winding creeks and channels that flow throughout the island, like the blood vessels in our bodies. And as the cells in our blood vessels journey throughout our body, bonefish journey through the mangrove cays and flats…
Read More