A common attribute of some of the best fishing guides on the planet is their ability to think like a fish. They understand their target species well enough that they can accurately predict how the fish will react in various situations. When fishing, there are many variables out of your control but knowing as much…
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Rapids Camp
ANGLER AWARENESS : Why Are Felt-Sole Boots Banned in Alaska?
In 2012 the Alaska Department of Fish and Game passed a regulation that banned all felt or other “absorbent fibrous materials” on boot soles while sport fishing in the fresh waters of the state. It has been almost 7 years since this regulation was first passed, is it still in effect? The answer is yes…
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TFO Axiom II Switch Rods – Review
For far too long, high performance fly rods have been associated with astonishingly high prices. Sure, some of our favorite rod series have rang in at premium-level prices, but not all of them. Believe it or not, when it comes to fly rods, performance doesn’t have to be sacrificed for affordability, and the folks at…
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Support the Fight with Businesses for Bristol Bay
Dozens of businesses nationwide with an economic interest in the Bristol Bay fishery have come together to form a coalition known as Businesses for Bristol Bay. Amongst them are major outdoor brands like Orvis, Simms, YETI, Sitka, and many more. They’re joined by commercial fishing processors, well known supermarket chains like Publix and HyVee, as well…
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George Cook on the Importance of ‘Engagement Range’ When Swinging Flies
Our good friend and legendary sales rep for some of the most respected brands in the biz, George Cook, has been at the forefront of modern spey fishing since the beginning. Simply put, he’s been swinging flies for steelhead, sea-run browns, resident trout, and everything in-between long before it was cool. So, when he’s willing…
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G. Loomis IMX-PRO Short Spey 71111-4 Review
Over the past six months, we’ve been fortunate to swing flies for everything from dime bright king salmon, to feisty wild steelhead, to some of the largest native resident rainbow trout in the world. That’s allowed us to put some of the latest and greatest spey gear to the test, in full hopes that we…
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Post-Election Pebble Mine Update
A couple weeks ago, our good friend and Sportsman’s Alliance of Alaska director, Scott Hed, gave us an informative update on the current status and threats of the Pebble Mine project, an open pit mine proposed to be built in the headwaters of Bristol Bay, Alaska. Well, a lot has changed since the midterm elections…
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Spey Casting – 3 Benefits of Aerial Mending
It’s long been said that great presentations catch fish, not great casts. Its one of the most governing truths in fly fishing. Mending, the act of repositioning the fly line after the cast, is what makes this possible in moving water. Make no mistake, like casting, mending is a skill, and those that are able…
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Spey Casting and Current Speed
When determining which spey cast to use in a given situation, most experienced spey anglers take into account three primary variables; wind direction (upstream wind, downstream wind, etc.), river position (which side of the river you’re casting from), and obstacles (trees, rocks, banks, or other obstructions that limit your casting area). The majority of the…
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Pebble Mine Update
For over ten years, the battle between sportsmen and the Pebble Mine project, a proposal for the world’s largest open-pit mine intended for the headwaters of Bristol Bay, has been underway. Many thought the project had been defeated in 2014, but make no mistake, Pebble Mine is still very alive. Many of you have asked…
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