A while back we ran a post on the top 5 mistakes made fighting big fish, where we highlighted some of the most common mistakes we see at our lodges in Alaska and British Columbia when fighting big fish like steelhead and salmon. However, fighting fish well does not always put the fish in the net. In…
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Rapids Camp
Timeless Tips: 5 Ways to Catch More Rainbow Trout
Catching rainbow trout at Alaska West is not all that difficult – in fact it’s easy to catch ‘some.’ That being said, great anglers catch more, and great anglers catch the bigger ones. Here are 5 ways you can make yourself into a ‘greater’ trout angler in our part of the world. Mend less. Our…
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Extended Trip Special at Rapids Camp Lodge
Ever feel like a week of fishing just isn’t enough? You’re not alone. That’s why we’re pleased to announce that we are offering an extended trip special during two incredible weeks of our 2018 season at Rapids Camp Lodge; our full service fly-out lodge located on the banks of the world-renowned Naknek River in Bristol…
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Timeless Tips: Active Swinging Techniques for Trout
When swinging flies for species like steelhead or king salmon, more often than not a slow uniform swing is best. Rarely do salmon and/or steelhead actively feed upon first entering freshwater. Therefore, a slow uniform swing swept past the nose of the fish is usually the most likely presentation to elicit a strike. The take may…
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Plan D Tube Fly Boxes
We fish a lot of tube flies at our lodges in Alaska and British Columbia. Tubes offer a number of advantages over flies tied on traditional hooks, but perhaps their biggest disadvantage is their inability to be stored in a traditional fly box. When it comes to housing a season’s worth of tube flies, most…
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Timeless Tips: The Best Time to Go Fishing in Alaska
When talking to folks about fly fishing in Alaska, inevitably we get asked the question, “what’s the best time to go fishing in Alaska?” Unlike other fisheries the ‘best time’ to go fishing in Alaska is extremely dependent on your own interests and goals. Our Alaskan seasons are extremely diverse – There is no ‘best time’ per…
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How to Avoid Twist in Your Fly Line – Video
Whether you fish freshwater or saltwater, warm water or cold water, single or double handed rods, or all of the above, fly line twist happens to everybody. But, believe it or not, it can be easily fixed! We recently stumbled upon a great video put together by our friends at RIO on how to avoid…
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The Coho Clouser – Tying Instructions
When asked about our favorite flies for silver salmon, many of our guests are surprised to hear that one of the most popular patterns amongst our guide staff at Alaska West is not a ‘typical’ Alaska-born coho pattern such as a hareball leech or dolly llama, but rather a plain ol’ pink and white Clouser…
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How to Repair Split Jungle Cock Nails
When it comes to fly tying materials, particularly in the world of salmon and steelhead flies, its safe to say there’s no feather more prized than jungle cock. Due to their stunning contrast of color and natural durable enamel-like coating, jungle cock eyes (or ‘nails’) have been sought after by fly tyers for over a hundred…
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Timeless Tips: 9 Questions About King Salmon You Were Afraid to Ask
Today we’re coming at you with another addition of a series of posts addressing some basic questions on the topics we cover most. We’ve already covered some of the basic questions involving Alaskan trout, bonefish, and even spey fishing. Now its time to address the biggest and baddest of them all, the king salmon. 9…
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