Last week we shared some of our favorite fly fishing gift ideas for this holiday season. And while we might of shared a bunch of online links to those ideas, we still believe in supporting local fly shops, and encourage other anglers to do the same whenever possible. There’s no question the internet has made…
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Rapids Camp
Share Your Fishing Stories
Have you joined us at one of our lodges? Do you have a particularly great fishing story? If so, we want to hear it! We’re fortunate to witness a lot of unbelievable fishing stories through the eyes of our guests. Unfortunately, we’re not able to put all of them in words. That’s why we love…
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Spey Casting – How to Snake Roll (Video)
From first timers to seasoned pros, we do a lot of spey casting instruction at our lodges in Alaska and British Columbia with folks of all levels of experience with a two handed rod. For those just getting started in skagit style spey casting (the style we use most on our rivers), we tend to…
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2017 Fly Fishing Gift Ideas
Looking for some holiday gift ideas for that fly fisherman/woman on your list? Better yet, are you a fly fisher-person who has been accused of being ‘difficult to buy for?’ Not to worry, today we present you with 10 great gift ideas sure to please the fly fishing enthusiast in your life. 2017 Fly Fishing…
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Top 3 Reasons to Clean Your Tying Desk
Love tying flies? We do too. And if you’re anything like us, that means there’s a good chance that you’re tying space is a mess. Sound about right? We thought so. Fret not, no matter how cluttered your tying space is, we’d be willing to bet we’ve seen worse. Trust us, the images of tying…
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A Better Look at Fish-Friendly Photography
‘Catch and release’ has become a cornerstone of the fly fishing culture. Not only has it helped conserve fisheries all around the world, the very notion of ‘catch and release’ has inspired a desire in multiple generations of anglers to preserve their own fisheries – which is a really good thing. That said, despite our…
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Timeless Tips: 9 Questions About Spey Fishing You Were Afraid to Ask
We love spey fishing. We also know that spey fishing can be a little intimidating when you first dip your toe in. It shouldn’t be! Spey fishing is just another fun way to fish. It’s not better or worse or harder or easier or simpler or more complicated than ‘normal’ fly fishing. Today we present…
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5 Common Traits of Great Fly Casters
Most anglers want to be better casters. Whether you’re just beginning or have been fly fishing your entire life, there’s always room for improvement. The greatest casters on earth will tell you the same thing. The greatest anglers on earth will also tell you that casting is not fishing, and thus great casting is not…
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Nymphing Tip: Tag Your Split Shot
Way back in 2011, Alaska West alum and trout guru, JEB Hall, gave us the details for his go-to rig when slinging beads for big leopard rainbow trout. It’s still as current as it was six long years ago, so if you haven’t checked it out, be sure to hit the link to give it…
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Timeless Tips: Top 5 Mistakes Made Fighting Big Fish
At Alaska West and BC West we see a lot of big fish fought by our guests – we’re talking steelhead and king salmon here. Sometimes our anglers do a great job fighting the big ones. Other times…not so much. Fight hard, fight smart, and get it over fast! Top 5 Mistakes Made Fighting Big…
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