If you haven’t noticed, we love fly fishing for trout, and while our trout might behave differently in Western Alaska than trout found in more ‘classic’ trout streams, the fact remains; They’re still trout! Thus, they’re often found in the same types of water. Successfully reading trout water is by far one of the most studied…
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Rio Salvaje
“Speyish” Green Butt Skunk
The Green Butt Skunk has accounted for numerous fish, and since its inception around the 1950s by Dan Callaghan, it has become one of the most effective and popular steelhead flies of all time. Dan Callaghan modified the original Skunk pattern and spiced it up with a green butt. Ever since many steelheaders will have…
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Who We Follow Instagram
As Fly anglers, we don’t need a lot of inspiration to hit the road to go fly fish and when we surf Instagram there is a lot of inspiration out there. We’ve all seen it, great photos of the fish caught on a fly amongst the pristine backdrop of gin-clear streams and rolling mountains. It…
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Fly Tying Books
Fly tying is a fantastic way to emulate, create, and design your own awesome fly patterns. Since the internet, there is a huge influx of fly tying instruction videos, and don’t get us wrong, there are a lot of great videos. That being said, before the internet, fly tying books were the best source for…
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Choosing the Right Fly
Choosing the right fly is important. Having confidence in the fly you choose is even more important. That said, it’s hard to have confidence in the fly you choose, if you’re not selecting flies based on, at the very least, an educated guess. Whoa. Well then how exactly do you choose the right fly? We’ve…
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Replace Your Backing
Fact: Backing doesn’t last forever.. We help hundreds of anglers each year rig up for hard fighting species at our lodges from bonefish, to steelhead, to king salmon, all of which have the potential to send your backing zipping out the rod guides. However, despite paying top dollar for premium rods, reels, fly lines, and…
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Timeless Tips: Streamer Fishing for Trout – 5 Techniques
The first official day of fall is only a few short days away, and for many of us, that means streamer season. Fall spawning trout (brook and brown trout) are most territorial during this time, rainbow trout are on the prowl for large food items to fatten up for the long winter ahead, and as always, the…
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Nymphing for Trout – The Trigger Finger
Whether bouncing a bead-head pheasant tail down your local tailwater or dredging a flesh fly in western Alaska, dead drifting sub-surface flies, or ‘nymphing,’ requires the ability to detect extremely subtle takes that are not always visual. For many anglers, various types of strike indicators are a huge help in detecting when a fish has taken…
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Timeless Tips Tuesday: 6 Tips for Fishing Streamers from a Boat
When targeting rainbow trout from the boat, one of the techniques we like to use is called “bangin’ the banks”. Whether you’re using a streamer or a dry fly, it’s an effective technique and a fast-moving game, like a shooting gallery on the move. If you’re chucking streamers from a boat anywhere in the world…
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Fighting Fish – Take a Bow
Ever wondered why so many fish come unbuttoned during a jump? Is it coincidence? Hardly. Fish are able to contort their body faster and more violently when airborne than they can in the water. After all, there’s far less resistance in air than in water. When under tension, this can cause an unexpected yank on…
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