This fatty was banged on the bank. Photo: Jared Moore At Chile West, we use a bunch of different techniques to catch fish. The method we use most often is something called “bangin’ the banks”. This method is used while floating rivers where dense forest grows right to the water’s edge, or where steep rock…
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Tips
Spey Fishing for Trout, Part 3 – Tactics
Trout spey tactic #427: Put the wood to ’em. Photo: Cameron Miller In the past couple of weeks we’ve covered why we think you should spey fish for trout, and which gear you should use when you do it. Today we’ll talk a bit about tactics to use when chasing rainbows with lightweight two-handers. Spey…
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Trout Fishing: Nymphing Techniques
Bonefish, 10 o’clock, 30 feet! Whoops…sorry, wrong post. Today we continue our series on trout fishing tactics, based on our approach at Chile West but applicable anywhere trout swim. The topic of the day is nymphing techniques. You’ve been floating the river, it’s noon or so, sun is high, it’s hot, fishing has slowed down,…
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Skagit Master
Ed Ward, Jedi knight. Casting videos are a dime a dozen these days, but there’s one in production that we’re pretty excited about. Ed Ward is a legend in Northwest anadromous angling circles. He’s one of the pioneering Skagit River guides that started a literal revolution in casting and fishing techniques. He’s an innovate fly…
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Bead Fishing for Rainbow Trout
Just a couple to choose from. Photo: Cameron Miller Rainbow trout in Western Alaska eat a lot of salmon eggs. Over the years a lot of different flies like the Glo Bug have been tied to imitate salmon eggs, but recently it’s become clear that the most effective way to trick a rainbow trout into…
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Jason Koertge on Talking Salmon to a Steelheader
Jason found a nice one on the Dean. Photo: Alfie King Jason Koertge has caught a lot of fish on swung flies. Besides having landed 52% of the kings and steelhead that have swum into Oregon since 2003, Jason has chased kings with us on the Kanektok and the Dean for the past few years….
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Trout Fishing: Nymphing and Current Speed
Mr. Lincoln, meet Mr. Nymph. Mr. Nymph, Mr. Lincoln. Photo: Chris Price Today we continue our series on trout fishing tactics, based on our approach at Chile West but applicable in any water where trout swim! In most trout fisheries nymphs are the biggest part of a trout’s diet, so we’re kicking things off with…
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Spey Fishing for Trout, Part 2 – Gear
Workin’ the little rod on the Arolik. Photo: Cameron Miller UPDATE: Thanks for checking out this post in 2009. By 2012 spey fishing for trout had changed a bit, so we put out this post with an update on spey and switch fishing for trout as of 2012. Feel free to read on, though! We’ve…
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Trout Fishing: Terminology
Garrett Sullivan fishes the bucket. What a surprise. Today we start a series of posts about classic trout fishing tactics. In this series, we’re not talking about the salmon-part-eating rainbows of Western Alaska— we’re talking about the mainly-insect-eating critters of the Rockies and the Northeast and our ‘classic trout’ fishery in Southern Chile. Much of…
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Managing Running Line – 3 Simple Tips
Neat, tangle-free loops. Photo: Cameron Miller At Alaska West and BC West, we do a lot fishing with spey rods. There are a bunch of reasons that we like spey fishing – line control, less fatigue, the pure enjoyment of making a good cast, and the ability to cover a lot of water. Spey rods…
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