We pride ourselves on the experience and know-how of our guide staffs at our lodges, many of whom have extensive guiding and/or fishing experience from all over the globe. That means we’re extremely fortunate to pull from a huge braintrust of uber-fishy people to consistently bring you the latest and greatest in fly fishing. With…
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Tips
Timeless Tips: Mousing for Rainbow Trout
One of the most fun and unique ways to target rainbow trout in Western Alaska is by ‘mousing.’ Small voles and other rodents often find themselves in the river, intentionally or not, and our bigger predatory rainbows are always on the lookout for a meal that’s even more filling than their usual diet of salmon…
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Fly Tying Tip: Scruff Your Dubbing
We just finished up a great couple weeks at Alaska West with our good friend, professional fly designer/tyer, and Deneki blog contributor, Stuart Foxall. As you might expect, he showed us a few things, and today we thought we’d share one of those things with you. As a commercial fly tyer, speed is critical to…
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Wind on Your Dominant Shoulder – Top 3 Casts
It’s no secret, excess wind is one of the most challenging variables to overcome when casting a fly rod.. Particularly on the flats. Many anglers fret the thought of having to deliver the fly directly into a stiff headwind, often practicing for hours into the wind in preparation of an upcoming trip. However, we find…
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Ed Ward on the Perry Poke – OPST Video
When it comes to skagit-style spey casting, we think its safe to say that the Perry Poke is one of the most versatile casts an angler can have in his/her repertoire. That being said, its actually one of the least used casts we tend to see from guests at our lodges. Therefore, when Alaska West…
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Dean River Steelhead Flies – Our Favorites (Updated)
Our steelhead season is in full force at BC West, our home on the banks of the Dean River in British Columbia, and we’re happy to report that our guests are experiencing some impressive numbers of fish! Known for some of the hottest and hardest fighting steelhead around, the Dean has earned a reputation amongst…
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Timeless Tips: Fighting King Salmon – Bend the Butt Section
Our king salmon seasons in Alaska and British Columbia are underway, so today we present you with a friendly reminder of one of the most common mistakes made when fighting big fish on spey rods – not putting enough pressure on the fish! Take the photo above taken of Alaska West guide, Ben West, while…
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Fly Tying Tip: Anchoring Jungle Cock Eyes
We’re excited to have our good friend and world-renowned fly tyer, Stuart Foxall, in house this week at Alaska West. That means evenings in our ‘lounge-tent’ have been transformed from a casual social hour to a fly tying masterclass, and in no way is that a complaint. Stu recently shared a great tip with us…
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Mend to Fix
Mend: /mend/ verb. To repair (something that is broken or damaged). Synonyms: repair, fix. When fishing moving water, whether swinging flies for steelhead and salmon or dead drifting nymphs and/or dries for trout, great mends catch more fish than great casts. After all, a proper mend can create a effective presentation, and effective presentations (not casts) are…
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Mono vs. Fluoro from Hatch Outdoors
Our friends from Hatch Outdoors are back with some more great tips in video form on tying custom leaders for the salt. In their most recent edition of their video series, Bruce Chard covers the pros and cons of mono (nylon) versus fluorocarbon leader material and how they can be best used together when tying…
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