Super high, early season water in Western Alaska can mean our king salmon are less likely to hold on the gravel bars. That was the case in early 2012 and, though huge water years are not too common season-to-season, those who set foot on the tundra with an open mind can make some seriously fishy…
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Tips
The Power of Positivity
Adam Kryder was a fantastic addition to our guide staff at Alaska West this year. He noticed something pretty profound about angling and attitudes and was kind enough to write it up for us. Thanks, Adam! The Power of Positivity Guiding at Alaska West has given me a great gift. As a guide I am…
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Making Loops on Sinktips
A second installation in our sinktip strategies novella, here’s a looping method that began as what Alaska West guide Jeff Hickman dubbed a ‘bush fix,’ and has since become one of the two main ways we’re custom building on-the-river sinktips to suit the current conditions. First off, get yourself about 40 feet of Rio’s T-whatever….
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Skagit Casting – Keep Your Hands Close
When you’re making spey casts in the Skagit style, try to keep your hands as close to your body as possible! Ed Ward, long-time guide at Alaska West and one of the fathers of Skagit-style spey casting, has been called “the man who can spey cast inside a phone booth”. That’s a bit of an…
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Bulk Hooks
Big fish. Big water. Bigger grabs. You know you’re gonna go through more than a few hooks when fishing deep for salmon and steelhead. Here’s why we like to buy in bulk for rigging tube and stinger-style flies.: Cost savings. While the average cost-per-hook price is relatively the same for hooks purchased in 25 or 100…
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Top Tips
It’s been more than two years since we ran a roundup of our most popular fishing tip posts – so today’s the day! We’re proud to present you with the most popular tips on our blog over the past year. Top Fly Fishing Tips Bead Fishing for Rainbow Trout. It’s an oldie but a goodie….
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Keep Him Out of the Mangroves
If you’re fighting a bonefish and he swims towards the mangroves, you should probably pull hard in the other direction to try to keep him out. Yes, you might pull the hook or straighten the hook or pop your leader – but if he swims through the mangroves connected to your fly line, your chances…
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Bullet Weights, Part 1: The Ultimate in ‘Crittery’
Cri’tter’y – Western Alaskan adj. Shaky, unsure. Often enlightening. Always effective. Now that Skagitmaster 2’s Scott Howell virtually gave the anadromous world ‘permission’ to get all crazy Bassmaster with our flies when playing the weight game, we thought it was time to go public with the whole bullet weight thing, as well—but for a little different…
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Common Bonefishing Mistake – Pivot Slower!
As a veteran saltwater guide and instructor of our Bonefishing Schools at Andros South, Bruce Chard has spent a lot of time with anglers new to the flats. We asked Bruce about some common mistakes made by novice anglers, and he came up with something we’ve never thought of before. That’s why you ask the…
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Why Do Bonefish Tail?
Everybody knows that bonefish tail, right? And everybody knows that it’s cool when bonefish tail, because…well, because it’s cool. And everybody knows why bonefish tail, right? We weren’t so sure about that last one, so we asked Bruce Chard, veteran guide and Bonefishing School Instructor, for a quick explanation of exactly what’s happening when that…
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