Jason Whiting, bombin’ the two-hander. Photo: Cameron Miller Today we hear from Bryan Whiting on what he and his family learned on their trips to Alaska West in 2004, 2006 and 2008. Today’s post is all about strategies for the trip – we’ll have a follow-up post on what they learned about the fishing. As…
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Family Fishing in Alaska Part Four – When and Where to Go
Mom found some nice rainbows… We continue our series from Bryan Whiting on his family’s fishing trips to Alaska West, with his thoughts on making your decision of when and where to go. — When can I go? If your boss, your spouse, your work or circumstance determines when you can go, don’t be concerned because…
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Kanektok River Run Timing
The Kanektok River Photo: Cameron Miller Our season at Alaska West on the Kanektok River is only 12 weeks long, but things change quickly during that period.Summer in Western Alaska is short! A lot happens between on the river between May and September – ice goes out, runoff comes and goes, five salmon species enter the river…
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Family, Friends, Fish, and Fun at Rapids Camp Lodge
“Nothing binds families together like shared experiences in wild places.” That’s not just a poetic turn of phrase—it’s been echoed by countless guests who return year after year to Bristol Bay. And the numbers back it up: more than half of our visitors at Rapids Camp Lodge travel with a spouse, child, or close friend,…
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Alaska West Lodge 2025: A Season to Remember on the Kanektok
This summer, the Kanektok River came alive in a way we haven’t seen in a while. From start to finish, soup to nuts, guests at Alaska West Lodge were standing in the middle of what felt like the river of plenty—sheaves of chrome-bright salmon, whether it be Kings, Chum, Sockeye, or Sivers, and endless strings…
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Rapids Camp Lodge: “The Fish Are Pulsing” in Alaska
“The fish are pulsing.” That’s what a well seasoned Bristol Bay guide said as he observed the first and very strong run of chrome-bright salmon of the season push upstream on the Naknek and Nushagak Rivers. Numbers like these don’t just set expectations—they raise them. It’s a signal. The river comes alive, and so do…
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The Alaska Freshwater Fish-Tastic Final Four
We know, it’s way past March Madness, and everyone’s brackets were busted (Thanks, Duke). Let’s shift our focus to a different kind of final four, one that swims rather than dribbles. We asked, and you’ve spoken like the NCAA selection committee. We’ll Kind of. Here are the Final Rankings of the Alaska Freshwater Fish Fish-Tastic Four:…
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March Alaska Fish Madness: Fish-Tastic Four
It’s March, your bracket has already been busted, or at least ours is, so we figured, why not create a new bracket for Alaskan Freshwater Fish? As the NCAA Tournament selection committee meticulously ranks college basketball teams based on their performance and the NET evaluations tool, our selection committee (which is y’all) will rank Alaska’s…
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Hook, Line, and Hike: Why Bristol Bay is a Hiker’s Paradise
So, you love lacing up those boots and hitting the trail? Do you crave that lung-burning climb and the panoramic payoff? What if I told you there’s a way to enhance that Alaskan adventure, trading your trekking poles for a fly rod in the wilds of Bristol Bay? It requires similar skills: balance, patience, and…
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I Want to Spey Fish. Do I Go Skagit or Scandi First?
If you have been following us for any length of time, you know we really like Spey fishing at Alaska West Lodge and Rapids Camp Lodge. It is one of our favorite ways (who are we kidding, it’s our favorite) to target Alaska’s big rainbow trout and salmon. Over the last couple of decades, Spey…
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