We talk all the time about getting ‘down and dirty‘ when fighting big fish – fighting with the rod tip low and to the side. Doing so allows the rod to bend deep into the butt section, where the most power is, enabling you to put the heat on big hard-fighting fish. The down and…
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Search Results for: big fish
Airflo Skagit F.I.S.T. Line Review
One thing we really dig about swinging flies for species like king and chum salmon in our neck of the woods is we tend to learn pretty quickly what gear works and what gear just doesn’t quite cut it. Plenty of willing fish stacked up in ideal ‘swing’ water allows us to cut out enough variables to…
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The King Sling Loop
Bad knots are a bummer.. But even a knot tied to perfection is often still the weakest link of any setup. That’s why successful anglers are usually pretty particular about the knots they use. We’re asked all the time what our ‘knot of choice’ is for particular rigging situations, and one question we hear often is…
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Loop Opti Megaloop Reel
Over the course of the year, we see a lot of quality fly fishing gear put to the test in some of the most demanding conditions possible. That means we often get a first hand look at which gear is up to the challenge, and which gear is, well, not so much. How can we tell when a…
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Measure Nets – Why We Like Them
Not all nets are created equal. A quality landing net is a guide’s most important tool, and when it comes to trout, we’re really particular about the nets we use. We recently outfitted our guide staff with measure nets for our trout population and we can honestly say they’re one of the better landing nets we’ve…
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Opening Day at Alaska West
Today we kick off our opening day of fishing at Alaska West, and needless to say we’re more than ‘excited’! We’ll be on site all season long and will be sure to keep you up to date on big fish, good stories, new tips, and the like. Stay tuned! Or better yet, come get in on…
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Swinging for Kings – Celebrate Quick!
In less than two weeks we’re going to be kicking off our seasons in Alaska and British Columbia. With it comes the year’s return of ocean fresh chinook. So, in light of their return we offer a simple tip practiced by most experienced chinook anglers.. When you land a nice fish, celebrate, but get back…
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The Sculpzilla – Tying Instructions
Sculpins make up a large part of the diet for trout in our neck of the woods. They’re also available all season long which means if you’re not sure what to tie on, a solid sculpin imitation is probably a safe bet. While they work well in western Alaska, sculpins are also one the most abundant…
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Selecting King Salmon Flies
In just over a month we kick off our summer seasons at our Alaska operations. That means it won’t be long before we’re swinging flies for big, bright, king salmon.. Heck, we’re getting antsy just writing about it! When selecting flies for king salmon, most of the time exact fly pattern is not overly important….
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Tying Intruders – Funky Blob Fritz
We’ve been spinning up a lot of king salmon flies lately in anticipation of our upcoming season, and that means big flies for big fish.. Heck we’re getting excited just thinking about it. When swinging flies for kings, we’ve long been fans of intruder style patterns due to their large profile appearance in the water with minimal materials (allowing…
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