One of the cool things about running fishing lodges is that we get to fish in some amazing places with expert anglers who know those fisheries like the backs of their hands. Another cool thing, though, is that between hosted trips, press trips, schools and more, we also get to fish with expert anglers in…
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Search Results for: fly tying tips
Fishing Dropper Rigs
What’s a “Dropper Rig”? Maybe you know and fish them all the time, but just in case you don’t… “Dropper” is the term for a nymph pattern that’s fished in combination with a dry fly. The nymph pattern drops in the water and floats below the dry fly, so it’s called a “dropper”. Simple, right?…
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Rigging Stinger Hooks
Tube flies and stinger hooks are very popular with anglers who chase salmon and steelhead with fly rods, for a few reasons. They allow you to change your hook without changing your fly. They allow you to fish a big fly without fishing a hook with a long shank, which helps you land more fish….
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The Intruder
Warning: this is a very technical post about fly tying. If you’re not interested in the subtleties of tying one of the most influential modern steelhead and salmon patterns, click here to look at a bunch of pictures of fish. Jerry French may not have a household name in the world of anadromous angling in…
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Mr. Hankey
Jeff Hickman knows rainbow trout. He spent a bunch of years guiding at Alaska West, and during that time he came up with a really popular mouse pattern called Mr. Hankey that’s now available from Idylwilde. Jeff now combines his Larimer Outfitters guiding with conservation work with the Sierra Club’s Hunter and Angler Heritage Program. He…
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Chinook Salmon
If there were no steelhead in the Dean, the river would be known purely as a world-famous chinook fishery. Dean chinook share the same traits at their steelhead cousins. Due to the need to ascend the Dean River canyon prior to spawning, our chinook are strong, powerful and resilient. From an angling standpoint, there are…
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Tom Larimer’s Steelhead Rig
Tom likes steelhead. Photo: SteelheadBum.com Tom Larimer has guided for more than a decade in the Great Lakes, Alaska and Oregon. He currently owns and operates Larimer Outfitters, one of the premier guide services in the Northwest. He also happens to like fishing on the Kanektok and the Dean. In addition to his hosted week…
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Skagit Master Is Out!
Besides learning to tie it, you’ll learn how to cast it. Photo: Jeff Mishler Back in July we told you about Skagit Master, a film in production about Ed Ward – Skagit casting pioneer, spey Zen master, anadromous Jedi Knight, our head guide at Alaska West – and his approach to spey fishing. Ed and…
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Tom Larimer’s King Rig
Tom loads up yet another laser loop. Photo: Cameron Miller Tom Larimer runs one of the premier guide services in the Northwest. He’s a super dude, an incredible angler and teacher, and…you guessed it, he’s one of our spey hosts during our king season at Alaska West. If you saw Tom headed out on the…
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Ed Ward’s King Rig
This is the first picture ever taken of Ed when he wasn’t casting, or holding a chrome anadromous fish. Photo: Cameron Miller Ed Ward has been called many things. ‘Jedi knight’, ‘Zen master’, ‘Buddha’ and more all apply to Ed when speaking of anadromous fish, particularly when two-handed rods are involved. Ed is one of…
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