One thing we love about our native Alaskan rainbows (aside from their size, beauty, and aggressive nature, of course) is that we get to target them using a bunch of wild techniques that you might not otherwise get to try in other parts of the world. From skating rodent imitations, to stripping ridiculously large streamers,…
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Search Results for: houska
Guide Poll: Favorite Sunglasses Lens Color
A couple weeks ago we kicked off the first installment of our “Guide Poll” series of posts where our team of professional fly fishing guides weigh in to answer common questions asked by you, our readers! Today, we’re continuing the series with answers to a question we receive all the time from our guests in preparation…
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Guide Poll: The Difference Between a ‘Good’ and an ‘Elite’ Angler
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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Smoked Chum
We pride ourselves in keeping the best interest of our fisheries in mind at all times. That’s largely why we’ve adopted camp policies at Alaska West such as 100% barbless hooks, catch and release only on king salmon, as well as aim to handle to-be-released fish as ethically as possible. That being said, we’re also…
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Elements of Great Fly Fishing Photos
Without question, photography has become an integral part of the fly fishing culture and we’re really lucky to have worked with a bunch of truly great outdoor photographers over the years. Those who have been following our blog for the past few years may have noticed many of our photos credited to Gregory Houska. Greg…
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Make Space for More Flies
When fishing for steelhead and salmon, we fish a lot of articulated style flies tied with a ‘stinger hook‘ attached to the body of the fly using a loop of stiff wire or braid. However, many of these flies tend to be fairly large and often take up a lot of space in the fly…
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Simms G3 Guide Tactical Jacket – Review
Simms recently released their latest wading jacket, the G3 Guide Tactical, as their newest edition to their highly popular G3 Guide series. We were fortunate to receive an early release of the G3 Guide Tactical this past summer and after ample time to put it through the ringer, we’re happy to report that we think…
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Alaska West in Swing the Fly Magazine
The latest issue of Swing the Fly Magazine (volume 1, 2018) is now available, and we think you should check it out. Why? Aside from being the world’s only magazine dedicated to all things spey, the latest issue features a fantastic photo essay from our own Gregory Houska with shots taken from the banks of our…
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Demystifying Spey: Skagit vs. Scandi Heads
We might love spey fishing, and admittedly do a lot of it at our lodges, but we’d also be the first to admit that with a dizzying array of gear options available it can also be extremely confusing for those looking to get started. For those interested in honing their skills with a two-handed rod,…
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2017 Fly Fishing Gift Ideas
Looking for some holiday gift ideas for that fly fisherman/woman on your list? Better yet, are you a fly fisher-person who has been accused of being ‘difficult to buy for?’ Not to worry, today we present you with 10 great gift ideas sure to please the fly fishing enthusiast in your life. 2017 Fly Fishing…
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