Alaska West Lodge veteran guide and all-around good guy Ben “Big Country” West is big on fly fishing. He works hard and fishes even harder. Ben truly appreciates trout, and according to him, this past season was one of the best seasons for Leopard Rainbow Trout at Alaska West. Based on these pictures from this…
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Ben West
Double Rainbow
If you are lucky, you may see a double rainbow but not very often do you get to see both ends! These acrobatic rodent eaters are right out our backdoor at Alaska West. No matter what part of the season you come to visit, we can guarantee you will have plenty of opportunities to target…
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“This Drop-Off Is So Sweet, It Will Give You Diabetes.”
“Ok, maybe that is something one of the Bahamian guides once said, however, tailored here for some epic looking water we find at Alaska West. There is nothing like the abrupt stop of the boat and your guide hopping out into the shallow riffle and says, ‘get ready.’ This picture here is precisely the set…
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Welcome to Alaska West Brittany
Last week we welcomed Brittany Roy on her first ever trip to Alaska. I would say she left with a good representation of how incredible the Last Frontier and the Kanektok River can be. Here are two of her many highlights of the week. A trophy King Salmon followed by a trophy Chum Salmon. Great…
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Timeless Tips // Fishing for Warm Weather Kings
We have been experiencing some near recording break temperatures so far this year in Alaska. While this may good for our sunglass tans and Vitamin D intake, it does make for some tough King fishing. For those of you who have chased the mighty King Salmon before know, hot and sunny conditions are not ideal….
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Weekly Fish Story – What Wind?
We’re back today with this week’s edition of our ‘weekly fish stories’ series, and today’s story comes from Alaska West guide, Ben West, on a solid day on the water despite adverse conditions. Enjoy! Weekly Fish Stories – What Wind? This week our story isn’t just about a particular fish or moment per se, but rather…
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Swinging Flies – Don’t Block Your Hook Set
In any avenue of fly fishing, one thing that separates successful anglers from not-so-successful anglers is complete, undivided, fully engaged, focus whenever your fly is in the water. Many fish are lost (or perhaps never hooked at all) from anglers who’s minds were wandering or whom were not expecting a fish to eat the fly in…
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Trout and Steelhead Art by Ben West
Those of you who have visited us at Alaska West in recent years likely recognize the name Ben West (also known as ‘Big Country’ in our neck of the woods). Not only is Ben a great guide (and shore-lunch connoisseur), but he’s also one heck of an artist as well.. Just check out his latest work…
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Oh, Hey There
We like catching fish as much as the next guy, but sometimes fishing is more about spending time in good company.. That doesn’t mean they have to be people though. More on Wildlife at Our Lodges Bear Highway Andros Island Iguana Fish Finders – Arctic Terns
Mousing for Chums?
We talk all the time about our run of chum salmon being extremely aggressive. They have a reputation for eating a lot of different flies, from leeches, to sculpins, to even flesh and egg patterns. They’re not afraid to hammer a fly, and that’s one of the reasons we think they’re so cool. Last week however,…
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