Few fly patterns have caught more fish in Alaska than the egg sucking leech (ESL). Whether tied in the classic “bugger style,” or in a more contemporary fashion utilizing rabbit strips, the ESL family of flies are hard to beat when targeting salmon and trout throughout all of Alaska. In fact, it has been said that the…
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Chum Salmon
Underdog
In case you weren’t aware, yesterday was National Underdog Day. Seriously folks, we couldn’t make this stuff up. So, in light of this major holiday (insert sarcastic tone), we’re coming at you with a photo of one of the biggest underdogs of them all, the chum salmon. During the first half of our season at Alaska…
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Pacific Salmon Mini Gallery – Spawning Colors
We talk an awful lot about ‘chrome bright salmon,’ but we’d be lying if we said we didn’t think some of the colors pacific salmon take on as they start their spawning ritual were anything short of spectacular. We’re lucky that some of our lodges are located so close to the ocean that we’re able…
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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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Salmon Fishing – 6 Reasons This Fly Works
We’re really lucky in that most of the fish we target at our locations are not overly picky about specific fly patterns. Our lodges are located (intentionally, we might add) in areas where lots of different flies work, so long as they share a few characteristics. It’s a creative fly tyer’s dream! Here at Alaska…
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Top Posts on Chum Salmon
Our Alaska season is underway and right now and our rivers are starting to fill up with big, bright chum salmon. Chums are one of the most underrated game fish out there. We’re not exactly sure why.. Perhaps it’s the name. After all the word ‘chum’ is not overly endearing. Or perhaps it’s because in days…
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Hey There, Good Lookin’
No, we’re not talking about you Michael.. We’re talking about that massive, swung-up, chum salmon from Alaska West. Photographic awesomeness courtesy of Tosh Brown. More on Chum Salmon Swinging for Chums – 10 Reasons A Lesson from Ol’ Chumley Chum Salmon Mini Gallery
Simms at Alaska West – Video
Last season, Beattie Outdoor Productions‘ Steven Yochum and Simms ambassador, Tom Larimer, joined us at Alaska West during the first week of our season. Along with our good friends at Simms, they put together a pretty killer video, that we think explains what makes the early season on our river so special, and today we share…
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Alaska Mini Gallery – Different Perspectives
We like grip and grins as much as the next guy, but we see a lot of them over the course of a season. That’s why we really like fish photos with a little bit different perspective. So, today we’re coming at you with a few interesting photos (none of which are typical hero shots) of…
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Chum
Not what you were thinking? You’re not alone. During the early part of our season, many of our first time guests at Alaska West are pleasantly surprised to find out that many of the chum salmon we target look just like this; big, bright, and covered in sea lice. Not exactly the dark, barred up,…
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