Dolly varden are a fan favorite during the back half of our season at Alaska West. Big, vibrantly colored, aggressive fish? What’s not to love? Towards the end of our season, dollies stack up in staggering numbers behind spawning salmon to benefit from the gravy train of fresh salmon eggs tumbling down river. More than any…
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Dolly Varden
Alaska Mini Gallery – Dolly Varden Edition
We talk all the time about how stunning we think our population of dolly varden are. At Alaska West, we’re fortunate to witness an impressive runs of chrome bright sea-run dollies transform into the flamboyant predators we know and love in only a matter of a couple months! Mid-late August brings out the most vibrant spawning…
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Late Season Dollies
Today we present you with a cool photo of a dolly varden, courtesy of Alaska West guide, Zac Cassill. They might not get the same press as some of our other species, but if fun is your prerogative, we think fast past action for late-season, clowned-up dollies is hard to beat. Drop us a line to come see for…
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Jordan Sly’s ‘Wake and Eggs’ Rig
A couple weeks ago, Alaska West operation’s manager, Jordan Sly, gave us a great post on the life history of one of the most underrated fish in our river, the dolly varden. In case you missed it, make sure to check it out, here! Today, Jordan is back with another edition of our ‘expert rig‘…
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All About Dolly Varden
During the back half of our season at Alaska West, we’re lucky to witness a pretty amazing run of dolly varden, a species of char native to Western Alaska. Arguably one of the prettiest fish in our river, they’re also available in laugh-inducing numbers, making them an awesome fish to target on a fly rod….
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Stu’s Egg Intruder – Tying Instructions
Our buddy Stuart Foxall is back with another great step by step! Whether you’re fishing for steelhead, trout, dolly varden, or the like, this is one killer fly whenever spawning salmon are present. Stu’s Egg Intruder – Tying Instructions I came up with the idea of the egg intruder 5 or 6 years ago when swinging…
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Dolly World
We love our big, leopard spotted, mammal eating rainbow trout that inhabit our waters in Alaska. However, sometimes we find they over shadow some of our other fantastic species. Species that if you’ve never tried fishing for, you’re surely missing out. Today, Deneki family member, Adam Jackson, fills us in on fishing for an extremely…
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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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Spicing Up Your Fly With a Bead
There’s no denying the effectiveness of bead fishing for trout in Alaska. As the prolific runs of salmon in Western Alaska approach the end of their migration, thousands of eggs are released by each female salmon providing millions (if not billions) of protein-rich morsels for our resident rainbow trout, Arctic grayling, and dolly varden. The…
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Chrome Dollies
We’ve posted a fair amount of photos in the past of dolly varden (or, Arctic Char? Click here for an explanation) in full spawning colors at Alaska West. Why? Because frankly, we think they’re one of the coolest looking fish around. From late July through the end of August, many of our guests love spending part…
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