Workin’ the little rod on the Arolik. Photo: Cameron Miller UPDATE: Thanks for checking out this post in 2009. By 2012 spey fishing for trout had changed a bit, so we put out this post with an update on spey and switch fishing for trout as of 2012. Feel free to read on, though! We’ve…
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flies
Rainbow Trout and Giant Flies
Medium fish, XXL fly. Photo: Cameron Miller Rainbow trout in the Kanektok and Arolik Rivers have a short season during which they can feed, so when it’s summer and the water conditions are good, they tend to pounce on flies that might be, oh, about 1/4 as long as they are.< If you look closely…
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Mousing for Rainbow Trout – 5 Tips
Mouse flies are not delicate. Photo: Cameron Miller One of the most fun and unique ways to target rainbow trout in Western Alaska is by ‘mousing’. Small voles and other rodents often find themselves in the river, intentionally or not, and our bigger predatory rainbows are always on the lookout for a meal that’s even…
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6 Ways to Catch More Silver Salmon
Got one. Photo: Cameron Miller On the Kanektok River where we operate Alaska West, and on other rivers like it in Western Alaska, the classic method for catching silver salmon on flies involves targeting them in slow-moving water, casting a floating line, and stripping back a weighted fly. Here are 6 ways to make the most of this…
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5 Flies for Kings on the Kanektok
There are a bunch of anglers out there who are pretty darned excited these days, because they’re headed to the Kanektok River this summer to swing flies for kings. The ice is out on the Kanektok, our setup crew heads in just a couple of weeks from now, and fly boxes are starting to get…
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Secrets of the Flesh Fly
Sometimes all it takes is a little flesh. Photo: Ramsey Smith Trout that live in the lower sections of rivers like the Kanektok and the Arolik in Western Alaska get a lot of their calories from salmon flesh. That means that at Alaska West we spend a lot of time tying and fishing patterns that…
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7 Reasons This Fly Works on South Andros Island
One of many, many flies that works on South Andros Tying your own flies for bonefish on South Andros Island can really help your ego – anything reasonable works. As always, however, the best flies tend to have some things in common. Here’s why this one works. It’s big. That’s a #2 Tiemco 811S, and…
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Tube Flies and Stinger Hooks
Stinger hooks hold well. Photo: Cameron Miller John Toker, our former manager at BC West on the Dean River, checks in today with some comments on tube flies and stinger hooks. “The virtues of one style of hook or another is a fairly common topic of conversation among anglers. When you get around anglers whose…
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Chile Trout Flies
More than just a parachute Adams. Photo: Chris Price We talk a lot about the incredible variety in the trout fishing that we experience during our program at Chile West. Have a look at a typical selection of flies used during a trip with us, and you’ll get a good feel for what we mean….
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Pink Pollywogs and Poppers
They’re a lot more excited than they look. Photo: Cameron Miller At Alaska West, we fish for all five species of Pacific salmon right next to the salt. Much of the water that we cover has actual tidal influence, and whether we’re 1 mile from the salt or 10, the salmon that we’re presenting flies…
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