Trout in our neck of the woods may behave a bit different than trout found in other areas of the world – Gorging on large meals like mice, sculpins, and salmon parts, as opposed to insects. However, the fact remains.. They’re still trout! That means that even though our trout love big, gaudy, nearly comical…
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fly tying
Dueling Vises
This past week we had the good fortune of fishing with our good friend and professional fly designer, Stuart Foxall. For those of you who follow along on a regular basis, you may recognize Stu’s name from all the awesome fly tying posts he’s put together for us over the last few years. During his stay…
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Tying the Calvin Shrimp Intruder – Video
If you check in with us our blog/newsletter from time to time (you know, like you’re doing right now!), odds are you’ve noticed that we really dig intruder style flies when fishing for steelhead and salmon.. That’s because they work well in our neck of the woods, really well! Therefore, today we present you with…
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Clear Cure Goo Hydro – Why We Like It
While our summer seasons have officially begun, for the past few months our guides have been busy preparing for the season, organizing gear, and primarily tying flies.. A lot of flies! Over the past few years, we’ve noticed one thing has become a staple in many of our guide’s fly tying kits, and that is Clear Cure…
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The ‘Skullpin’
We say it all the time, but one thing we really like about our fisheries is that our fish aren’t overly picky when it comes to specific fly patterns or imitations. That affords us the opportunity to be really creative at the vise, resulting in some truly unique patterns, and having a whole lot of…
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Tying The Cascade Intruder – Video
If you haven’t already noticed, the folks of Loop Tackle have been putting out some pretty killer content of late as part of their Loop Akademi series. Today, we share with you a great video from their archive on how to tie a great looking intruder pattern by Deneki blog regular and Loop Akademi Fly Dresser,…
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The Retro Smolt – Tying Instructions
If you’re planning on targeting early season Alaskan Rainbows this year, it is in your best interest to have some smolt patterns in your box. Spring marks the time of year when venerable salmon fry begin the smolting process as they make their migration to the sea. During this transition, the colorful salmon fry lose…
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The Sculpzilla – Tying Instructions
Sculpins make up a large part of the diet for trout in our neck of the woods. They’re also available all season long which means if you’re not sure what to tie on, a solid sculpin imitation is probably a safe bet. While they work well in western Alaska, sculpins are also one the most abundant…
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FireLine for Stinger Loops
Our guides are in the process of turning out a whole bunch of flies for the upcoming season. We use a lot of stinger style fly patterns at our lodges – Flies tied to incorporate a trailing hook positioned at the back of the fly. They offer a number of advantages over flies tied on…
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Fly Tying Tip – Securing Lead Eyes
Ever wonder why the eyes on your fly keep rolling around the shank? You’re not alone! Whether you’re tying bead chain bonefish flies or lead eye intruders, eyes that spin after a few eats can be extremely frustrating. More than a few of our guests have asked how to keep eyes from spinning around the shank….
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