No one can deny that jigs catch fish. When tied in the appropriate size and color, jigs have the potential to hook fish most everywhere, and at some point, probably have! Jig hooks have been finding their way in the hands many fly tyers looking for more action from large saltwater flies to discreet freshwater flies….
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fly tying
Bonefish Flies: Ditch the Head Cement
Bonefish have an extremely good sense of smell. It is this sense of smell that allows them to consistently feed on the flats. Although we witness bonefish feeding throughout the water column by watching them charge a stripped shrimp or baitfish fly, a large part of their diet is comprised of prey that live within…
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Fly Tying Tip: Taming Your Flash
Here’s a super simple tip for you fly tyers out there. The next time you are working with Krystal Flash, Flashabou, or any other synthetic flash material, leave it in the package! Then, cut a small triangle near the base of package. Now, with your tying scissors reach into the package and pick out the…
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Shrimptruder Fly Tying Video
Last month we ran a post about a bonefish fly created by Kyle Shea at Andros South. Kyle called the fly the ‘Shrimptruder’ and tied it in the same shape as an Intruder steelhead fly. This wasn’t meant to be a serious, innovative kind of move – we were really just having fun with tying,…
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Top Posts on Fly Tying
Interested in fly tying? Awesome! Here are our 7 most popular posts on spinning up your own. Top Fly Tying Posts The Intruder. It’s become a classic – Jerry French tells about the creation of this game-changer. Veverka’s Mantis Shrimp. Bob Veverka wrote an article on his go-to flats fly – with background and a…
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Better Mono Eyes
Adding mono eyes to your bonefish flies is a simple way to increase the realism of your patterns. Mono eyes are very simple to make and offer a good imitation of the beady eyes of most shrimp. Sure, we could debate on whether the fish notice such details or not, but it sure doesn’t seem…
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The Shrimptruder
We swing a lot of flies while fishing in Alaska and B.C., and if you read our blog or hopefully visit with us at these locations, this is not news to you. When swinging for anadramous fish, we have been sold on Intruder-style flies for years. However, as the seasons turn there is a time…
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12 Ways to Tie Better Flies Faster
Winter is here, and for many of us that means it’s fly tying season. If you’re looking to restock your boxes for next season, try a few of these tips to fill them up faster! Take Your Time on the First Pattern. Before you hit production mode, take your time on your first fly pattern. Experiment…
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Cotton Swab Tube Flies
We fish a lot of tube flies at Alaska West, especially when targeting fish on the swing. While there a lot of different tube materials out there marketed by various fly tying companies, when you tie as many flies as we do over the course of the season, sometimes the cheapest option is best. Next time you are…
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Tie Your Own Flies!
Catching a fish on a fly you tied yourself is a special thing. It gives you a closer connection to the sport and the fish itself. If you have never experienced this, Alaska is the place to do it! Whether you’re a beginner or experienced fly tyer, here are a few patterns that we tie…
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