This is not the most seasonally appropriate gear review but on a recent Steelhead trip, I was able to use the Elements Thermocharge Hand Warmers from Celestron and left so impressed with the product that I had to share it. The concept of electric hand warmers was new to me as I have only ever…
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gear
OPST Shank Chuck Tool – Why We Like It
We a tie a lot of trailer-hook style flies on both tubes and shanks at our lodges in Alaska and British Columbia. That’s mostly because salmon, steelhead, and even trout in our neck of the woods typically prefer big flies, and a trailer hook allows us to fish large profile flies with fish-friendly sized hooks….
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Use Your Fly Line Spool as a Line Winder
Today we present you with a super simple, yet super useful tip shown to us by long time Deneki pal, Michael Gracie.. When changing out fly lines (or storing them for the off-season), use the fly line spool as a line winder! It’s always nice to store fly lines on a spool whenever possible. Storing lines…
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Simms Currents Shoes – Review
We’re lucky at Andros South to have an incredibly diverse bonefish fishery. One in which allows for anglers to wade and/or fish from the boat depending on the conditions. For years we’ve recommended that our guests invest in a sturdy pair of flats boots for our flats. However if you’ve followed our blog long enough,…
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Rinse Off Your Flats Boots
Even if designed particularly for the salt, saltwater can be brutal on fishing gear. Rods, reels, fly lines, flies, sunglasses, and the like can all break down from the salt if not rinsed thoroughly in fresh water after use. That’s why our staff makes sure to rinse our guests rods and reels each evening with fresh water,…
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Clean Your Rod Guides – Cast Further
Over time, fly lines can pick of a surprising amount of dirt, grime, sand, salt, and the like, even when fishing on seemingly ‘clean’ waters. Therefore, wise anglers regularly clean their fly line, not only to extend the life of the line, but to increase the line’s performance as well. Cleaning a fly line helps…
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Rod Gloves – Why We Like Them
Years ago, our good friend and long time Alaska West guest, Bryan Whiting, first introduced us to a pretty interesting product called Rod Gloves. Originally designed for spinning rods, Rod Gloves are woven plastics sheaths made to slide over fully rigged rods to keep them from tangling. The concept is painfully simple, but like most…
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Tide Watches for Anglers
Whether we’re poling the flats for bonefish, swinging for tidewater chinook, or waiting for that deep pull at ‘Lower Tidal’ on the Dean, a good understanding of the tide is pretty important where we fish. Tides are on our mind all year long at our operations, and our guides are well aware that knowing the proper timing…
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Fly Fishing Stocking Stuffers
Christmas is right around the corner, and while there are many great holiday gift guides out there, what about the stocking stuffers? Fly rods don’t fit too well in a stocking, so to help you out this holiday season, today we present you with 15 inexpensive stocking stuffer ideas for the angler on your list….
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Simms Dry Creek Z Hip Pack
Whether swinging flies for salmon and steelhead, or tromping around on foot for bonefish, we really like fishing out of a hip pack. They’re easy to sling in and out of the boat, strap on when going for a walk, and in our humble opinion, much more comfortable to fish with than a traditional vest….
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