It’s summer, so I have to eat. Photo: Cameron Miller There are trout streams out there where highly educated trout demand perfect presentation. Long, light tippets are key. Pure, drag-free drift is essential, and if your fourth mend falls 3 inches left of where it should have, that fish is not going to eat. The…
Read More
Kanektok River
Deneki Chronicles: 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…
Read More
Two Great Articles On Alaska West
In the most recent edition of the popular publication American Angler, there are two different articles referencing Alaska West. Both articles are written by fly fishing author and photographer (as well as college professor), Dave Karczynski. The first one is a short story that will pull on your heart strings a little. It is about…
Read More
Alaska West Fishing, Education and Fun
Have you toyed with the idea of wanting to go fish in Alaska but afraid that you’re not skilled enough? Perhaps, you want to include your significant other on your fishing adventure but don’t have the time to help them get prepared? Or does two handed fishing intrigue you but you don’t know where to start?…
Read More
5 Reasons Why Closing Week at AK West is the Best
Earlier this year we did a post from Alaska West alumni Zac Cassil on why the opening week at AK West was his favorite. When you have a fishery like the Kanektok River outside your front door, there really is no bad part of the season to be there. Our good friend and regular guest,…
Read More
Cool Article on Kanektok Rainbows
Alaska Department of Game and Fish talks about Kanektok Rainbow Trout in their October Newsletter, WeFishAk. You can read the full article here! Our personal favorite line from the article reads “One researcher on the Kanektok River found 16 mice in one rainbow’s belly!” And yes, they do include a photo of this! To experience the…
Read More
Finishing Strong on the Kanektok
On one of the last days of the season at Alaska West, repeat guest Terry Haines and AK West guide Evan Vick landed 2 incredible leopard rainbows on the K-Tok. These are the fish our homeriver has become famous for, gorgeous yet powerful. The first one was 25 and 1/2 inches on the tape and…
Read More
The Salmon Grand Slam
Whenever you start talking about Grand Slams you know the topic is going to be incredibly difficult, but at the same time, so rewarding that it is worth traveling the globe for. Saltwater anglers have the elusive Flats grand slam of a bonefish, tarpon, and permit. In New Orleans, there is the Cajun grand slam,…
Read More
Why the Kanektok River is so special?
One cannot talk about top fishing lodges in Alaska without mentioning Alaska West. Admittedly we take a little bit of credit for, in our opinion, the best Tent Camp lodge in the state but we also know to give credit where credit is due. The main reason Alaska West is so special is because of…
Read More
Opening Day at Alaska West
We just kicked off our season at Alaska West and we’re happy to report that our first run of king salmon have arrived! Despite higher-than-average water conditions, our opening day yielded steady action, with some healthy adult kings landed, and more than a few heartbreakers lost. We’re going to be on-site all season long and…
Read More