Just a reminder that when fighting big fish, we really like the down and dirty approach – pulling hard, with the rod tip low and to the side, thus bending the rod deep into the butt section. Click on almost any part of the previous sentence for a visual of what we mean. We find…
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Spey
Swinging for Trout – The Tumble Rig
We really enjoy swinging flies for trout on small spey or switch rods. Here at Alaska West, that usually means swinging large sculpin or flesh flies on or near the bottom. In other words, getting your fly down is often the name of the game. Earlier this year, we were fortunate to spend a week…
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SPEY TV Episode 3: Snap T,Z, and C
Our buddy George Cook is back with another great edition of Spey TV, a video series dedicated to all things spey related. Today’s topic? The finer points of perhaps the most widely used skagit casts out there, the snap T. From casting variations, to fishing situations, to the basic history of the cast, this video…
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OPST Lazar Line Running Line
When it comes to skagit casting, we’ve long been fans of mono running lines, particularly when fishing light weight spey or switch rods. Nowadays there are bunch of different options out there, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages. However, a couple weeks ago we were joined by the OPST crew here at Alaska West….
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OPST at Alaska West
We’re pretty excited to have the OPST crew in camp this week at Alaska West. That’s Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics for those who aren’t aware. Why are we so excited? Because they’ve been pumping out some pretty innovative stuff for those of us who like, no love, skagit style spey casting.. Not to mention that the company…
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Managing Running Line for Less Tangles
When it comes to spey fishing, we talk a lot about managing running line. That’s because it’s really important for casting mid-long distances. There are lots of great ways to manage running line when spey casting, and what works for some does not always work for others. For example, some anglers prefer to pinch loops…
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Airflo Releases Streamer Switch Lines
If you’re like us, and enjoy spey fishing for trout, you may have found it difficult to find the right spey line to match today’s trout-worthy switch and small spey rods. The development of shorter skagit-style heads such as the Airflo Skagit Switch or Rio Max Short have made loading modern switch and short spey rods…
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Three Good Articles – Spey Edition
We’re back today with our somewhat mid-month tradition of three good fly fishing articles, from other sites around the web. Today’s edition even has a theme, spey fishing! If you’re like us and love fishing with a two-handed rod, make sure to give these articles a look. Enjoy! Three Good Articles – Spey Edition Sink-tip…
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Trout Spey Techniques – The Bobble Dredge
A couple weeks back, we ran a post titled, Active Swinging, where we highlighted some of the techniques we use when spey fishing for trout that go beyond the classic downstream and across swing. However, most of these techniques are limited to slower gradual runs, those most characteristic of a swung fly. As spey anglers, most of…
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SPEY TV Episode 2: Grip and Stance
The boys from Spey TV are back with another episode of their online video series highlighting tips and techniques for everything spey related. Episode 2 touches on the fundamentals of spey casting grip and stance, courtesy of long time Deneki friend, Mr. Hoh Bo Spey himself, Charles St. Pierre. Enjoy! More on Spey Fishing Slack is…
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