There are a staggering number of different fly tying threads available these days. Like anything, each has its advantages, disadvantages, and is subject to a great deal of personal preference. However, when it comes to tying threads, we’ve long been fans of UTC’s Ultra Thread for its versatility and massive color selection – something we find…
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Stuart Foxall
Show Some Respect
Today we present you with a quick write up and video, courtesy of our pal Stuart Foxall, on a topic near and dear to our heart; the importance of showing a little respect to your quarry. Thanks Stu! Show Some Respect! Earlier this summer, I was fortunate to fish with Alaska West guide, Jerry French, for…
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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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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 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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Selecting King Salmon Flies
In just over a month we kick off our summer seasons at our Alaska operations. That means it won’t be long before we’re swinging flies for big, bright, king salmon.. Heck, we’re getting antsy just writing about it! When selecting flies for king salmon, most of the time exact fly pattern is not overly important….
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Tying Intruders – Funky Blob Fritz
We’ve been spinning up a lot of king salmon flies lately in anticipation of our upcoming season, and that means big flies for big fish.. Heck we’re getting excited just thinking about it. When swinging flies for kings, we’ve long been fans of intruder style patterns due to their large profile appearance in the water with minimal materials (allowing…
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Stuart Foxall’s King Rig
If you’re a regular to our humble little blog, odds are you’ve heard the name Stuart Foxall before. Stu is a professional fly designer for Aqua Flies as well as part of Loop Tackle’s development team. You could say he knows a thing or two about swinging flies for big, bright, anadramous fish. In fact,…
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Modern ‘Spins’ on Classic Flies
Last week professional fly designer, Stuart Foxall, shared with us a brief background on two classic styles of flies still used today for salmon and steelhead – Spey and Dee style flies. We thought it was pretty darn interesting, and judging by some of your comments, you did too! So, today Stu is back with…
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Time to Learn Your Spey’s and Dee’s
One thing we love about tying flies is the rich tradition and history associated with our craft. There’s a whole bunch of history wrapped up (pun intended) in just about every pattern available today, and today our buddy Stuart Foxall put together a great write up on two classic styles of flies still used for…
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