The Jumbo John originated on the vise of Mr. John Barr, the mind behind the world-famous Copper John nymph. It didn’t take long for creative steelheaders to succeed with the Copper John. With steelhead in mind, Mr. Barr got creative and design a Copper John Style fly that was bigger and heavier, and that brings…
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trout flies
Fly Tying: Polar Shrimp
When it comes to Steelhead in Alaska, there are a lot of effective fly patterns. The Polar Shrimp is a “classic” pattern that is a favorite among Alaska Steelheaders and other anadromous fish. Originally designed by Polly Rosborough for Oregon Coast Steelhead, this pattern is deceiving in the eyes of Steelhead as it imitates a…
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Fly Tying: Incognito Wooly Bugger
With Halloween just coming up this week, we thought we’d tie a golden oldie fly pattern and dress it up. From our friend Stuart Foxall, comes a variant of the Wooly Bugger. Combining a classic fly pattern with modern materials makes for a quick, colorful, and most importantly, effective fly. Cheers! It’s funny how patterns…
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Fly Tying: The Goblin
Halloween is just around the corner and what better fly to tie than a fly called the “Goblin.” This is a pattern created by Alaska fishing guide and fisheries conservationist, Mark Heironymus. Initially designed with Steelhead in mind, this versatile fly is effective in fishing for Rainbow Trout and with the right color schemes, for…
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Fly Tying: Dolly Llama
They say, “imitation is the best form of flattery.” There are a bunch of variations of the Dolly Llama demonstrated, but none exactly like the original. That being said, even this tie instruction is ever so slightly different. The Dolly Llama has taken over the Egg Sucking Leech as Alaska’s “all-around” fly pattern. This pattern…
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Fly Tying: Hoh Bo Spey
Originated by Charles St, Pierre, the Hob Bo Spey is named after the famous Olympic Peninsula Steelhead rivers, the Hoh River, and the Bogachiel River. A great low water fly, with a solid profile and stinger hook, it is a versatile, easy casting fly, and the color combinations are almost endless. A proven effective fly…
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Fall Naknek River Fly Patterns to Tie Now!
A super fun time of the year to fish the Naknek River is in the Fall. Cool, crisp mornings, strong hot coffee that will have you grinning, and with the daylight taking its time to arrive, give you ample time for a great breakfast because you’ll need it. Fall Rainbow Trout fishing in the Naknek…
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Fly Tying: Bow River Bugger
We realize it is Fall, and the flesh bite is starting. Regardless of the flesh bite, Sculpin is still a prime source of food for trout no matter the season. There are a lot of Sculpin flies out there. What makes the Bow River Bugger stand out is it is a Sculpin pattern that incorporates…
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Fly Tying: Marabou Ham & Eggs
Fall in Alaska is one of our favorite times of year to fish. The salmon have spawned and have gone into the final stage of their lifecycle to become a food resource for the river and its inhabitants, including Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden. That makes flesh flies extremely effective in the fall months here…
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Fly Tying: Impersonator Leech
When it comes to trout, streamer patterns are without a doubt, extremely effective. The best thing about streamers is, they relatively easy to tie, and the color combinations are as vast as the number of colors out there. That being said, a surefire color combination is red and black. Is it a confidence thing? Maybe….
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