Last month we ran a great article from Alaska West alum, Jeff Forsee, on ten tips on sight fishing for trout. We love sight fishing for big trout in gin-clear back channels at Alaska West. Not only is it a blast to watch a fish take a fly, it’s also extremely effective. After all, your…
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Trout
Simms at Alaska West – Video
Last season, Beattie Outdoor Productions‘ Steven Yochum and Simms ambassador, Tom Larimer, joined us at Alaska West during the first week of our season. Along with our good friends at Simms, they put together a pretty killer video, that we think explains what makes the early season on our river so special, and today we share…
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Trout Fishing – Swing Out Your Drift
It’s safe to say, more trout are hooked dead drifting sub-surface patterns than by any other technique. Whether fishing gaudy flesh and egg patterns in Alaska, or delicate nymphs on your local trout stream, there’s no denying imitating a natural drift works. However, we’ve all been there; you finish your drift, start to make your…
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Squeak, Squeak
Exactly what you want early season rainbows to be staring at in Western Alaska. Big, gnarly, mouse patterns. More on Trout Fishing How Often do Trout and Grayling eat Mice? Trout Fishing – Swinging Flies Streamer Fishing for Trout – 5 Techniques
Sight Fishing for Trout – 10 Tips
We’re really lucky to have an extremely diverse trout fishery at Alaska West. It’s not uncommon during any part of our season to catch trout by swinging flies, stripping streamers, dead drifting sub-surface patterns, or skating mouse flies on top. However, one of our favorite ways to target big leopard rainbows is by sight fishing…
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Spicing Up Your Fly With a Bead
There’s no denying the effectiveness of bead fishing for trout in Alaska. As the prolific runs of salmon in Western Alaska approach the end of their migration, thousands of eggs are released by each female salmon providing millions (if not billions) of protein-rich morsels for our resident rainbow trout, Arctic grayling, and dolly varden. The…
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Dry Flies
At Alaska West, our trout tend to key in on rodents, not mayflies, and we’re really happy about that. More on Mousing for Trout Mousing for Trout – 5 Tips Mousing for Trout – Try a Strip Set 19 Reasons to Fish a Mouse Fly
Nymphing Without an Indicator
Nymphing can be tough, but considering a large majority of a trout’s diet is found sub-surface, it’s an important tool to have in your arsenal. Strike indicators are all the rage these days, and many anglers find them extremely helpful in detecting the subtle strikes that can be had while dead drifting sub-surface flies. It’s hard to…
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Frozen Rod Guides – Try Lip Balm
With a daily high of a whopping 13 degrees Fahrenheit outside our Anchorage office, we’re starting to come to terms that winter is upon us. For many of us, winter brings fishing conditions that are far from ideal. Although, winter fly fishing in cold-weather climates can have its perks, such as less crowds and fish…
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Mystic Sapphyre 590-4 Review
We tell people all the time at our lodges, especially our female guests, that women typically make better fly casters than men do. Sorry fellas, but that’s the truth. Good casting results from a smooth application of power, not brute force and therefore, women tend to pick it up a little faster. Oddly enough however,…
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