It’s currently baseball season. For those who truly understand the game of baseball, it’s not always about the long ball. The games within the game are where the nitty-gritty and the good stuff about baseball make it fun and more enjoyable. Understanding this will make you a better enjoy the game. The same applies to…
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universal tips
Deneki Chronicles: Net The Head- Universal Fly Fishing Tips
In today’s Deneki Chronicles, we provide a fly fishing tip that will save relationships. Imagine, you have a fish of a lifetime on the end of your line, and your buddy flubs the net job. That’s a long boat ride back to camp. So here are some things to consider while netting your buddies’ fish….
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Deneki Chronicles: Bonefishing Wisdom – Eliminate Line Catchers
You’ve made the cast, the bonefish has eaten your fly, and you’ve set the hook correctly using a nice long strip set.. Now comes the tough part – Getting him on your reel! Most bonefish are lost between setting the hook and getting him onto the reel than during any other part of the fight….
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4 Benefits of Having a Second Rod Rigged Up and Ready to Go
A commonality between most all fly fishermen is a slight obsession with gear. We not only have lots of it, but we also like to bring unnecessary amounts with us on our fishing trips. Don’t just leave it back at the lodge. There are some great benefits to having an extra rod and reel with…
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Gear Hack: Attach a Split Ring To Your Fishing Pliers
It’s been a while since we’ve presented you with a super cheap, embarrassingly simple, yet remarkably helpful gear hack. So, today we right that wrong. Years ago, your fearless editor attached his favorite pair of fishing pliers to a standard bungee lanyard with a sturdy, yet super simple, split key ring. That’s right, the same…
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Carrying Fly Rods Through the Brush
Today we present you with a quick tip for all of you out there who like to strike off of the beaten path whenever possible (with fly rods in hand, of course). When bushwhacking (aka ‘crittering’ around our camp) with fly rods, there are few things more frustrating than your rod tip and/or leader hanging…
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Poor Man’s Rain Pants
While digging through photos from the weeks past we were recently reminded of a commonly (and regretfully) forgotten item at our lodges; rain pants! We always encourage our guests to pack quality rain gear when traveling to our lodges, both in Alaska and the Bahamas. By that we mean both a rain jacket and a pair of…
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Timeless Tips: How to Break Your Fly Rod – 10 Simple Options
Most fly rod manufacturers these days offer lifetime warranties, and we say you should do whatever you can to take advantage of such generous offers. Paying repair fees is awesome, ruining your fishing day is super cool, and having to wait for your rod to be repaired is the most fun you’ll have this side…
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Reason Number One to Fish Barbless Hooks
At Alaska West, we exercise an 100% barbless policy on all of our flies. That means our guides do their best to ensure that no fly is fished without smashing the barb down first. Some of our guests, particularly those who have not fished barbless hooks before, are often skeptical of this, but contrary to…
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Bush Rigging Broken Wading Boot Laces
There’s nothing quite like yanking on the laces of your wading boots in anticipation of a full day on the water when.. Snap! They finally give way. Broken laces are a bummer, but whether or not you’ve got a spare pair of laces in your boat bag, they don’t have to sour your day. Take…
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