When fishing for fish destined to be released, we think that pinching down your barb is pretty cool. Fish are fragile, and removing hooks with barbs causes more damage than removing hooks without barbs.. It’s that simple. In fact, at Alaska West we do our best to instill a 100 percent barbless policy, encouraging all…
Read More
universal tips
Check Your Ferrules Often
Today we present you with a friendly reminder of a simple tip that most anglers are well aware of, but often forget until its too late – like when your rod breaks! Multi piece fly rods are designed such that when assembled tightly together, the overlapping ferrules result in the desired overall taper of the rod….
Read More
Loading Reels by Yourself
Operating fly fishing lodges in remote locations around the world means we spend a fair amount of time loading reels and rigging gear, lots of gear, in the middle of nowhere. There aren’t any fly shops with fancy line machine’s in the bush, so like many of you, most of the time we do it the…
Read More
Repairing a Broken Rod Tip
Broken rods are a bummer, but the worst time and place to break a fly rod is on a fishing trip in the middle of nowhere.. Something we know a little bit about. Of all the ways a rod can break (and trust us, we’ve seen a lot), one of the most common ways we…
Read More
Fish Beyond Your Fly Line
Lets face it, no matter how good your eyes are, there are plenty of times while fishing, whether with streamers or nymphs, when you can’t see your fly. Perhaps the water is too dirty, too deep, or you momentarily lost track of the fly.. It just happens. However, that should’t keep you from tracking your fly…
Read More
Trout Lies – Presenting to Submerged Structures
Today’s tip falls within the ‘common mistakes we see a lot of’ category. Most of us are well aware that any in-river structure (rocks, logs, snags, tundra clumps, ect.) make for potential holding lies for trout. Any object able to break up the speed of the current provides the opportunity for trout to hold comfortably in…
Read More
Turning ‘Bad’ Casts into Great Presentations
Good casts feel good, but good presentations catch fish and today Alaska West guide, Greg Houska, is coming at us with a great writeup on how saving the less-than-perfect cast can help you catch more fish in the long run. Enjoy! Turning ‘Bad’ Casts into Great Presentations Not every cast is perfect, and you should never…
Read More
Repairing a Broken Fly Line Loop
For many anglers, nail knots are a thing of the past. Most fly lines available today come with a welded loop on the leader end of the line to connect your leader via loop to loop connections. However, no fly line lasts forever, and over time welded loops can crack, split, or sometimes break completely! Odds…
Read More
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….
Read More
The Double Bimini Twist
When it comes to connecting backing to fly line via loop to loop connections, there’s no doubt that the bimini twist is one the best knots of all time. Generally considered to provide 100% line strength, the twisted construction of the bimini twist actually allows the knot to stretch slightly, thus providing a knot strength…
Read More