What's On The End of Your Line: Flies & Hardware

Alright, let's talk about what's going to be on the end of your line! To make sure you're well-equipped for success, we'll provide a carefully chosen but limited selection of flies, including reliable patterns like the Dalli Lama (in black/white), those vibrant orange gurglers, various effective mouse patterns, versatile beads, and proven flesh flies when the time is right. For those of you who really enjoy tying your own, or just want a more extensive selection, we've got some additional insights for you. Remember, out here, if you don't have it, you can't exactly run down to the local fly shop and get more, so plan accordingly!

There's a ton of great information out there about what flies work best in different regions of Alaska and when those patterns are most successful. For trout, you'll generally want an assortment of beads in various sizes and colors, egg patterns of any type, flesh flies, Dali Llamas, Sculpins, Eel patterns, and of course, mouse patterns. A great starting point, and for many anglers, all you might need, is something like the Alaska Fly Selection from the folks at Yellow Dog Flyfishing, who we've been working with for years now. You can also spend some time checking out the Alaska Fly Fishing Goods website; they have fantastic fly selections perfect for your Alaska trip, or you can pick up individual patterns there too. And definitely take a look at local tiers like Alaska Signature Flies on Facebook or Bristol Bay Flies – they have some incredible, specialized patterns.

Some of the most popular selections for use on our trips, particularly from Alaska Flyfishing Goods out of Juneau, include collections designed for specific scenarios. If you're targeting spring trout, they offer a collection of favorite sculpins, leeches, salmon fry, and surface poppers. For Dolly Llamas, a dozen of their best trout colors like Black and White, Olive and White, and Olive and Brown, in various sizes, are excellent. They also have an excellent Dolly Llama Coho selection in prime color combinations like Black and White, Pink and White, and Pink and Purple, which are fantastic for silvers, as are their wider Silver Salmon (Coho) selections with a variety of proven patterns. When Alaska's trout are at their most massive, you'll want their Fall Rainbow Trout Selection, packed with flies that look like a "T-Bone steak" and get down deep. For that time between the fry departure and salmon spawning, when rainbows and char are keying on mice, sculpins, and leeches, their Predator Rainbow Trout Fly Selection is spot on. And really, is there anything more exciting than watching a huge V-Wake appear behind your fly? That's what happens when Alaskan rainbows key in on mice, and their Dirty Dozen Mouse Fly Selection is exactly what you need for that explosive action – rainbows love to slash and destroy these!

If you're looking for beads, they come in all the assorted sizes and colors you need for your Alaska trip with us; check out the Alaska Bead Selection from TroutBeads.com. And for fall trips, look into the Bristol Bay Fall Bead Selection from Alaska Flyfishing Goods. Don't forget to toss in a package of your favorite strike indicators; we're partial to the Thingamabobber in 1/2" or 3/4", which you can find on Amazon

Now, for some hardware options, we've had great success with Blue Fox Pixees and Blue Fox Vibrax Spinners. We're particularly fond of the orange and pink varieties in size 3 Vibrax and 7/8 Pixee, and it's always a good idea to have some smaller sized lures along for trout and grayling too. Just a very important note here: all lures must be single hook only. Please make sure you change these before your trip and not in the rafts during the trip – it helps keep things smooth and safe for everyone.