ALASKA TROUT
Alaska lays claim to a lot of the “biggest” records. It has the longest coastline in the United States. The tallest mountains. The largest land area. And yet, in a stroke of good luck, Alaska has the lowest population density in the country, with barely 1 person for ever square mile of land—which means there are far more trout than people in the 49th state. Those trout might take a bit more work to get to, but you can rest assured that when you do get to them they’ll be measured in feet, not inches. Explore some of our favorite setups perfect for targeting trophy trout throughout Alaska.
IGNITER
High-power, ultra-fast, and technical performance all define the IGNITER. This rod is geared towards the experienced angler looking to maximize opportunity and squeeze every bit of performance out of their rod, removing weather variables from the equation. Its power from tip to butt is immediately apparent, and an aggressive casting stroke will lend itself well to this rod.
Tailor-made for anglers headed to the windiest of Alaskan locales, making the longest of casts, or those looking to achieve super narrow loops for tucking technical casts with mice or streamers into snaggy structure.
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Ultra-fast line speeds drive tight wedge shaped loops to cut through stiff winds and tuck flies into the tightest of holding spots.
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Long casts, windy tundra conditions, and ultra-technical presentations.
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R8 CORE
If you had to have one rod to take with you on your bucket list Alaska trip, the R8 CORE would be the one we'd reach for every time. It features high line speed capabilities yet maintains an easy-loading bottom end - coming together to make a rod that is intuitive and enjoyable from first cast of the day to buzzer-beater of the trip.
Ideal for anglers looking to maximize their bucket-list Alaska experience with the most versatile tool available.
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High line speeds capable of pushing through moderate winds while maintaining sensitivity into the hand.
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Skating mice, drifting indicator rigs, or swinging leeches.
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ALASKA TROUT SETUP HIGHLIGHTS
RAINBOW TROUT
Whether skating mice, swinging leeches, or drifting eggs, Alaska Rainbows are a big departure from their southern dwelling relatives. These fish only get good food opportunities for a few months of the year, and believe us when we say they take advantage of it – they’re true predators. Combining their large stature and big appetites, targeting big AK bows requires a more powerful tool than your standard trout stick, and a rod with plenty of backbone is necessary both deliver large flies, and to keep these hard pulling fish out of snags.
Rod: IGNITER 690-4FB
Reel: TROUT 4/5/6
Lines: RIO Elite Grand WF6F
Flies: Mice, Leeches, Flesh Flies, RIO's Pip Squeak
Fisheries: Rivers and streams throughout Bristol Bay, Kanektok River
GRAYLING
Arctic Grayling are a unique addition to the Alaskan hit-list in that they will pretty regularly take any well placed dry fly. Whether sight-fishing crystal clear rivers or blind casting through wide open runs, the approach is often to throw common attractor patterns to elicit a rise. A rod that provides both accuracy and ease of delivery despite wildly unpredictable Alaskan conditions means your fly finds its target more often than not. For these reasons, we prefer a rod that loads easily yet maintains the ability for high line speeds to punch through a stiff wind.
Rod: R8 CORE 590-4
Reel: ARBOR XL 4/5/6
Lines: RIO Elite Gold WF5F
Flies: Dry fly attractors, stimulators, elk hair caddis, chubby chernobyl, small mice
Fisheries: Small to medium sized rivers throughout the 49th state
DOLLIES & CHAR
Dolly Varden and Arctic Char have been known to eat anything from a drifted egg to a big bass popper. Arctic Char in particular also have a reputation for getting handsomely large. A good char rod is going to have a strong backbone for pulling on these larger fish, and turning over larger-than-average rigs. Additionally, a longer rod is going to provide anglers with additional reach to effectively control drifts at distance.
Rod: R8 CORE 796-4
Reel: ARBOR XL 6/7/8
Lines: RIO Elite Grand WF7F
Flies: Indicator rigs, flesh flies, poppers
Fisheries: Lake inlets and outlets throughout Alaska
