Alaska West Lodge
Travel & Tackle Guide

Welcome to your Fly Water Travel trip guide. We’re excited to help you prepare for your upcoming adventure! Inside, you’ll find everything you need: your to-do list, travel logistics, destination notes, and a curated tackle guide tailored to your trip.

Getting Ready

We’ve created a quick checklist of essential tasks to make sure you’re fully prepared for the journey ahead. If questions come up or you need anything at all, just give us a call, we’re here to help every step of the way.

To-Do List:

✓ Review Itinerary

✓ Arrange flights to/from Anchorage

✓ Arrange Accommodations in Anchorage (if applicable)

✓ Send Fly Water Travel Anchorage flight and hotel information

✓ Purchase Alaska fishing license and King Salmon tag (if applicable)

✓ Complete your personal online guest registration form

Alaska West Lodge
Travel Guide

From how to get there and what documents you’ll need to tipping guidelines and destination details, this section covers the practical information to ensure smooth travels.

Getting to the Lodge:
To get to Alaska West, guests will need to arrange travel to and from Anchorage, Alaska (ANC). From Anchorage, guests will take the lodge's included charter flight to the Quinhagak Airstrip. Upon arrival in Quinhagak, guests will collect their luggage and board the lodge's provided transport into the village and it's boat ramp, from which it's a scenic 20-minute jet boat ride upstream to camp.

Arrival Day:
There are technically two days that can be considered as arrival days. Below we have outlined both of these days.

  • Anchorage Arrival: Guests arrive the day prior to their lodge transfer, and overnight at their elected accommodations in Anchorage (not included in package).

  • Alaska West Lodge Arrival: In the morning, you will need to arrange a taxi to Atlantic Aviation, for your included charter flight. The lodge expeditor will be waiting to meet you and help with the check in process for your flight to Quinhagak. The flight lasts roughly an hour and a half. Once guests arrive at camp, you will be given a brief tour, shown to your tent cabins, and prepare tackle for the upcoming week.


Departure Day:
In the morning after breakfast, guests will be transferred to the Quinhagak Airstrip where they will catch the included charter flight back to Anchorage.

Charter Flight:
Your round trip charter flight between Anchorage and Quianhagak is included in your package. The lodge owns and operates their own fleet of planes that depart from their hangar in Anchorage (6160 Carl Brady Drive, Anchorage AK 99502). Once the charter schedule has been finalized, you will be notified of your departure time (typically one week before your trip).

Recommended Travel Agent:
For assistance in making your travel plans (flights, hotels, airport transfers and tour arrangements), we recommend contacting Alicia Regueiro of Holdy Tours.

Alicia Regueiro, Holdy Tours
800-446-1111 or 925-927-6617
alicia@holdytours.com

Anchorage Hotel Recommendations:
Below is a list of hotels that range from luxury to more budget friendly options.

Hotel Captain Cook
939 W 5th Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99501

The Lakefront Hotel
4800 Spenard Rd.
Anchorage, AK 99517

Courtyard Marriott
4901 Spenard Rd.
Anchorage, AK 99517

Puffin Inn
4400 Spenard Rd.
Anchorage, AK 99517

Travel Cash:
As a guideline we recommend that each guest travel with approximately $1,500 -$2,000 for staff and guide gratuities, etc.

Credit Cards:
The lodge accepts both Visa and Mastercard, but cash is preferred.

Fishing Licenses:
Fishing licenses are not included in your package and can be purchased online at Alaska Fish and Game's website prior to the start of your trip. You may also purchase your license on site at the lodge. You will need a seven-day sport fishing license (this should start on your arrival day to the lodge). A king stamp is also required for anglers wishing to retain or fish for king salmon in June and July.

Note: Alaska requires that anglers carry their fishing license and identification with you while on the water.

Gratuities:
The following are guidelines, and all gratuities are up to the discretion of the individual guest.

  • 15% - 20% of your total trip cost

Gratuities can be given directly to the lodge manager(s) at the end of the fishing week for distribution to guides and lodge staff. Cash is greatly appreciated.

Cell Coverage and Wi-Fi:

  • Cell Coverage: Cell service is very spotty at Alaska West and not considered reliable. There is a lodge phone that can be used to make emergency calls.
  • Wi-Fi: Available, but very intermittent.

Power:
There are no electrical outlets in the tent cabins. For charging devices or batteries, there are electrical power banks in the lounge tent.

Laundry:
Laundry service is not available. However, in case of emergencies, laundry service can be provided. There are hand washing sinks outside of the showers for any small items you may need to rinse or clean off.

Water:
Filtered water is readily available.

Beverages/Alcohol:
Quinhagak is a "dry" village, meaning that it is illegal to posses alcohol in the city limits. Violators of this tribal law faces fines and/or embarrassment. Due to this, Alaska West does not provide their guests with any alcohol. The lodge respects the rules and regulations of the residents, and advises interested guests to call Deneki Outdoors or Fly Water Travel for more information on this sensitive issue.

Alaska West does provide guests with non alcoholic beverages.

Climate:
The weather in southwest Alaska is highly variable. Anglers should always come prepared for cold rainy conditions, especially early and late in the season. Typical daytime temperatures range from 40° - 70° Fahrenheit.

Travel and Health Considerations:
Insect repellent and a head net are recommended, especially through mid August. Bears are also very common, and your guides are trained to work around them.

Medical Facilities:
The closest medical facility is in Anchorage, which is about an hour and a half flight from the lodge. Guests have the responsibility to disclose any special medical, physical, or dietary needs to the lodge ahead of time. In emergency situations, a charter flight may be required to reach a medical facility. Guests may want to consider medical evacuation coverage. We recommend Global Rescue.

Recommended Medical Evacuation Carrier and Insurance Provider:
Due to the remoteness of Alaskan operations, we recommend that guests purchase travel insurance with medical evacuation coverage. Our preferred provider for this service is Global Rescue.

Alaska West Lodge
Tackle Guide

Here you’ll find everything you need to be ready on the water. You’ll find our preferred setups, favorite flies, recommended packing list, and notes on tackle available at the lodge.

Alaska West Lodge Tackle Overview

Depending on the time of year, we recommend traveling to Alaska West with 2–3 fly rod setups. The season kicks off with king salmon, and these bruisers demand the heaviest gear of the trip. Our preferred setup is an 8 weight Spey rod paired with the appropriate line, reel, and sink tip system.

Once king season wraps up, the focus shifts to trout and the Kanektok's other salmon species. With all five species of Pacific salmon available throughout the season, a 9 foot 8 weight is our favorite all-around salmon rod and is well suited for silvers, chum, pinks, and sockeye.

For rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, and grayling, a 9 foot 6 weight is hard to beat. The Kanektok's countless side channels, willow-lined braids, and clear water create outstanding opportunities for mousing, dry flies, streamers, and nymphing. If you're looking for one rod that can handle just about every trouty situation on the river, the 6-weight will be your best friend.

Alaska West Lodge Provided Equipment:

  • Rods/Reels/Lines: Subject to availability, Alaska West has loaner rods and reels available for guest use. Please notify Fly Water Travel in advance of your trip so we can let the outfitter know you'll need gear.
  • Flies: A limited selection of flies are available for guess at the lodge. See our detailed fly selection below to add.
  • Waders and Boots: While a limited supply of waders and boots are available, we recommend that guests bring their own. If you would prefer to use the lodge's please notify Fly Water Travel in advance.

Alaska West Lodge Trout Setup

If we were only allowed to bring one trout rod to Alaska, it would have to be a 9 foot 6 weight with a fighting butt. Since many of the flies thrown in Alaska can be larger, a 6 weight is able to handle these with much more grace than a lighter rod. In addition, the trout in the region are also known to be larger than average, and having the backbone of a 6 weight helps tremendously when attempting to land the fish of a lifetime. The added fighting butt allows more control of the fish and reduces arm fatigue during the fight. Rods should be paired with a good freshwater reel, with at least 100 yards of backing. We prefer all around, weight forward floating fly lines since a variety of techniques can be employed. Since the trout are bigger in Alaska than most other places, we recommend leader and tippet primarily in the 2X - 4X range. Conveniently, this setup will also function great for both Dolly Varden and Grayling.

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Alaska West Lodge King Salmon Setup

King Salmon, also called Chinook Salmon, are the largest of the pacific salmon species. They are an incredibly powerful fish that put anglers and their gear to the test. While they can be fished for using a variety of techniques, we find that most fly anglers in Alaska choose to use a spey rod. For Kings, good spey rods are generally in the 12'6" to 13'6" range, and depending on the size of the waterway can get larger. Rods should be 8-weights at a minimum. Due to the immense power these salmon hold, it's crucial to have a high quality reel with a strong drag and at least 200 yards of 30 LB backing. Generally speaking, Skagit setups are preferred for Kings, paired with a good variety of tips. A complete angler should have T-8 through T-17 sink tips, with at least 20lb tippet to your fly.

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Alaska West Lodge Salmon Setup

While the trout fishing in Alaska is world class, most anglers know the state for its salmon fishing. Alaska offers great fishing for 5 of the pacific salmon; Silvers, Kings, Chum, Pinks, and Sockeye. For an overall Alaska salmon rod, we find a 9 foot 8 weight gets the job done in the majority of scenarios. Rods should be paired with high quality reels with a strong drag, and at least 200 yards of backing. Flies can be successfully fished both subsurface and on the surface, and a weight forward floating fly line matched with the correct rod weight will be a good bet. Since salmon are a very strong fish, we recommend that guests fish no less than 16lb leader and tippet.

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Alaska West Lodge Recommended Flies

Alaska West can provide guests with limited selection of flies during their stay. We recommend that guests show up with enough flies to get them through the week. Below you can find some of our favorite patterns for the Kanektok River.

Trout, Char, and Grayling

  • Dolly Llama - Olive/White (Sizes 2-4)
  • RIO's Morrish Mouse - Natural (Sizes 4-6)
  • Beads - Peach and Roe (6mm - 10mm)
  • Flesh Fly - Peach, Cream, and White (Sizes 2-8)
  • RIO's Morrish Sculpin - Black and Olive (Sizes 2-4)
  • Stimulator - Orange and Yellow (Sizes 8-12)


King Salmon

  • Intruders - Black/Blue, Blue/Chartreuse, and Orange/Pink (Sizes 1/0-1)
  • String Leech - Pink and Chartreuse (Sizes 1/0-1)
  • Comet - Pink, Orange, and Chartreuse (Sizes 1-2)
  • RIO's Morrish Trailer Trash - Baitfish and Sherbert (Size 1)


Silver, Chum, Sockeye, and Pink Salmon

  • Starlight Leech - Pink (Sizes 1-2)
  • Pollywog - Pink (1/0-2)
  • Clouser Minnow - Chartreuse and Pink (Sizes 1-2)
  • Egg Sucking Leech - Black/Purple and Blue/Black (Sizes 1-2)
  • Flash Fly - Pink and Pink/White (Sizes 1-2)

Support Your Local Fly Shop

If you need assistance with assembling your gear for your upcoming travels, we encourage you to support your local fly shop. This curated list of tackle is handpicked for your destination by our experts and can serve as your shopping list to get your ready for your next adventure. Find your local Far Bank dealer.

Suggested Packing List

We understand packing for an adventure is not easy. On a trip like this it is very important to have everything you need and nothing you do not. Because of the varying weather conditions in Alaska, it is important to have a wide variety of clothing options.

Documents
Plane tickets, itinerary, photo ID, credit card, travel cash, fishing license

Socks
Four pairs of wool or synthetic socks to wear under your waders. Two pairs of camp socks.

Shirts
Two or three long sleeve, hooded fishing shirts. One or two camp shirts.

Undergarments
Two pairs of synthetic long underwear to wear beneath your waders. One mid-weight and one heavyweight. These can be worn singling or together depending on conditions.

Hats
Two fishing or baseball hats. One warm wool hat.

Rain Jacket
One high quality rain jacket. Either waterproof or a high quality Gore-Tex jacket. Make sure your jacket is large enough to fit over some layers of clothing and the coat/jacket you plan to wear.

Warm Layers
Two warm insulating layers. Synthetic fleece is good, it can be best to avoid cotton.

Camp Shoes
One pair of shoes for around the lodge.

Gloves
One pair of warm fishing gloves for early or late in the season. These can also be used to keep the bugs off your hands.

Buff
One facial sun protector. This can also be used to keep the bugs off your face.

Sunglasses
One pair of polarized sunglasses. It is great to have a lens cleaner and a soft cleaning cloth as well.

Sunscreen
One bottle 30+ SPF

Lip Balm
One tube of 30+ SPF lip balm

Bug Dope
Insect repellent and a lightweight head net

Tape Measure
Optional

Backpack
One waterproof backpack or boat bag for day gear

Camera
Camera with extra batteries and waterproof case/bag

Headlamp
One small LED headlamp with batteries

Toiletries Kit
Toothpaste and toothbrush, deodorant, razor, lotion, mini, shampoo bottle, anti-inflammatory, sleep aid, ear plugs, band aids, anti-bacterial ointment, antihistamines, Gold Bond powder and Pepto.

Contact Taylor Goodhue

Taylor is a native Oregonian who has been passionate about fly fishing for as long as he can remember. Prior to joining Fly Water Travel, he worked with Confluence Fly Shop in Bend, Oregon, where he served as an instructor, guide, and sales associate. His deep love for both travel and the sport has taken him across the globe in pursuit of a wide variety of fish species.

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