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SUGGESTED CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT LIST

Fly fishing in Southwestern Alaska can place great demands on your tackle and clothing, unlike any other angling destination. Due to the variety of weather conditions on the Alaskan Peninsula, it is best to bring comfortable clothing for temperatures ranging from 35 to 75 degrees. At Enchanted Lake Lodge, we do not furnish your tackle (other than an assortment of flies), clothing, waders or wading boots. In the event your clothing or equipment is lost or damaged, we do have quality demo equipment available for use in emergencies. You should definitely plan on purchasing a quality pair of stocking foot Gore-Tex waders for your visit. This list should be used only as a guideline.

Waders: Wader technology has come a long way in just a few years with the introduction of the “breathable” wader. The first Gore-Tex waders did have their problems. However, the new models are near perfect. The biggest advantage of Gore-Tex over other wader material is that it breathes. This allows you to remain comfortable on hikes to and from your fishing destinations. They are also lighter and more convenient to pack than other waders. Some popular brand names we recommend are the chest-high models by; Simms and Patagonia.

We recommend that you bring stocking foot waders with a pair of quality, felt-sole, wading shoes. PLEASE DO NOT BRING STUDDED FELT SOLES. They tear up the airplanes and the cabins. For safety, we recommend you wear a wading belt at all times.

Under wader clothing:  As we all know, there is nothing more uncomfortable under our waders than a pair of jeans or pants that chafe and bind. We recommend that you wear mid-weight long underwear bottoms and/or fleece pants under your waders. For warm days, you will want to wear only the long underwear bottoms, while the colder days will require fleece pants or both. On the upper body, we recommend a similar system. A mid-weight long underwear top with a fleece jacket for colder days. Avoid cotton.

Rain Jacket: This could be the item of greatest importance to your comfort during your trip. The best type for our conditions is the new 3 Layer Gore-Tex. They do breathe and keep you dry even in the worst conditions. Some popular jackets we recommend are the Simms ‘Guide Coat’ or the Patagonia ‘SST’. No Alaskan goes anywhere without good raingear.

Sunglasses: Since a large portion of our fishing is to sighted fish, you must have a Quality pair of Polarized Sunglasses. The best lens colors for our conditions is either Brown or Amber. Besides assisting you in spotting fish, they also provide necessary safety while casting.

Rods, Reels, & Lines

Rods: A 9-ft. 6 weight and a 9-ft. 7 or 8 weight for larger rivers and fish.

Reels: A quality reel with a strong drag and at least 150 yards of backing.  I prefer large arbor reels that can take up line quickly.

Lines: A weight forward, floating line is the most commonly used line. We also recommend that you have an extra spool with a sinking tip line for the 7 or 8 weight rod. Commonly used sink tip lines are the 15' Type IV’s from Rio and the 200 grain 24' tips from Rio or Jim Teeny.

Flies: We carry a complete line of flies designed and tied by our guides specifically for our area. We do not charge for the use of our flies or egg imitations. The price is included in the weekly rate. Should you choose to tie or purchase your own, we will be glad to answer any questions you might have.

Luggage and Personal Items: While at the lodge, the atmosphere is informal, so please bring casual clothes that are comfortable and practical. You will be in waders most of the day, so you will not need a large assortment of clothes for meals at the Lodge. Other items to include are personal items and medicines, and a camera with plenty of film. Please try to limit the amount of luggage you bring and please use duffel bag type luggage, rather than suitcases, as they are much easier to load and transport in small planes.

IN CONCLUSION

Please remember that the above recommendations are merely that – recommendations. You are by no means required to purchase all of this equipment. The suggested tackle and clothing mentioned here is what we have found to work best for our fishing conditions.

A Typical Fly Box

Equipment and Gear Buying Guide

Rods:

Always buy 4 or 5 piece rods - they are so much easier to pack and the technology in making ferrules means you cant' feel the joints anymore. Whether it is the latest and greatest evolution of graphite or technology that is 5- 10 years old, modern rods are a pleasure to cast.

REELS:

I use large arbor reels for saltwater and fresh water. The retrieval rate is awesome and it helps the drag maintain a consistent pressure while a fish is running. ( The diameter doesn't change much as you lose line as it does on a standard arbor) There are some wonderful reels out there but the Mach Large Arbor is a great value, it is light, it is pretty, it is smooth and it doesn't cost a fortune!

FLY LINES:

Fly lines should be specific to the conditions - Broad categories include: Warm Water or Cold Water?, SaltWater or Fresh water? Lines can be full floating,  full sinking,  or partial sinking (sink tip). The tapers can vary infinite ways to help you throw different kinds of flies in different situations, or one taper may help you mend line easier than another.  Almost every manufacture of high quality lines will offer a line for the specific species  and purpose you are looking for.

LEADERS:

I prefer to use flouro carbon leaders for most of my fly fishing needs (salt or freshwater) as they have more abrasion resistance than standard monofilament.

I also always use flouro carbon tippets for fresh and saltwater applications for it's invisible nature. Most of our destinations have pretty stupid fish but it still makes sense to use the most invisible tippet.

If you need flies for one of our trips we can provide you with a selection specific for the time of year and destination you are traveling to.  This is a courtesy to our clients and we do not sell flies to anglers who have not booked a trip through us! ( We are not snobs we just are not set up to provide tons of flies!) The selections usually come in $100, $150, $200 selections.

 
Ed Blank's Adventures Main Page

PO BOX 180446  BOSTON  MA 02118
Phone: 888-857-6700  
Fax: 617-427-7890
ed@flyfishingheaven.com