Recommended Gear For Steelheading

Weather conditions in Alaska are constantly shifting, and being cold or wet is the fastest way to cut a fishing day short. We strongly recommend layering, which allows you to adjust throughout the day as conditions change.

Layering

  • Light to heavy layers (No Cotton). Your lightest thermal tops and bottoms are most commonly worn early in the season. If you booked the last 2 weeks in September or the 1st week in October, lighter layers will work great. If you booked the last 3 weeks of October, bring heavier layers in addition to the lighter layers. You will also need a light/mid layer jacket (fleece, Primaloft, synthetic down, wool) as well as a heavier mid layer jacket (down, synthetic down, wool). The dates are only guidelines — it can sometimes be cooler in the first weeks as well.
  • A good rain jacket is a must, so make sure your current jacket doesn’t leak.

Waders & Boots

  • Waders: Breathable waders are ideal. It is imperative that you have waders that don’t leak. If you have been or are having problems with your current waders, you will need to buy a new pair or make very sure that your current ones are not leaking.
  • Boots: Rubber or Vibram soles only. NO FELT SOLES (they have been banned in AK). NO STUDS ON BOOTS THAT CANNOT BE REMOVED. Studded boots can be helpful for traction but cannot be worn inside boats. We recommend Korkers with Alumnatrax or something similar for wading stability and sticky rubber for boat. If you buy new boots, break them in — we do some hiking on the small rivers. Bring moleskin in case of blisters.

Accessories

  • Billed hat for sun and eye protection
  • Beanie and buff or neck gaiter
  • Gloves — bring fingerless gloves if you tend to fish in gloves when it is cold
  • Comfortable pants to wear under your waders
  • Medium to thick wool socks
  • Polarized sunglasses — if you have low light sunglasses in addition to your everyday pair, bring both
  • Comfortable slip-on shoes for the lodge/cabins — Crocs, XtraTufs, Bogs, or Muck boots. Slippers are always nice too

Personal Items

  • Medications
  • Ibuprofen, pain meds, etc…
  • Toiletries
  • Camera, battery charger, computer or SD card so you are able to take more pics than you normally would. GoPro if you have one and cord to recharge.
  • Cell phone, charger and a waterproof case if you have one
  • Hand sanitizer and wipes for mother nature’s restroom
  • Headlamp or flashlight
  • Sunscreen
  • Cash for gratuities for your guides and chef

Gear

Our guides come fully equipped with everything needed to get you on the water. If you’d rather skip hauling extra luggage across the country, show up ready to fish and we’ll handle the rest. Everything below is optional if you’d like to bring your own setup.

Essential Gear

  • Small waterproof backpack, sling pack, or large waist pack (to keep layers dry)
  • Water bottle
  • Basic fishing tools: hemostats, nippers
  • Wading staff

Swinging for Steelhead

Big River Setup (Spey)

  • Rod: 12’6″–14′ Spey rods in 7–8 wt
  • Reel: Large arbor reel with a solid drag, balanced to your rod
  • Backing: 100–150 yards of 20–30 lb braided backing
  • Running Line: Rio SlickShooter (35–50 lb) for maximum distance, or Rio GripShooter / integrated shooting heads for extra finger grip
  • Shooting Head: Skagit heads matched to rod grain window (20–25 ft). We recommend Rio Skagit Max Launch / Max Power
  • Sink Tips: T8, T11, T14 in lengths of 7.5’–12.5′. MOW tips (floating/sinking combinations) for shallower water

Small River Setup (Switch / Single-Hand)

While full-length Spey rods still work, switch and single-hand Spey rods bring a “fun factor” on tighter systems that our guests love.

  • 11’6″ 7 wt switch rod with 18 ft shooting head
  • 10’3″ 7 wt single-hand Spey (e.g., Echo OHS with OPST Commando Smooth integrated Skagit head)

Flies for Swinging

We organize our flies into four practical categories. Whether tied on a tube, hook, or intruder style is angler preference.

  • Dark, unweighted (black, blue, purple)
  • Dark, weighted
  • Bright, unweighted (pink, orange, red)
  • Bright, weighted
  • Black & olive trout streamers for the smaller rivers

Hooks & Leader for Swinging

  • Hooks (barbless only): Tube flies: straight-eye tube hooks (#2–4). Intruders: octopus-style trailer hooks (#2–4)
  • Leader: Straight section of 12–15 lb fluorocarbon or Maxima Ultragreen

Nymphing for Steelhead

Walking & Wading Setup

When fishing from the bank, longer rods make life easier. A switch rod casts the heavy nymphing rig with ease, allowing further casts and longer drifts with less effort.

  • Rod: 10’–11’6″ 7 wt switch rod
  • Line: Rio Indicator or Rio Switch Indicator line

Drift Boat Setup

From the boat, long casts aren’t as necessary. A shorter, lighter rod won’t wear your arm out and can be slightly better at hooksets from the boat.

  • Rod: 9′ 8 wt
  • Line: Most weight-forward floating lines work. We recommend Rio Indicator or SA Anadro

Nymphing Gear

  • Reel & Backing: Large arbor 8 wt reel, 100–150 yards of 20–30 lb backing
  • Leader: 25 lb Maxima (butt section), 15 lb fluorocarbon, 12 lb fluorocarbon
  • Beads: 10–18 mm (hard or soft) in a range of colors. Size 10, 12, and 14 mm in Tangerine and Light Roe are go-to choices
  • Hooks: #2–4 barbless bead hooks — Owner hooks work great. Octopus, straight-eye, or bead-specific styles all work
  • Split Shot: Removable split shot in sizes BB – 3/0
  • Indicators: Jaydacators (preferred), Oros indicators (widely available), or Large and XL Thingamabobbers

Line & Leaders (General)

  • Fluorocarbon line: 10lb, 12lb, 15lb and 20lb. We prefer Super FC Sniper or P-line. Note: tippet you would use for trout is not the proper fluorocarbon material needed for steelhead — it needs to be stiffer and more abrasion resistant.
  • Leaders: 9ft 0x, 1x and 2x salmon/steelhead leaders. 2 of each is plenty.