Alaska Kit
The best fishing; the worst weather.
Going to Alaska? Don’t risk spending the trip of a lifetime soaked and shivering because you brought inferior gear.
You can reasonably bring two expectations on a fishing trip to the 49th state: The fishing will be better than you expect, and the weather will be worse.
Our Alaska kit has been thoroughly tested by Alaska angling veterans. You won’t find a more comfortable, durable wading system for the harshest fishing conditions in the United States.
From the Skwala Lounge
We love traveling to Alaska and when we do, we always seem to have a tale that we want to explore for the Skwala Lounge. Here are some of our favorites over the past few years.
When I arrived in Alaska—oozing that brand new guide smell, dry bags overflowing with ignorance—I was unprepared for much of what I would soon encounter. I’d never driven a jet-boat before, hadn’t laid eyes on a live salmon or brown bear, thought a 20-inch trout was huge, and still thought the term “flossing” only applied to dental hygiene.
A self-proclaimed DIY purist swears he's seen it all — until a flyout lodge in Alaska's Wood-Tikchik wilderness hands him a box of beads and a lesson in humility. Turns out plastic and nail polish catch giant trout stuffed on salmon roe better than anything in his fly box. This is a conversion story, one backing knot at a time.
What happens when five longtime friends chase wild steelhead across remote Alaskan rivers? You get a trip defined not just by the fish, but by the people, the effort, and the boat that held it all together. This wasn’t about luxury—it was about movement, mischief, camaraderie, and the kind of fishing that demands your full presence.
It’s Alaska season and that means troves of anglers are packing up their waders, jackets and rods for the remote waters of our 49th State. This week in the Skwala Lounge, Rich Hohne describes his recent trip to Alaska fishing for large rainbows and how the tactics we use can be as important as the fish we target.