Michael White’s King Rig

Way back when, Michael White was a guide at Alaska West.  These days, he’s the owner of Blue Ribbon Sales, representing Simms, Loomis, Ross and other great lines to shops in the Southern Rockies.  “Whitey” is one fishy dude, and he loves sharing his enthusiasm with anyone within shouting distance on the river.

Whitey is a long-time guest spey instructor at Alaska West, and let’s just say he knows his way around the Kanektok.  Here’s his rig for a typical day chasing chrome Kanektok pigs of the king variety.

The Summary

• Loomis 13 ft 8/9 Stinger GLX
• Ross Momentum 5
• Rio Skagit Head, 600 grains, body only

The Detail

• 30 lb dacron backing, tied to the spool with an arbor knot
• Bimini twist tied in the running line end of the backing, doubled with a double surgeon’s knot
• 40 lb Berkeley Big Game XT mono for running line, in Solar Collector for high visibility
• Double surgeon’s loops tied in both ends of the running line
• Rio Skagit shooting head, 600 grains
• 12 ft of Rio T-14 for a sinktip
• Triple nail knot loop on back end of T-14, sealed with Flexament
• 7-turn nail knot attaching 25 lb maxima ultragreen on the leader end of T-14
• Overhand knot in the end of the T-14, jammed against the nail knot to prevent slippage
• Tippet of 3 feet of Maxima Ultragreen 20 pound, attached to butt section with a blood knot
• Silvey’s Tube Snake  in black and blue, passed over a large non-slip mono loop
• Tippet loop passed through the eye of a #1 Gamakatsu Octopus Hook – “The knot of the loop is what jams onto the tube to position the hook correctly”