We’re already getting excited about the king salmon we’re going to be catching at Alaska West and BC West starting the second week of June. These are not your normal king fisheries – we’re swinging flies for hot chrome fish just a few miles for the salt, and that really turns our crank!
Anyhow, we’ve got kings on the brain already so we thought we’d pass on some things to think about if you’re lucky enough to be swinging for kings this summer.
5 Ways to Catch More King Salmon
- Don’t cast too far. Yeah, we like spey rods as much as the next guy, and casting far is fun. For much of our king season though, the fish are pretty tight to the bank. Consistently great 40 foot casts will catch more fish than every-once-in-a-while-I-hit-one 80 foot casts. More string is not always better.
- Keep your fly in the water. In many ways this is related to tip #1 – fish in a way that you’re comfortable, so that your fly is swimming as much as possible. Don’t get stuck with a difficult cast that results in tangles every third swing. Don’t try to cast further than you can. Don’t change flies or tips every 5 minutes. Kings in the lower Kanektok and the lower Dean are constantly swimming by, and it’s really not rocket science! The more time the fly is in the water, swimming reasonably, the more fish you’re going to catch.
- Wait for the deep pull. Golly, this can be hard on the first day of your trip! Kings often swat at the fly a couple of times before they’re solidly hooked. You need to feel the weight of the fish before you set. Be patient, wait for the deep pull, and then let ’em have it.
- Fight them hard. These are big, strong fish, and if you’re not working hard they’re resting. Pull hard, fight them actively, and get it over quick.
- Be grateful. We’re not trying to get all spiritual on you all of a sudden, but chasing anadromous fish sometimes involves some pretty serious ‘X factors’. Anglers who get grumpy about the wind, or their slow afternoon, or their bad casting tend to catch fewer fish. Really, they do. Anglers who take it all in, keep a great attitude, and appreciate the gifts that the river gives them (because that’s what these creatures are, after all) catch more fish, and have a heck of a lot more fun doing it.
Nice post! X-factors = #1 most important way to catch more kings
Now you got me dreaming Alaska again. Always fish positive and when you do get that chrome wild King, be truly grateful. Its about as good as fly fishing gets.
… and the sharpest, fastest penetrating, and toughest hooks money can buy. “X-Factor” still nuemoro uno…
Your absolutely right! Enjoy the day regardless of the conditions, your in the out of doors doing what you hopefully love and where you want to be…if not stay in your office with your feet under your desk and live the boring life.