• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Deneki Outdoors Fishing Lodges

Alaska | The Bahamas | Chile

  • About Deneki Outdoors
  • Our Fishing Lodges
    • Alaska West
    • Andros South
    • Rapids Camp
    • Rio Salvaje
  • Deneki Blog
    • Alaska West
    • Andros South
    • Chile
    • Fish
    • Fishing Reports
    • Fly Tying
    • Gear
    • General
    • Guest Posts
    • News
    • Rapids Camp
    • Rio Salvaje
    • Tips
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs

Jul 09 2015

Get Your Swivel On

Mousing for Rainbow Trout
This fish hates swivels. Photo: Larry McKurtis.

Today we’re coming at you with a great trout rigging tip courtesy of Alaska West guide, Larry McKurtis. If you’re planning on chucking big flies for big trout (especially in Alaska), you might want to read up on this one.

Take it away Larry!

Get Your Swivel On

Here at Alaska West we’re always tinkering with our rigs. Whether it’s the length of our leader or the types of knots we’re using, there’s a constant evolution happening. Lately, a few of our guides have been solving an old problem with an old solution.

When casting big mouse patterns in the wind or large articulated streamers, we sometimes run into a leader that will attempt to form its own bimini twist. You’ve probably experienced it.. You grab your leader and lift it from the water just to watch the fly spin like a top, or climb up the leader wrapping itself up along the way.

That tension is like a rubber band and just like a twisted rubber band, a twisted leader is a weak leader. It also doesn’t fish well either, as a large streamer won’t sink properly on the swing or the mouse simply won’t turn over.

To solve this, some of us have started using barrel swivels. Yep, those same old cheap #8 swivels you can find in any tackle shop. The rig breaks down like this..

  1. 1 to 2 feet of 20 or 25lb Maxima Ultragreen looped or double nail knotted to your fly line or sink tip.
  2. Tie the swivel to the end of the 25lb butt section with an improved clinch knot.
  3. On the other side of the swivel, tie on the desired leader/tippet material with an improved clinch knot. For us that’s usually 15lb Maxima Ultragreen.
  4. Tie on your fly and let your line twist troubles float away.

Another bonus to the swivel is that it acts as a built in breaking point as well. If you are unfortunate enough to get broken off it usually will fail at the 15lb side of the swivel. Thus saving your butt section, fly line, or sink tip for repeated abuse and re-rigging, greatly extending the life of your equipment.

Swivels for fly fishing.
You know, those things..

More on Rigging for Trout

  • What Tippet Size Should I Use?
  • Steak and Eggs
  • Stinger Mice

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. NYCflyangler says

    July 16, 2015 at 12:44 pm

    I’ve started using premade wire bite tippets with a snap and a swivel on opposite ends for toothy critters saltwater and fresh. The lightest ones I can find. For fishing for anything gives you the uncontrollable urge to hum the Jaws theme when your fishing for it.

  2. El Pescador! says

    July 17, 2015 at 5:30 am

    Guys, Really??? Chuck the cheap brass swivels and use this one!

    SPRO Power Swivel – You’ll thank me!!!

    https://www.spro.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=SPSB-ALL

    Incredibly strong for their size, why risk looking a slab side monster fish for cheap brass drug store-purchased swivels?? I’ve been using them for Los Cabos offshore fishing, NEVER been let down by terminal tackle failure. Enjoy, El Pescador!

  3. Kyle Shea says

    July 17, 2015 at 1:14 pm

    Sweet! Thanks for the tip El Pescador. We’ll have to give them a try!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Plan Your Trip

Let our experts plan the fishing adventure of your dreams.
Contact Now

Search Topics

Subscribe to our newsletter

All Blog Posts

Recent Posts

  • Spey Clave: Two Hand Alaska Presented By Mossy’s Fly Shop
  • Learn the Art of the Cack-handed Spey Cast
  • Common Mistakes Fly Anglers Make When Targeting Alaska Sockeye Salmon-and How to Fix Them
  • Fly Tying: Sockeye Caviar
  • The Alaska Freshwater Fish-Tastic Final Four

All About Spey

All About Trout

All About Bonefishing

All About Gear

Best Posts

Footer

Deneki Outdoors

Mailing address:
200 W. 34th Ave.
#1170
Anchorage, AK 99503

Headquarters:
6160 Carl Brady Dr.
Anchorage, AK 99502

US Information and Reservations
800-344-3628

International Information and Reservations
+1 907-563-9788

Email: info@deneki.com

Our Lodges

Rapids Camp
King Salmon, Alaska

Alaska West
Kanektok River, Alaska

Andros South
South Andros Island, The Bahamas

Rio Salvaje
Puerto Montt, Chile

Deneki Outdoors thanks Peter Viau, Tosh Brown, Abe Blair, Kyle Shea and Kara Knight for the beautiful photography used on our sites.

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

#denekioutdoors

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Copyright © 2025 · Deneki Outdoors · Privacy Policy · Site by 21 Designs

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we assume that you are okay with it.Ok