• 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

Jan 27 2021

Rod Position

Deneki royalty Stuart Foxall is back with a follow up post on the added benefits that come with fishing as a team. Thanks as always for sharing your wisdom Stuart!


So you’re mid way through you’re swing when a monster, chrome King Salmon slams your fly!!!! What do you do next???

Set the hook hard with a low strike into the bank. Don’t rebound your rod tip back at the fish. This can create a little slack line where the fish could throw the hook.

The idea behind keeping the rod low and into the bank is to keep the water pressure pushing your Skagit head downstream with the current. This creates a downstream curve of the line that actually helps pull the hook “backwards” into the fish’s mouth. The drag created by the line bowing downstream in the water actually helps force the fish to swim upstream away from the drag we have created. This tires the fish out much quicker and gets the fish where we want it…….fairly close to us. 

Andrea (big fish tamer!) putting the wood to a big King Salmon. Photo Credit Stuart Foxall

We want to keep the rod pointed towards the bank for as long as we can. The more that we move our rod position around, the bigger we make that hook hole. Keep changing direction can actually make the hook hole larger which gives the fish a chance of pulling free while netting.

Laurence getting close to landing a monster, King Salmon. Photo Credit Stuart Foxall

As the fish begins to tire and we get the fish on a shorter line we can begin to raise the rod slightly. Still try and keep your rod pointed towards the bank as much as possible. I like to reel right down onto the fish and “lift” him through the water column. Keep lifting the fish and making it work like this really helps tire the fish out quickly as it will keep trying to swim back down the river bed…..this is called “pumping” the fish.

Tom and Caleb with fish in the net. Photo Credit Stuart Foxall

Now is the time we need to work as a “team” with our guide. They will place themselves below you to get ready to net your prize. By raising your rod tip over the guide’s head and sweeping towards the bank again (notice how we still haven’t changed rod angle), the fish will be pulled towards the guide’s waiting net. I like to talk to the guide here so he knows you are getting ready to move the fish towards them, they will also be able to tell whether the fish is ready to be netted or not. That’s where the teamwork comes in. For very large fish I will walk towards the bank keeping that fish moving towards the net as your rod just won’t be strong enough to do the final work. 

Obviously there are times when the fish just don’t want to play ball. So some of these guideline’s may not be followed…..these are the fish that we all love and remember!

Other Fishing Tips:

  • Visualizing Sink Tips
  • 3 Simple Tips to Improve your Double Spey Cast
  • Follow Through on Your Hook Set

Reader Interactions

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

  • 6, 2025 Father’s Day Gift Ideas Your Father Will Like
  • 4 Reasons You Should Come Experience the Kanektok River
  • No Better Time To Experience Bristol Bay with Rapids Camp Lodge
  • Fly Tying Tutorial: How To Tie The Hippie Stomper
  • 5 Tips When You’re Buying Your First Spey Rod Setup

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