Kanektok Kings – an embarassment of riches. Over the past couple of months, we’ve posted the two-handed rigs of six guys who spend a lot of time at Alaska West swinging flies for king salmon. There’s a wealth of information, and a wide range of opinions, in these posts. If you’re headed to Alaska West…
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Alaska West
Ed Ward’s King Rig
This is the first picture ever taken of Ed when he wasn’t casting, or holding a chrome anadromous fish. Photo: Cameron Miller Ed Ward has been called many things. ‘Jedi knight’, ‘Zen master’, ‘Buddha’ and more all apply to Ed when speaking of anadromous fish, particularly when two-handed rods are involved. Ed is one of…
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The Arolik River
The Upper Arolik Photo: Cameron Miller Many guests who visit Alaska West like to spend some time on the Arolik River during their stay with us. The Arolik is a costal river that runs roughly parallel to the Kanektok and has about half the flow of the Kanektok. Like the Kanektok, the Arolik is home…
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Nice Fish, Mike
Mike looks happy. Tim shares the joy. Photo: Cameron Miller. Mike Opitz has been fishing at Alaska West on the Kanektok for years. He’s a great angler and an even better guy, so we’re always particularly happy to see him playing with some Kanektok chrome. Nice fish, Mike. More Kanektok Kings King Rig Roundup We…
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More From George Cook on King Fishing
If it ain’t chartreuse, it ain’t no use. In tidewater, at least. Photo: Cameron Miller We’ve looked at George Cook’s go-to king rig for fishing at Alaska West on the Kanektok, and we’ve seen what George’s quiver looks like when he’s chasing Kanektok kings. We’ll end our George Cook series with some of his thoughts…
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George Cook’s King Quiver
Arm yourself. Photo: Cameron Miller. So far our posts on Kanektok king rigs have focused on our friends’ go-to setups for a typical day on the water, but many Kanektok king anglers like to be have more weapons than a single go-to rig. George Cook is one of those guys. Here’s an overview of George’s…
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George Cook’s Go-To King Rig
School’s in session. Class, note the V-loop. Photo: Cameron Miller George Cook invented swinging for kings. Well, maybe not, but George Cook has spent more time than anybody swinging for kings on the most productive river on the planet for kings on swung flies. George has a long and storied career in the world of…
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Dean River Spey Week
Brian Niska, chasing the white mouse. Photo: Cameron Miller We run a very popular program at Alaska West in which we combine early season king salmon fishing with spey instruction from the best in the business. We’ve decided to expand our spey instruction program to the chinook fishery at BC West on the Dean River….
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Swinging for Kings
Big Andy, you remember Mr. Kingsley? Mr. Kingsley – Big Andy. Photo: Cameron Miller Our front yard at Alaska West is the Kanektok River. The Kanektok is, like other rivers in Alaska, an amazingly consistent, productive, varied fishery. However, unlike any other river in Alaska that we know of, the Kanektok provides a unique opportunity…
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Podcasting with Matt Hynes
“Damn it, another chromer!” Matt Hynes at his office on the Kanektok Photo: Cameron Miller Matt Hynes. Alaska West guide in summer. Chagrin River Outfitters guide in fall, winter and spring. Fly tier extraordinaire. Matt’s one of the most technical guides you’ll have the opportunity to fish with, and oh by the way, he’s not…
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