Do you know where the most remote and unattainable Fly Fishing Destination is for Spey. Today’s guest Max Kantor, from Guideline Fly Fishing, will share the tips on fishing these storied waters so you have more skills for your home water.
Max Kantor from Guideline USA is here to take us into one of the largest fly fishing brands in Europe. We find out how he fishes for Atlantic Salmon, Steelhead and some of the differences between the two. And we travel around the world to the other best places to catch pacific salmon and steelhead. Click play below if you want to listen to the podcast with Max!
Show Notes with Max Kantor on Guideline Fly Fishing. Click play below to listen to the Podcast! 👇🏻
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(The full episode transcript is at the bottom of this blogpost) 👇🏻
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Episode Chapters with Max Kantor on Guideline Fly Fishiing
03:18 – Max talks about his first connection to Guideline and the story of how it all came to be.
05:20 – The Ponoi River in Russia is a famous hard to reach river know for the greatest Atlantic Salmon fishing in the world. Max describes how he guided there and what makes it so unique.
05:52 – The Ponoi is an amazing natural reserve and you can find out more information on booking a trip at the Fly Shop here.
07:26 – We discuss the location of the Kola Peninsula in Russia in relation to other countries in the region.
09:26 – Our guest describes some on the life history of Atlantic Salmon. Here’s some information on A. Salmon life histories.
Watch the Three Runs PONOI RIVER Fly Fishing for Atlantic Salmon (Offical Trailer)
16:00 – Max describes the perfect line for salmon and notes the Airflo FIST line as a good early season fly line.
17:37 – We talk about the Guideline Classic Scandi Body fly line. This is a good all around scandi for atlantic salmon.
21:49 – For Norway, a longer 14′ rod is common but guys also use shorter and longer spey rods from 13 to 15 feet.
24:26 – We discuss the longer rods and how spey casting is different with the big stick. Take a look at the video below that gives a few tips on casting the longer rods.
26:20 – Max describes the ULS Scandi line that works great for single handed spey. This is a great option for smaller rivers or where a two handed rod is not needed.
31:15 – Dave asks about Togiak River Lodge and what would be the best rod for chinook salmon. The Classic Scandi Body line with the appropriate T tip is the right combination.
31:43 – The Four Density line by Guideline is also good for big king salmon. This line is simiilar to the Airflo FIST line.
32:34 – The biggest tip on mending for atlantic salmon is to use a downstream mend, which speeds up the fly. A. Salmon love a fast swung fly.
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32:44 – Max loves tube flies vs shanks. Jonathan Farmer was on the Wet Fly Swing Pro Webinar series and showed us how to tie a tube and a shank in this video.
37:38 – The Fast Full Flex is the best rod for Togiak King Salmon. As the name notes, it bends all the way down into the cork and works great for casting heavy intruder fly patterns for big salmon.
42:40 – We discuss the history of Guideline and the founder Leif stavmo.
46:00 – We discuss the difference between scandi and skagit lines and how to choose one. Skagitmaster describes the differences in this video here.
47:32 – The Guideline NT 11 trout series is a premium fly rod but comes in at a $600 price point which is a big savings over other premium rods. The NT 11 won the Yellowstone Shootout this year.
49:11 – We highlight the Guideline Sonic NGx wader which is super durable and has the front zipper which Max loves.
55:00 – We talk striper fishing and how dedicated people are in the Northeast part of the USA. Max says the take of a striper is very similar to a take of an atlantic salmon!
57:02 – We talk about Togiak River Lodge who is our travel spotlight for this episode!
1:03:47 – Big tips for Atlantic Salmon: Don’t set the hook to soon. Just use the rolly polly retreive where you can speed up your swing. And also avoid the upstream mend if working down a run. #3 – Try to be consistent with your fishing and the swing.
You can find Max Kantor at Guidelineflyfish.com.
Guideline Fly Fishing Resources Noted in the Show
Guideline Fly Fishing Videos Noted in the Show
The Secret to a Long Spey Cast:
The Guideline NT 11 Salines Salt Water Rod
Conclusion with Max Kantor on Guideline Fly Fishing
We take a deep dive on choosing a scandi fly line with Max Kantor. We discuss the options for steelhead, atlantic salmon and other salmon species. We find out which lines are best and some of the best places to catch salmon and steelhead around the world.
Guideline is not only a spey brand and they have all lines of rods, lines and fly fishing gear. Max discusses his love for striper fishing, his vast travel to some of the greatest destinations for atlantic salmon and steelhead.
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