The middle of September ushers in the fall season for Northwest anglers. The first few showers freshen the rivers, and prepare the g...
The middle of September ushers in the fall season for Northwest anglers. The first few showers freshen the rivers, and prepare the ground to receive the deluges of October and November. These showers also bring Coho Salmon into the estuaries of their natal streams. Then the first good rainfall comes, and Coho (also known as "silvers"), fresh from salt water, rush into the coastal rivers from California to Canada. They are bright, territorial and very aggressive. That makes them good quarry for anglers.
Coho are the third largest of the pacific salmon species behind Chinook (kings) and Chum (dog salmon). They can range from jacks (the size of trout) to hook nosed whoppers of 18 lbs or more. They average about 9 lbs in most places, but there are plenty in the low to mid teens. They are more abundant than steelhead, and they enter the river during a narrower time span. This makes them easier to find and catch. In addition to being a great sport fish, they are, when of hatchery origin, great table fare. Even in today's catch-and-release-dominated fly fishing culture, you can take them home guilt-free.The first thing you'll need for chasing coho is a 7- 9 wt rod. Though they are not the hardest fighters, they can be heavy fish, and are often found in areas of woody cover. You'll need to be able to lean into them quite a bit. You'll also need the heavier rod to cast the large and sometimes heavily weighted flies needed to tempt them.
A wide variety of lines are useful when chasing coho. In faster water, a sink tip line may be needed. But often, a floating line and a weighted fly is enough for the slower water that Coho prefer. As previously stated, Coho aren't great fighters, so just about any reel in the 7-9 wt range will suffice. Also useful are 7-9 wt spey rods and multi tip lines, especially on larger rivers.
Flies for coho are pretty simple. Bright streamers are usually the most productive but occasionally, especially in clear water, darker patterns can be effective as well. The following list is a great place to start for building a coho fly box:
Alaskabou
Apocalyptic leech
Canary Marabou
Coho Comet
Flash Fly
Hare Ball Leech
Show Girl
Steelhead Egg Sucking Leech
Coho are usually not difficult to find. They will come into a river each time the river rises in the fall. They can be expected in good numbers through October and November. September and December can be good in some rivers. As they make their way up river, they will make considerable use of side channels and back eddies. Only when forced will they travel and hold in the main river flow. Back eddies and slow pools are often the best places to fish for them. In these locations simply cast out, give the fly a few moments to sink then retrieve the fly by stripping. Experiment with different speeds of retrieve and even twitching the rod tip. Coho are aggressive and respond to erratic retrieves. When the fish are in the current you'll often see them rolling and jumping. This is where the sink tip lines are hard to beat. Cast straight across the river and do a large upstream mend. Once the line straightens in the current, you can begin the retrieve just like in the back eddies.
If you are near the coast in the fall the "other chromer" is worth your attention.
Five tips for coho
1. In clear water, stand back from the water, coho will chase a fly all the way to the bank then swipe at it at the last minute. Stand back a bit and you won't spook them.
2. Don't be put off my muddy high water. Often this is when coho are the most aggressive. Look for them in back eddies or at the mouths of creeks. Use big bright flies.
3. Take note of the conventional fishermen. If most of them are throwing spinners and catching fish, you'll have no trouble stripping streamers for them. If they are fishing with corkies and foul hooking most of the fish, move downstream of them and look for fish that aren't getting snagged.
4. If you are using a sink tip line, especially on a spey rod, use an integrated line. It is very distracting to have a looped connections bumping across the guides.
5. If your catch is bright and it's a hatchery fish, by all means take it home and eat it. Our states' wildlife departments raise these fish specifically for harvest. Hatchery coho when fresh from the ocean have bright orange meat and are very good eating. Fillet them and either smoke them or pan fry them with butter salt and pepper.
Good Fishing
Rob
