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3. Salmon fishing during "the run"

Guys;

Was wondering what flies are good for salmon fishing during the spawning run. I know alot of the flies I've seen are gaudy colored streamer type patterns: are these good for salmon during the spawning run? I've been told that the best flies are like weighted egg patterns and/or jiglike streamer flies that get down pretty good. Also, should you use a sinking or sink-tip line or just stick w/ floating and add weight? All opinions and/or insight welcome ,

Thanks,

Adirman

Very light sensitive fish especially when the water is clear. They will seek the fastest deep water holes to hide. You definitely have to get down, and that depends on your river, and how fast the water flow is. I would use a sink tip, or sinking line of the length needed. And I have seen when in the Fall clear water conditions when smaller, black salmon type flies work best..say a stout hook #8 size. Early morning before the sun gets up is the best time to get them to eat....evening second best.

What kind of salmon?

Adir,

I assume transplants of Pacific kings running from lake Ontario? If so, I know zip about what to advise for your locale. What works out West is not necessarily comparable. Hopefully, others will check in.

Yes, the Salmon river in Pulaski area was where I was planning on going so I think its mostly Kings and some Cohos and Kokanees.

I was referring to Kings. Silvers tend to hold off the main current in slack water near windfall, underwater obstruction, weedy banks. They can take stripped, bright patterns. One of my most effective Silver flies was a Tarpon style fly that had marabou, flashabou, hackle tips off the aft end, then collared with a shlappen feather, and the entire shank a pink, or orange chenille, and nothing else. Kokanee? Non biters IMO I was assuming you meant Kings.And from my experiences in Alaska, and then on our West Coast rivers, the Native Kings of Alaska bite far better than the hatchery run Kings of the rivers I fished in WA ST. They can be caught, but are not near as aggressive as Alaska's native Kings. I have a theory on that....the biters get caught off over the years regarding hatchery fish, and the non-biters are the ones whose eggs get taken at the hatchery reproducing more non-biters. But all schools of salmon/steelhead have non-biters in the school.

Although i don't have that much experience fishing for salmon, I have had clients of mine ask for a multitude of different egg sucking leach patterns for their salmon adventures. The most popular color they seem to ask for is a purple bodied leech with a pink egg colored head. Other than that i think you pretty much named the game with the egg patterns sunk. Maybe even some bright colored nymphs.

GLs pacific salmon (steelhead excluded) are tough to catch IME. Coho's are easier than chinook, bc they are simply aggressive and they take streamers well, esp if unspooked. This last can be tough to find on most tribs, esp on the weekends. I've even had rotted males -those with flesh hanging off!- chase streamers.

Chinooks can be esp difficult to catch and I mean actually catch and not foul. They are most susceptible when fresh out of the lake, preferably with some silver still on them. On the lower GL's tribs this happens in late August if the conditions (flow levels ) are conducive -which was rare IME.

After this you have to present to a lot of fish to get them to take. A lot of guys, frustrated at the number of fish they can see and not catch, extend their tippet below the weight and are content with fouled fish.

Maybe others have more encouraging things to say. I finally gave up on them ad targeted the trout, and coho's when they were available. Big chinooks are rarely spectacular fighters, like steelhead or coho, more akin to hooking a 55gal drum in current. Exciting at first due to sheer size, but, for me, it grew old. We began to call them "mud sharks" with a disdainful sneer.

Well... sorry for the sour grapes, but I learned to dislike the whole chinook circus when they hit the tribs.