What flies for chinook salmon?

[Mistaflyboy34]

Ok so as you probably know the annual salmon run is coming up in a couple of months. I'd love to try them on a fly rod. I'm just wondering about what flies would you use here on the credit river. Also would it be ok to tackle them on a 8 weight or should I go heavier

[Christopheraaron]

8 weight is fine (provided you have enough backing), fish closer to the mouth of the river so you get the aggressive fish instead of the zombies. Any bright streamer will do the trick, also bring egg flies in your standard colours. A less popular choice but one that I've had a bit of luck with is a very large stonefly, it tends to get some of the picky fish.

[misfish]

also bring egg flies in your standard colours.

 

I bought some of those for this years fall steel head run. I cant see how they wont work.

 

Still new to the fly fishing thing myself mistafly..

 

This falls run of salmon and steel head should be interesting. I am using a 9wt,lammie/graphite.

[porkpie]

Get you some bright pompoms at dollarama and glue them onto hooks, they are cheap and work well for flossing!

[DRIFTER_016]

I've caught tons on Michigan Wigglers (A.K.A. Spring Wigglers) in orange, yellow or chartreuse.

 

[misfish]

they are cheap and work well for flossing!

 

Now why would you go and say that???????????????

 

Flossing that is??????????????

 

 

Nice flies Dave.

Edited July 18, 2013 by Misfish

[craigdritchie]

I have seen just about every imaginable type of fly stuck in various chinook body parts over the past 35 years. Wooly Buggers, Michigan wigglers, bead head nymphs, Skykomish Sunrises, Mickey Finns, Blue Charms, egg patterns - you name it. If you can wrap it on a hook, it has likely found its way into a chinook's tail, dorsal fin, gill cover or ventral fin at some point in history.

 

And, truth be told, quite a few have also been known to stick right on the fish's lips, outer jaw, or snout. There are even a few guys out there who can feed flies right down the salmon's throat. Legal fish? Perhaps. Legitimate fish? Not quite.

 

Do yourself a favour. If you want to catch chinooks in rivers legitimately, head for the slow water and use a Flatfish, Hot Shot or other type of little crankbait. I'm not saying Lake Ontario chinook cannot be caught legally in rivers on flies. It IS possible - if you hit it just right, and happen to be really, really good AND really, really lucky to find unspooked fresh fish that no one has already three-pronged. In other words, although it is possible to catch chinooks in rivers this way, in the real world, 99.999999999 percent of them are lined, flossed, or flat-out snagged.

 

Sorry, but that is the cold, hard reality of it.

 

There - I said it. Flame away, I don't care. The truth is what it is.

Edited July 18, 2013 by Craig_Ritchie

[frodobuggins]

Growing up in Nfld, i would highly recommend this particular gem. Aptly named- the newfie fly.

[Mistaflyboy34]

Growing up in Nfld, i would highly recommend this particular gem. Aptly named- the newfie fly.

Ha that's pretty funny I'm young so I can probably get away with it

[Christopheraaron]

Ha that's pretty funny I'm young so I can probably get away with it

Not if anyone sees you you can't...

 

I have seen just about every imaginable type of fly stuck in various chinook body parts over the past 35 years. Wooly Buggers, Michigan wigglers, bead head nymphs, Skykomish Sunrises, Mickey Finns, Blue Charms, egg patterns - you name it. If you can wrap it on a hook, it has likely found its way into a chinook's tail, dorsal fin, gill cover or ventral fin at some point in history.

 

And, truth be told, quite a few have also been known to stick right on the fish's lips, outer jaw, or snout. There are even a few guys out there who can feed flies right down the salmon's throat. Legal fish? Perhaps. Legitimate fish? Not quite.

 

Do yourself a favour. If you want to catch chinooks in rivers legitimately, head for the slow water and use a Flatfish, Hot Shot or other type of little crankbait. I'm not saying Lake Ontario chinook cannot be caught legally in rivers on flies. It IS possible - if you hit it just right, and happen to be really, really good AND really, really lucky to find unspooked fresh fish that no one has already three-pronged. In other words, although it is possible to catch chinooks in rivers this way, in the real world, 99.999999999 percent of them are lined, flossed, or flat-out snagged.

 

Sorry, but that is the cold, hard reality of it.

 

There - I said it. Flame away, I don't care. The truth is what it is.

Sadly quite a lot of that is true, however I've had some great days where I've gotten over 5 fish in a couple hours.

[porkpie]

 

Now why would you go and say that???????????????

 

Flossing that is??????????????

 

 

Nice flies Dave.

Well, Craig Ritchie beat me too it, but he about summed it up. It's flossing pure and simple, and when I want roe, I go out and do what needs to be done! They sit in the river in 2 to 6 feet of water, opening and closing their mouths. I have been at this game a very long time, and I no longer kid myself! Estuary fish on hardware is a whole other matter, and even under a float at the river mouth, I believe are instinctual hits. But up stream an a few feet of water, after being pounded...... Flossing! Sorry to be a spoil sport.

[Freshtrax]

Evey year we have this same discussion ....this heat is messing with us though we're about a month and a half early

[Christopheraaron]

Well I think it's fairly obvious that the fish in 6" of water are near impossible to hook fairly, but without a doubt if they are silver enough they will hit a fly.

[fishindevil]

Craig nailed it !!!! When they were stacking at the harbors and river/creek mouths they would just hammer flatfish !!!! The medium skunk and blue silver worked best !!!!! We would have 10fish mornings just trolling and casting Oshawa harbor !!!!! It was insane they will attack a flatfish or kwikfish we just had to change the hooks and put way stronger and bigger hooks on them !!!!!!!

[Rich]

I've had salmon in creeks hit every lure you can think of. The chase and smash. I catch them on musky and bass lures in the fall. And no, I don't snag ( it would actually be more difficult than actually catching them, so why bother?)

 

So to believe that 99.9999999 of the fly fish were snagged in the mouth? Sorry. More like 50/50. If they will turn and smash a spinnerbait or a SPOOK then im sure flies could trigger them just as well.

[Christopheraaron]

Yup, infact there are a few flies that move just like a flatfish, I'm sure they would hit them.

[Mistaflyboy34]

Great tips guys can't wait till fall!

[torco]

They can be rather aggressive under the right situation but often times they are spooked and people line them.

 

I was up in Thunder Bay last fall and had a blast catching salmon on the fly rod, they were highly aggressive and absolutely smashed streamers.

[misfish]

Alot of good shows out there about fly fishing for salmon,and nice catches. Guess they must be lucky.

[azebra]

for fresh fish and fall steelhead, I use streamers, technique. cast, strip strip strip strip, take a step, cast, strpi strip strip, strip, cast strip wiggle strip wiggle strip wiggle strip, cast strip strip strip strip, cast strip wiggle strip willgge strip wiggel, strip, take a step , cast, ........ and it works... if the fish is there and you piss it off it will hit the fly like BAM, that what streamers are used for, finding Keen fish...

[FloatnFly]

sorry but i have never 'flossed' a salmon in the creeks,all my hookups have been corner of the mouth on the inside, i have a couple of pictures that show this as well,

 

i use pink worms when float fishing, for flies,

 

throw in some intruder patterns for fly fishing, an 8 wt will be fine, just make sure your leader is heavy enough

Edited July 22, 2013 by FloatnFly

[BillM]

sorry but i have never 'flossed' a salmon in the creeks,all my hookups have been corner of the mouth on the inside, i have a couple of pictures that show this as well,

 

i use pink worms when float fishing, for flies,

 

throw in some intruder patterns for fly fishing, an 8 wt will be fine, just make sure your leader is heavy enough

 

Let's not get silly... If you river fish for salmon, you've flossed a few intentional or not.

[FloatnFly]

Let's not get silly... If you river fish for salmon, you've flossed a few intentional or not.

 

 

hehe nope, have only caught 3 out of the creeks, river mouths and piers i have caught quite a few more

[misfish]

for fresh fish and fall steelhead, I use streamers, technique. cast, strip strip strip strip, take a step, cast, strpi strip strip, strip, cast strip wiggle strip wiggle strip wiggle strip, cast strip strip strip strip, cast strip wiggle strip willgge strip wiggel, strip, take a step , cast, ........ and it works... if the fish is there and you piss it off it will hit the fly like BAM, that what streamers are used for, finding Keen fish...

 

Thanks for the tip.

[esoxansteel]

No mention of Coho's, which will readily take flies, jigs, and harware up rivers, and chase them down well into December, far superior river fish then Chinooks, just half or a third of the size, hot afraid to getr airborne as well