Coho flies

[fisherman]

Hello everyone. I have been reading this site for some time. I do my best to read what I can when I remember. I have never posted till now. Normally when I think of a question or topic it is already covered in a previous post. I am new to fishing the PNW. Originally from New England I spent my early years fishing for bass in what is basically a nascar for the water. Bass fishing is great but I am now obsessed with Steelhead and the rest of the fishing frenzy that holds in our local rivers.

I have tried many of the techniques for fishing with little to no success. I have recently gone off the deep end and jumped into the world of Spey fishing. For some reason I learned that swinging flies is one of the hardest ways to catch steelhead and yet I am drawn to that style, go figure.

My question is not steelhead related. It is focused on the soon to arrive Coho. I have never fished for Coho but I did witness the madness that surrounds CC on the sandy and good old Eagle Creek on the Clack. I have read a good amount about fishing for Coho but I am still a little confused on fly choices. Can anyone recommend some good Coho flies to use this fall? And maybe some fly fishing for Coho tips. I have watched all the movies on the site and the info is amazing. Any more and it would just ad to the enjoyment.

Thanks and I want to say I enjoy the site, comments, tips, stories, photos and all. I appreciate it all.

[Gabe]

HAHA, nice name choice. :) Welcome to the board.

From what I've learned: Anything small in pink (cerise) or orange with flash and or white mixed in :) Also, pay attention to the jig colors that are catching, you can use those also. Egg patterns and shrimp patterns if you want to be "realistic".

Oh FYI, the Coho are here.

[seamslayer]

Well you have a wide variety of rpesentations and techniques to choose from.
Casting and retreving flash flies on either a floating line and long leader, sinking leader, or a sink tip all together.

Swinging just like you would for steelhead

Nymphing a wide variety of offerings from drab nymphs up to 1/4 oz jigs (its not a pretty sight, but it can be done) a technique which is fantastically caried out on a spey rod.

Free/light drift fishing (See Matt's video on coho and/or fly rod drift techniques). Call it chuck and duck, ugly, or what have you, I call it extreemly effective and fun.

Lastly you can free drift weighted patterns like egg patterns and other flies. Some call it high-sticking I believe, all I know is a big steelie-bugger in any of the usuall schemes drifted slash swung, think greesed line but deeply sunken, will really cover your catch recod card with ink if you catch my drift.

Oh, and the idea that the traditional wet fly swing is the hardest way to catch a steelhead is a bit of a misnomer (spelling?). The issue hear is that the angler must seek out aggresive fish, as an aggresive fish is more apt to take a swung fly than a weary or rather dour fish might be. The truth in hear is that reading water is the most difficult aspect to the sport. And while the technique of swinging a snken fly may prove a challenge, I don't see it anymore difficult than drifting a glob of eggs in front of pencil lead or swining a spinner through a tailout.

[coho crazy]

hot shot comets, comets, bunny leeches, clousers, anything pink, orange, red, black, purple, chartreuse will catch coho, steelhead and chinook