Searching for Pacific silver
From Spey to saltwater, Willie Holmes explores the timing, tactics and flies that make coho salmon one of his favourite species to target
SCOTT SHERIN
AS AN angler from the UK and Ireland, I spent many sessions earlier in life chasing Atlantic salmon. As most who have targeted these fish will testify, they become ingrained in your psyche at certain times of the year, taking over your life and occupying every thought.
I initially came to British Columbia with steelhead in mind, with the aim of searching out the elusive cousins of the rainbows that I had worked with at my fishery in Ireland. Steelhead remain my main obsession, but as I explored the region’s wonderful Pacific salmon fishery, I discovered a new interest: coho. They are commonly called the “silver salmon” because they are similar to Atlantic salmon while living in saltwater.
They are a fish that rewards the angler who is prepared to work and adapt
When they first enter the river system on their return as adults, they are “grabby” and can be caught by many different approaches. Some anglers do well with spinners, spoons and even jigs; others float-fish with bait. Us fly-fishers can have success using various tactics in different types of water. For example, a stripped fly can be effective in back eddies or “frog water” (slow-moving, calm stretches), while a larger fly, swung in the main flow, can also be productive.
For a walk-and-wade session, many locals carry different set-ups to cater to what coho may want at different times of day. This is what makes them such a popular quarry here in British Columbia — they are a fish that rewards the angler who is prepared to work and adapt, whatever their discipline.
Coho vs Atlantic salmon
TYRONE BUCKLE
Coho have an allure to the travelling Atlantic salmon angler because of their similarities, despite being from different oceans. They can confuse even seasoned anglers. Both have spotted backs and streamlined bodies, though coho (pictured above) are slightly more robust in build. A key difference is the anal fin — coho have 12-17 rays, Atlantics have 8-11.
The key biological distinction remains their genus: coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) are in the Pacific group, while Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) occupy a genus that makes them more closely related to brown trout.
Atlantic salmon are well known for their acrobatic leaps and jumps, and while coho do leap, they are more widely known for their crocodile-like “coho roll”, where they twist in a crazed fashion to throw the hook.
Timing is everything
British Columbia’s vast coastline offers a world-class coho fishery defined by dramatic regional contrasts, from the trophy-sized “northern coho” — occasionally exceeding 20lb — of the Skeena River near Terrace, to the renowned hatchery-enhanced runs of the Lower Mainland’s Vedder and Chehalis rivers. Timing is everything in this fishery; northern populations begin their spawning migration as early as mid-June, while coho in southern rivers like the Vedder typically start their run in late September, peaking in October — with late-arriving fish staying in systems like the Harrison River and Dewdney Slough well into November.
Anglers will leave their homes before first light, hoping to encounter fish that have moved into new pools through the cover of night
Late season marks the peak of the stocks in the wild, untamed rivers of BC — both fresh and gravid fish will be abundant.
SCOTT SHERIN
Coho are also an option for the saltwater fly-fisher. They can be caught by boat anglers fishing the kelp beds and shallower waters between 20ft-40ft, and by the wandering beach angler fishing the tides and shallows with floating and intermediate fly-lines with Clouser Minnows, Rolled Muddlers and other slim and sparse profile flies. An incoming tide (flood) from a few hours before low tide can be most consistent, as fish move in with the rising water. High tide at first light can be excellent too, when fish arrive at river mouths. Low-light periods, just before dawn and just after dusk, are generally looked at as prime times, but in dark and overcast conditions, fish can be caught throughout the day.
Single-handed approach
River coho fishing can be both rewarding and challenging. Anglers will leave their homes before first light, hoping to encounter fish that have moved into new pools through the cover of night. Coho often pod together in slack water and along seams off the main current. Generally, when fishing this type of water, you will be using single-handed rods as you’ll be regularly casting and stripping a fly. A rod around a 9ft seven- or eight-weight suits this approach, with Loop’s Trak, Z1 and 7X in this class all excellent options.
A fish on a single hander – when stripping flies is easier
TYRONE BUCKLE
An Opti Rapid or Runner is an ideal reel choice for this cast-and-strip approach, offering the grunt to hold onto a fish if it does make a longer run. Depending on depth, you can use anything from a floating line, a clear intermediate (which a lot of anglers choose for a stealthier approach) through to a single-handed Skagit multi-tip line to get you down in deeper water and keep your fly there during a quick retrieve.
Flies that produce in this slower water are Rolled Muddlers, beaded and non-beaded, large and small, California Neils, Coho Buggers, Mickey Finns and other sparsely tied fry patterns.
It is a tangle to unpick mentally, but when you work it all out, it is very rewarding
Coho will sometimes give themselves away with a tell-tale roll on the surface and can be hard to spot when they are parked right in against structure and undercut banks. So, a good pair of polaroid glasses is an essential piece of kit. If you’re looking into a pool and see numerous different species of fish, coho can be distinguished by their tail — it is noticeably darker than their body.
Willie opts for the Loop Classic and a 13ft double-hander for bigger flies, flows and the rolls of a big coho.
SCOTT SHERIN
Spey-style tactics
Fishing a swung fly with a Spey rod in the main flow offers a totally different challenge. There’s a puzzle in this style of fishing — we use Skagit lines, but they must be paired with the appropriate weight of tip, length of leader and weight of fly to ensure that the fly is working at the correct depth and speed through the slower travelling lanes. It is a tangle to unpick mentally, but when you work it all out, it is very rewarding.
For this technique, larger flies including Popsicles, Intruders, Egg-Sucking Leeches and Koski’s can all induce aggressive takes. Rod choice is dictated by river size and power. On smaller rivers, switch rods, such as the Trak 11ft seven-weight and ZT 11ft seven-weight can come into play. On slightly larger rivers, go for something a little longer, such as the Trak 13ft seven-weight, or rods of the same length and weight from the ZT and 7X ranges. For larger fish in the bigger flows of Terrace and beyond, a 13ft 2in eight-weight can be called for, such as Loop’s Trak, ZT or 7X. When it comes to reel choice, the powerful drags in each of Loop’s G5, Opti series and the Classic range will help tame the heavy rolls, runs and jumps of these feisty fish.
Kate Sherin with a big coho displaying its autumn colours.
SCOTT SHERIN
The person with the rod casts the fly upstream so that the buddy can see the pace and depth
Work and reap the rewards
In slower water, where you can see coho, the fishing can be either exceptional or some of the most frustrating you can experience. If they are switched on, you can have multiple fish follow and take a stripped fly. Yet, if they turn off, you can watch fish move away in disgust. This is the beauty of coho: making small changes and adaptations can make a real difference.
They are a fish that fills me with joy and earn a very respectable silver medal in my fish ranking, with steelhead taking gold. Coho evoke so many emotions in a day’s fishing. They can leave you questioning your own ability. Every meeting with them is special, be they green-backed and silver-flanked fresh fish or the fire-truck-red specimens of autumn. Give me steelhead, Atlantic salmon and cartwheeling coho and I am in fishing Nirvana.
If you are in British Columbia, please drop by the store and we will help you on your coho journey.
IN THIS SERIES
