Flies for Coho in the Salt

[Bren]

Does anyone have any go-to patterns for fishing the coho in the salt that they would be willing to share?

[queets guy]

Try to key in on juvenile herring and sandlance (candlefish).  Those two baitfish are HUGE food factors for migrating coho, both resident as well as migratory.  Any bait fish pattern will do well, I like to use clousers, tube flies, surface poppers and sliders.  I morely tie mine in a slender baitfish type look with a light belly and a sparese olive back with maybe a few strands of peacock on the back, flash is always good too.  I headed out this morning to my all time favorite sandlance area which consists of a sharp point, and sure enough the strong eddy of the ebb tide was trapping balls on sandlance inside.  I fished mostly surface sliders and found some very hefty cutts around 17in that hit on top, coho seemed to be vacant, still a little early.  My slider was the same color as Id mentioned earlier, sparse, white belly and olive back and had some action in the water.  If I can rustle up some pics of my fav patterns I will put them up.

[Strike Rite Tackle Co.]

Try clousers stripped in. I would go with baitfish patterns, flash fly's, or anything with substantial movement. Oh, and one other thing to consider is color, try pink or chartruse. Just put it in front of them and you will usually ellicit a strike. Happy fishing and screeming reels.

[Bren]

thanks guys, a have heard from a few people now that chartreuse over white clousers are the way to go but it will be nice to have a variety.
Tight lines

Bren

[SciGuy]

I've only been flyfishing from the beach for two years now but I've been hitting it hard and have learned an awful lot in that time.  I average about 5 days a week on the beach, almost year 'round...helps to live on an island I suppose.  I've had lots of failures over that time but a handful of flies that have produced regularly.  The most consistent producers have been clousers.  Olive, brown, chartreus, or pink over white are all good.  However, for a few months last year tan over white out fished everything.  For the evening bite, I've done well using a clouser where the back is a mix of 4-5 different shades of green krystal flash, some of which glow in the dark.  I've also had good luck using Slinky Fibre (more translucent) for the belly material< rather than bucktail.  When fishing beaches with sandlance, I like to use narrow profile and weighted dart patterns as well as floating tube sandlance patterns that can be skated across the surface.  With the latter, you can cut the tube at an angle and add a sequin on the line to help it skate better and give it a bit of action.  Nothing is cooler than seeing a bulge or v-streak in the water appear behind your fly just before a coho takes it.  The other surface pattern that I use a lot is the popper...great search tool when fish aren't showing themselves.  I've been messing around with wogs but am not yet sold on them.  Whatever you end up doing, I suggest having a couple of surface patterns and some sub-surface patterns in your fly box (unless you aren't using a floating line, like I do, in which case you are limited to subsurface flies).  Like Queets Guy said, try to key in on the baitfish present...go narrow/sparse if sandlance or a bit bushier if herring.

Quick fishing report while I'm at it:  Lately more and more big coho have been making an appearance at my local beach.  I've only been able to land cutties and 1-2 ib coho on a regular basis so far but I've seen plenty of jumper in the 4-6 lb range.  This could very well be a good year (to make up for the dissapointment that was last year).

[Bren]

Thanks, im thinking i will use a sinking line which will restrict me to sub surface as you said, One spot that i have in mind, there arent usually alot showing themselves but it is about 25-30 feet deep and ove hooked themm jigging and trolling from 10 feet down so i thought i would give it a try and up north fishing kelp beds i am still debating floating or sinking

[queets guy]

A sinking would work well as would also a sink-tip line (floating running line with a sinking head) for fishing sub surface flies.  RIO Outbounds are very efficiant for beach fishing as is the Airflo 40+.  These two lines are shooting head systems instead of your regular weight forward, they allow you to punch out long casts even on windy days, they also are made in sink tips, I use an intermediate which is a slower sinking clear tip. If you want to fish a variety of different ways you can always get a RIO Versi-tip system which is a floating line with lots of different interchangable tips such as sinking, slow sinking, fast sinking...ect

[SciGuy]

I've tried Outbounds but prefer the Airflow 40+ one size up from the rod weight (I use a 7 wt line on a  6 wt rod and love it...for 90% of my fishing...if windy, I stick with the 8 wt rod with a 9 wt 40+ line...especially once the bigger fish arrive).  I was a bit disappointed with the Outbound because of the running line...which is prone to tangles.  However, I've heard that they have tweaked the running line since such that it tangles less, but I haven't tried the new version yet.  I truly have no reason to use anything but the 40+.  Regarding flies, here are the darts that I've had sucess on...all of which are weighted (notice the different belly types...from top to bottom: fluoro fibre, slinky fibre, and bucktail):

A close up shot of a dart:

Here are some of my favorite poppers:

...and some clousers.  Keep in mind that these are bigger patterns with trailer hooks for when the ocean fish return in Septermber/October...I'm using similar color schemes now but in sizes 6-8 and with a single hook.  The jig hooks are great for imparting a bit more action.

The pink one on the left has been the best producer over the past two weeks.  The second once is a great low-light fly for early morning or at last light in the evening.

[Fast- eddy]

Nice looking assortment there Bill! Thanks for sharing............

[Bren]

Thanks for the pics, i never thought about using a jig hook 

[SciGuy]

Forgot to post the floating tubes.  Notice how the front of the tubes are cut at an angle so when a sequin is put on the lines it creates a bigger wake.  I like these better than poppers if sandlance are present.

[Bren]

so i got a new fly rod for christmas blah blah blah, decided for the rio versa-tip line so i thought id re-opne this topic as ive been thinking about summer already anyone else with more fly patterns?

[Bunker]

Has anyone ever fished a Muddler out in the sound with any success? I'm going out to point defiance on the boat to chase some blackmouth. Was thinking about bringing the old bug rod along and hit some shorelines.

Bunker

[Gray Ghost]

The "Rolled Muddler" is a very effective beach pattern.