Coho/Silver Salmon

General Info: Coho Salmon are the under-looked superhero of Pacific Salmon. They are super aggressive, really love to take a fly and are usually easy to find when they are around. Everyone want to catch a big King, but Coho fishing is arguably more fun. Aggressive fish will eat fun flies like poppers and they do like to jump more than Chinook. The Coho run has been quite good in recent years in the Columbia River basin (home of Big Y), and we have been putting some effort into finding the best flies, gear and techniques to target them.

Preferred Gear

Rods: 7-8 wt. rods that can handle occasionally heavy flies. A 9' rod is preferred, but you can also target them with a switch or spey rod if that is what you have. The 9' rod is more versatile as you may have to find them in deeper, slower water and may need to cast out of a boat depending on what type of water they have been hanging out in.

Favorites: Orvis Recon, Big Y Boss, Echo Prime, TFO Axiom II-X

Reels: Large arbor, preferably with decent drag. They are jumpers and not into blistering runs like bonefish or steelhead.

Favorites: Big Y General, Lamson Guru, Orvis Hydros,

Lines: Weight forward floating. Specialty lines like RIO Salmon/Steelhead are preferred. They are over-weighted and designed to turn over a good sized fly.

Favorites: Scientific Anglers Mastery Anadro, Amplitude Anadro, RIO Salmon/Steelhead