The start of a new year is full of hope that the upcoming year will be better than the one that just ended. When it comes to the saltwater salmon fisheries for Summer 2013 I think we actually might be in luck.
We will have to wait until mid to late February for the official salmon forecasts as part of the season setting process known as North of Falcon, but there has been some very preliminary talk of what is to come.
As a fly fisherman I am mostly interested in one number when it comes to the coho fishery at Neah Bay and that is the Columbia River coho forecast. A small forecast is not a guarantee of poor fishing but a large forecast almost certainly means great fishing.
The preliminary talk is that the Columbia River coho salmon run will be "Improved over 2012." This is good news and I am looking forward to seeing the hard numbers.
With 2013 also being a pink salmon year it looks like the summer salmon season should be a full one. I will be taking full advantage of it.
Showing posts with label coho salmon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coho salmon. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Friday, February 10, 2012
"Coho Are Just Ugly This Year"
With the start of the saltwater salmon season setting process (North of Falcon) beginning over the next month we are starting to learn what the preseason forecasts will be. The Columbia River coho forecast has just been released.
Columbia River Coho Forecast Not Encouraging
My saltwater season goals usually begin with thinking about at least a trip or two out to Neah Bay. This forecast does not make me optimistic for this summer out at the NW tip of the Olympic Peninsula. It seems like a Columbia coho return over 500K is a guarantee of incredible fishing and below that results in spotty fishing, especially closer to the entrance and just inside the Strait.
I will not let this keep me from my plans to fish out there this summer, but it will minimize the number of trips out there. Hopefully, the Puget Sound forecasts will make me smile about the fishing closer to home.
Fingers crossed for that Puget Sound forecast.
Columbia River Coho Forecast Not Encouraging
My saltwater season goals usually begin with thinking about at least a trip or two out to Neah Bay. This forecast does not make me optimistic for this summer out at the NW tip of the Olympic Peninsula. It seems like a Columbia coho return over 500K is a guarantee of incredible fishing and below that results in spotty fishing, especially closer to the entrance and just inside the Strait.
I will not let this keep me from my plans to fish out there this summer, but it will minimize the number of trips out there. Hopefully, the Puget Sound forecasts will make me smile about the fishing closer to home.
Fingers crossed for that Puget Sound forecast.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Summer's Last Stand
The call came late in the evening asking if I wanted to head out for some saltwater coho action. I immediately answered yes without checking with the wife. It was a good call as we ate fresh coho the next evening for dinner.
The next day was spent swinging flies on glacial rivers. Bushwacking through the woods and exploring new water is always worth it regardless of getting skunked. Enjoying almost 70 degree sunshine on the coast in October is a rare treat.
A couple days later spent a day exploring a favorite cedar stained creek for cutthroats. Found a few beautiful specimens. The coolest thing about the day was seeing stray pink salmon spawning in the lower reaches of this coastal creek. Amazing to see the amount of straying that comes from the huge Puget Sound pink runs.
And to top it all off the fall colors on the west end of the Olympic Peninsula are just spectacular right now.
The next day was spent swinging flies on glacial rivers. Bushwacking through the woods and exploring new water is always worth it regardless of getting skunked. Enjoying almost 70 degree sunshine on the coast in October is a rare treat.
A couple days later spent a day exploring a favorite cedar stained creek for cutthroats. Found a few beautiful specimens. The coolest thing about the day was seeing stray pink salmon spawning in the lower reaches of this coastal creek. Amazing to see the amount of straying that comes from the huge Puget Sound pink runs.
And to top it all off the fall colors on the west end of the Olympic Peninsula are just spectacular right now.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Kelp Bed Coho
Until this past month the only water type I had fished for coho salmon in the saltwater was offshore. A few weeks ago that changed. I was fishing a rocky point surrounded by kelp. I started by fishing the edges of the kelp and the rips that formed just offshore of the point. I was having decent success but almost all of the fish were small chinook salmon and I wanted to find some of the approximately one million coho returning to Puget Sound in 2011.
The bait was concentrated inside the thick kelp beds. As I was paddling through the kelp heading back to the launch I noticed big swirls deep within the kelp bed. I stopped the kayak and formulated a plan to go after those fish. I quickly realized that I couldn't fish a sinking line or weighted fly because I would be snagging kelp fronds on every cast. I came to the conclusion that the only way to fish this area was with a floating line and a popper. I rushed to switch out my sinking head to a floating head and a gurgler was plucked from the fly box. I paddled into position and started to drift through the kelp.
I started casting. What is different about casting in the kelp from casting in offshore rips is that accuracy really matters. If your cast is off target you will be tangled in the kelp. As I drifted I aimed for the clean pockets between the kelp. It wasn't long before the first coho started following and swirling at the fly. When fishing poppers for salmon the one thing you learn quickly is that for every five to ten boils or follows you will have one solid hookup. Sometimes the hookup rate is better but not often.
It seemed like every two or three openings in the kelp resulted in at least a swirl on the fly. Soon a coho came for the fly and there was weight. What followed was an amazing display. The fish was instantly in the air. Not once, but four times the salmon came out of the water while at the same time wrapping the leader around numerous clumps of kelp. The fly eventually pulled loose while I attempted to untangle the fish. I continued to fish and rose numerous other salmon. I hooked three other salmon that day and all of them put on amazing aerial displays along with hard runs into and around the kelp. Amazingly I was able to land two of them. Looking back I could not remember a group of hotter fighting coho salmon in my years of experience fishing offshore.
Of course, since that day I have returned to that location many times attempting to recreate that tide change. The best I have done since is have four rises and two fish on. But in keeping with the first day of fishing the kelp beds each fish hooked displayed the same great fighting ability.
This morning I returned after a bit of a drought at this location. The recent windy weather hasn't helped but the fishing seems to have really slowed down. This morning dawned very chilly with a brisk wind. I paddled out and tried fishing the outer rips for a bit before coming back in to the kelp. The wind was blowing a little stronger than I would have liked so I paddled up on top of the thickest clump of kelp I could find and just sat and observed the water for awhile. I was convinced that the wind would likely die down at some point so I spent about an hour enjoying the sights. It is amazing what you see fishing out of a quiet and slow watercraft. Earlier in the morning a family of river otters was feeding out in the kelp. The seabirds were dive bombing the abundant schools of herring swarming the area. Herons were perched motionless on the floating mats of kelp waiting to ambush any bait that swam too close. A large number of turkey vultures circled a thermal just inland.
Soon enough the wind did start to diminish ever so slightly. I decided to take advantage of it and start fishing the kelp. Casting the gurgler to open targets resulted in nothing on the first drift. I paddled back and started a little closer in to the rocks. After about ten casts I saw a fish charge at the fly. The slash came from the side. The salmon missed but I kept the fly moving and he came at it again and missed. I continued the retrieve with little hope the fish would come back for a third time. Luckily I was wrong and the third time was the charm as the line came tight to a coho salmon. After a couple surface head shakes the fish bolted. He was on the reel instantly and instead of running underneath the surface I could see his back out of the water the entire time he was running away from me. It was as if I had hooked him in a foot of water instead of the twenty foot depths he swam in. Eventually the running stopped and immediately the line went slack. I will never know if he started running back towards the kayak or if the hook pulled out but the fish was gone. I eventually got the fly untangled from a piece of kelp the salmon wrapped the line on and started fishing again.
That was my only fish of the day but it was a memorable one. I think I have a new favorite place to catch coho salmon in the saltwater. I really enjoy fishing deep within the kelp. Not only for the challenge of the casting but the extra fight the salmon seem to have when they have to battle from deep within the kelp forests.
The bait was concentrated inside the thick kelp beds. As I was paddling through the kelp heading back to the launch I noticed big swirls deep within the kelp bed. I stopped the kayak and formulated a plan to go after those fish. I quickly realized that I couldn't fish a sinking line or weighted fly because I would be snagging kelp fronds on every cast. I came to the conclusion that the only way to fish this area was with a floating line and a popper. I rushed to switch out my sinking head to a floating head and a gurgler was plucked from the fly box. I paddled into position and started to drift through the kelp.
I started casting. What is different about casting in the kelp from casting in offshore rips is that accuracy really matters. If your cast is off target you will be tangled in the kelp. As I drifted I aimed for the clean pockets between the kelp. It wasn't long before the first coho started following and swirling at the fly. When fishing poppers for salmon the one thing you learn quickly is that for every five to ten boils or follows you will have one solid hookup. Sometimes the hookup rate is better but not often.
It seemed like every two or three openings in the kelp resulted in at least a swirl on the fly. Soon a coho came for the fly and there was weight. What followed was an amazing display. The fish was instantly in the air. Not once, but four times the salmon came out of the water while at the same time wrapping the leader around numerous clumps of kelp. The fly eventually pulled loose while I attempted to untangle the fish. I continued to fish and rose numerous other salmon. I hooked three other salmon that day and all of them put on amazing aerial displays along with hard runs into and around the kelp. Amazingly I was able to land two of them. Looking back I could not remember a group of hotter fighting coho salmon in my years of experience fishing offshore.
Of course, since that day I have returned to that location many times attempting to recreate that tide change. The best I have done since is have four rises and two fish on. But in keeping with the first day of fishing the kelp beds each fish hooked displayed the same great fighting ability.
This morning I returned after a bit of a drought at this location. The recent windy weather hasn't helped but the fishing seems to have really slowed down. This morning dawned very chilly with a brisk wind. I paddled out and tried fishing the outer rips for a bit before coming back in to the kelp. The wind was blowing a little stronger than I would have liked so I paddled up on top of the thickest clump of kelp I could find and just sat and observed the water for awhile. I was convinced that the wind would likely die down at some point so I spent about an hour enjoying the sights. It is amazing what you see fishing out of a quiet and slow watercraft. Earlier in the morning a family of river otters was feeding out in the kelp. The seabirds were dive bombing the abundant schools of herring swarming the area. Herons were perched motionless on the floating mats of kelp waiting to ambush any bait that swam too close. A large number of turkey vultures circled a thermal just inland.
Soon enough the wind did start to diminish ever so slightly. I decided to take advantage of it and start fishing the kelp. Casting the gurgler to open targets resulted in nothing on the first drift. I paddled back and started a little closer in to the rocks. After about ten casts I saw a fish charge at the fly. The slash came from the side. The salmon missed but I kept the fly moving and he came at it again and missed. I continued the retrieve with little hope the fish would come back for a third time. Luckily I was wrong and the third time was the charm as the line came tight to a coho salmon. After a couple surface head shakes the fish bolted. He was on the reel instantly and instead of running underneath the surface I could see his back out of the water the entire time he was running away from me. It was as if I had hooked him in a foot of water instead of the twenty foot depths he swam in. Eventually the running stopped and immediately the line went slack. I will never know if he started running back towards the kayak or if the hook pulled out but the fish was gone. I eventually got the fly untangled from a piece of kelp the salmon wrapped the line on and started fishing again.
That was my only fish of the day but it was a memorable one. I think I have a new favorite place to catch coho salmon in the saltwater. I really enjoy fishing deep within the kelp. Not only for the challenge of the casting but the extra fight the salmon seem to have when they have to battle from deep within the kelp forests.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Herring
It has been a fun week fishing a local spot where the kelp is loaded with small herring. The herring brings in the salmon, birds, seals, and porpoises.
The fishing has been a mix of coho and immature chinook salmon. Most of the coho fishing has been deep within the kelp forests fishing surface patterns. So much of the saltwater game is fishing subsurface that one forgets what a visual smorgasbord fishing on the surface is. You will have many salmon follow the fly swirling multiple times at it before either taking it or turning away. Sometimes you will have fish that come out of nowhere and mug the fly. Landing fish deep within the kelp is a challenge as every fish seems to aim for the thick kelp. Tangles are commonplace as the fish continue running and jumping while you are focused on trying to get your fly line untangled from a mat of kelp.
Hopefully the Puget Sound coho run is as large as forecast and the fishing holds up through the end of October.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Salmon with Live Bait
This morning I decided to head out for some local saltwater fishing. I didn't wake up early or rush to the water and missed my favorite tide change but sometimes getting out is enough.
It was a beautiful sunny day with not a breath of wind. The rainshadow was in full force with low clouds to the west, thicker clouds to the east, and big puffy clouds building over the Olympics.
The fishing was slow for everyone but I did have a quick pulse of action. I hooked a tiny chinook (eight inches) and as it got close to the kayak I could see six or seven coho swirling around it trying to eat it. The coho were keyed up and after I slipped the hook from the shaker chinook I quickly flipped the fly ten feet from the boat. One strip and I could see the coho take the fly. I set the hook and felt weight but the fly did not stick. I could still see the fish swimming under the kayak as I quickly flipped the fly back into the water. Just as quickly as before I had a coho on the end of the line and just as quickly it came unhooked. I so wanted to inspect the fly and make sure the hair wasn't fouled but I knew these fish would be gone as quickly as they appeared so I roll cast the fly back into the water. One strip and another of the coho inhaled the fly and turned. This time the hook held and I was able to quickly land the fish. I wish I could say that the action remained hot, but that was the last I saw of any adult salmon.
I'll try to remember this beautiful warm sunny day on the water in a couple months when it is cold, wet, and gloomy.
It was a beautiful sunny day with not a breath of wind. The rainshadow was in full force with low clouds to the west, thicker clouds to the east, and big puffy clouds building over the Olympics.
The fishing was slow for everyone but I did have a quick pulse of action. I hooked a tiny chinook (eight inches) and as it got close to the kayak I could see six or seven coho swirling around it trying to eat it. The coho were keyed up and after I slipped the hook from the shaker chinook I quickly flipped the fly ten feet from the boat. One strip and I could see the coho take the fly. I set the hook and felt weight but the fly did not stick. I could still see the fish swimming under the kayak as I quickly flipped the fly back into the water. Just as quickly as before I had a coho on the end of the line and just as quickly it came unhooked. I so wanted to inspect the fly and make sure the hair wasn't fouled but I knew these fish would be gone as quickly as they appeared so I roll cast the fly back into the water. One strip and another of the coho inhaled the fly and turned. This time the hook held and I was able to quickly land the fish. I wish I could say that the action remained hot, but that was the last I saw of any adult salmon.
I'll try to remember this beautiful warm sunny day on the water in a couple months when it is cold, wet, and gloomy.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
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