Fly Fishing Forum banner

Chinook wet flies

3K views 13 replies 5 participants last post by  peter-s-c 
#1 ·
With the end of summer in sight (a depressing thought), we're looking at doing some late summer fishing for chromer chinook. Most people (as shown in the PM rig thread) tend to use some form of dead drift rig for chinook. I've always swung flies with success and only ever tried dead drifting once on the Salmon in NY. After that session, I'm staying with the swing.

Just wondering what others here use for wet flies for chinook. I've had success with the Van Luven (an old West coast steelie wet), Mickey Finns, and rainbow smelt streamer patterns. I've also hooked fish on other semi-realistic streamers and marabou wets. I know some do well with leech patterns but they haven't produced for me.

What are your favourites?
 
#2 ·
hmmm....

Swinging for nookies is always fun, especially when they are fresh. I have caught kings before by swinging marabou speys and bunny speys as well. Also, Egg Sucking Leeches are always a good pattern to have as well. Smelt and Alewife patterns are my favorite for out in the lake(when conducting what I live for...surfs up steelhead/salmon) but I downsize in the rivers.

This year I plan on doing a little more swinging if time allows.

Peter S-C, are you fishing these on sink tips or intermediate lines or what?
 
#3 ·
Mostly straight mono with some weight but in deeper water, I'll put a Polyleader on the end of a floater. I mostly sight fish for chinook in relatively shallow water so then I'll just use some mono and a weighted fly -- very controllable.

On the Saugeen, I'll be swinging blind in deeper water so I'll be resorting to sinking leaders to get the fly down. I'm also planning to use circle hooks and the "soft loop and lift" of the Atlantic salmon anglers. The Saugeen rocks has a heavy, soft coating of calcium compounds leeched out from the limestone which acts like a hook magnet. With enough tippet strength, you can yank the hook free but circle hooks just bounce off these rocks. It lets me get the hook down where the fish are without constantly hanging up. I've swung circle hooks in the past and I know they are almost snag proof but I wasn't using the soft loop method and failed to hook fish. I've talked to others who have used this method with circle hooks and they report excellent hookup and landing rates.

Waiting for August . . . .
 
#4 ·
yep

Sounds good man, I am fishing for them this weekend. Let me know if you want to hookup soon. We already have a few hanging around.
 
#6 ·
Peter,

Last fall there was a nice push of chromer jacks that liked this pattern.

Purple or pink marabou tail, purple or pink estaz body, and purple or black schapplen hackle nice long and webby collared at the head and pulled back for the aero push.

Fast and easy to tie.

Also scored a nice chromer steel with the jack push. That was one fast fish. I set the hook about 50 feet downstream, felt a solid hook-up. Started to get him on the reel when I noticed he was heading to me. I pulled 2 or three fast strips when I noticed he was at my feet. He turned around and the tippet never had a chance.

voodoofly
 
#8 ·
Peter,

I tie these up in size 6 and 8 on 4X long-2X strong hooks.

I also use a pattern I call the freak fly. It's like a hex nymph, but for the thorax legs I use long schapplen or similar long filo-plume feathers collared. I dead drift this one and then let it swing.

This one takes about 2-3 times longer to tie.

voodoofly
 
#9 ·
Interesting this thread should start now..

On the Rogue, we're still a couple of months to go before we start seeing Fall Kings. "Here" the bloody things will take most of the same small patterns we're using to chase summer run steelhead.

One fly, Bless You Malcom!, that's been a hottie is the Willie Gun. Both types of fish will hit this fly with abandon. Fishing for something 3#'s, with appropriate rod, and you're just as likely to hook something 30#'s.

Fun times with a 7136.

fae
 
#10 ·
Out here in Washington, I like to use an all fluorescent lime green comet tied on a #4 stainless saltwater hook, a small hot pink wet fly that has silver tinsel as the rear half of the body and some hot pink Krystal Flash added to the wing tied on a #6 salmon iron, or an all fuschia bunny leech tied on a #3 Alec Jackson Spey Hook. I fish all of these with a sinktip on a slow swing and usually use my big T&T 1611 when after kings.
 
#11 ·
Ah! Comets! That's an idea -- I've heard of them being used for chinook down this way by a few.

I've been using a drop back swing where the rod tip is held way back and the line is mended so that when I start dropping the rod tip, the fly moves back and down almost as much as across. It's a presentation that does not have the fly charging the fish like some suicidal minnow.

My Daiwa 15'6" 11 wt is getting dusty from lack of use plus the reel and line hasn't even been wet yet -- it'll be nice to get a 25 pounder or better on the end of it. Saugeen chromers are very energetic so a big stick comes in handy.

One of the local guides is an ex-Atlantic salmon jock and he's been successful with circle hooks on chinook. Surprisingly, last year he used them as small as a #4 without problems. The key appears to be using the soft loop and lift that allows the fish time to turn before the line comes tight. I want to work the kinks out of this method when I employ it as circle hooks offer a huge advantage in getting the fly to the fish without constantly hanging up on the boulder strewn bottom of the Saugeen.
 
#12 ·
Peter,

I and several friends have had no problem hooking and holding chinook on #4,6,and 8 hooks. In fact, I never use anything larger than an Alec Jackson #3 Fushica Bunny Leech for chinook or chum.

You description of the way you swing you flies for chinook is exactly what I meant when I said that I fish the unweighted flies on a sinktip with a slow swing. That is how I get the slow swing.

Now, go out and hook some of those fish with your big Daiwa!
 
#13 ·
One other pattern (locally anyway) that seems to ..

work on the Chetco river on the SW Oregon Coast is a # 6 or #4 (non "x" hook) done with a black chen. body and a lime, or flo. green, hackle. Fished off a very heavy sink tip or full sinking line out of the "dory (or for you "Yanks," a pram) line."

Almost a social event for the fishermen at "Tide Rock" on the lower Chetco in the fall. Anchor is set/tied to a couple of empty bleach/gallon milk jugs then a short pop off loop to the dory. Cast out into the flow and let the line sink in front of the boat and your good to go.

Fish hits fly, you pop the loop to the floating bottles (these hold your "place in line") and Mr. King towes you around for awhile until you finally beach the thing or break off. And it's the "landing" part of this whole trip that's worth the beach watch.

Long rod, large fish, 8 foot pram, rod clampted between your knees, rowing like hell to get to the bar or someone below you in al like pram with a net ..... you get the picture.

:whoa:

The "Military Term" for this is Cluster F... :devil:

fae
 
#14 · (Edited)
Re: One other pattern (locally anyway) that seems to ..

fredaevans said:
[BLong rod, large fish, 8 foot pram, rod clampted between your knees, rowing like hell to get to the bar or someone below you in al like pram with a net ..... you get the picture.

:whoa:

The "Military Term" for this is Cluster F... :devil:

fae [/B]
Sounds like a candidate for Funniest Home Videos. That fly -- is it just chennile body and a collar?

Here's the fly that has taken the most chinook for me. Tagged the odd steelie with it too. It's strictly a one fish fly as the chinook usually bends the long shank into a pretzel.

http://www.mountaincable.net/~pcharles/streamers/whirl-04.html

IIRC, the chinook in my avatar was taken on one of these.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top