Springers on a fly???
Hey gang, I'll bet the rivers are choked with big spring chinook right now. Anyone ever land one on a fly? I've landed a few, and am a believer that the biggest challenge is positioning ones self to work a fly into the proper structure and depth to provoke a strike. The next is landing the chrome bright submarine.
My first was a bit of a cheat, but it worked just the same. I stood on the North Fk. Lewis at Cedar Creek on the hatchery side and swung a flo-orange head / natural bunny tailed bunny rat into the edge of the bouy line above where the little waterfall joins the river. The boats work below this and drift to the deep pool. When I connected, it was like hooking the bottom and having it swim around. In fact I lucked out because it swam upriver and I landed it in the fast riffle above everything.
Most springers I've hooked on flies were jacks. There is a small run on the Skykomish and one opener in the right hand side of the riffle at the railroad bridge at the bottom of Buck Island I hooked one on a hang down in the deep hole. Thought it was going to be the steelhead from hell but it was a springer.
The Cowlitz has a good run of springers and there are spots on the farside bend of Barrier Dam where one can coax a springer into taking a fly.
I would imagine a BC west island river would provide plenty of opportunity for these early kings. After seeing a 53 pound springer on Tilamook Bay, I don't think I'd try for one there
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Small rivers like the Washougal get a lions share, as do the peninsula streams. The lower Sol Duc sure gets it's share.
From what I hear, the Willamette has more springers in it's system than all of the Washington riverrs combined... is this true?
My first was a bit of a cheat, but it worked just the same. I stood on the North Fk. Lewis at Cedar Creek on the hatchery side and swung a flo-orange head / natural bunny tailed bunny rat into the edge of the bouy line above where the little waterfall joins the river. The boats work below this and drift to the deep pool. When I connected, it was like hooking the bottom and having it swim around. In fact I lucked out because it swam upriver and I landed it in the fast riffle above everything.
Most springers I've hooked on flies were jacks. There is a small run on the Skykomish and one opener in the right hand side of the riffle at the railroad bridge at the bottom of Buck Island I hooked one on a hang down in the deep hole. Thought it was going to be the steelhead from hell but it was a springer.
The Cowlitz has a good run of springers and there are spots on the farside bend of Barrier Dam where one can coax a springer into taking a fly.
I would imagine a BC west island river would provide plenty of opportunity for these early kings. After seeing a 53 pound springer on Tilamook Bay, I don't think I'd try for one there
Small rivers like the Washougal get a lions share, as do the peninsula streams. The lower Sol Duc sure gets it's share.
From what I hear, the Willamette has more springers in it's system than all of the Washington riverrs combined... is this true?
