Looking for salmon pointers

[lcpl.allan]

Hey folks, I'll be trying my hand at salmon fishing for the first time and had a few questions I hope you could help with.
First off, any recommendations on flies? I have a few flies tied up for spey fishing and could obviously tie up some more. I also have a single handed 8wt that I will use out of a kayak.
When do the salmon really start running? I know we're in the season now on the American but just not familiar with their habits, especially with these higher flows right now.
Any recommendations on areas to hit? I'm not looking for your super secret squirrel locations, just some spots to get out and swing flies at. (Would make the misses even happier if I was able to have a salmon attached to one of those flies.)
What do you like for leaders and tippet when hunting for hogs?
Also, most importantly, any best practices for etiquette with salmon fishers?

Thanks for the info and your time!

[John Sv]

Bump to the top, I'm curious too!

[njbeast]

Okay..three of us waiting for some Obie-Wan impart of knowledge...

[Darian]

No mystery involved. Short primer bosed on my own experiences.... In spite of the idea that all Salmon caught on a fly in fresh water are snagged, they will take a fly. There's quite a bit of literature on the subject, too.

In fresh water, Salmon tend to hold in deeper pools and eddy's unless they're moving or getting ready to spawn. Just take a look at where the ntives place there nets on the trinity, etc., almost always in the area near an eddy. They sometimes can be caught in other places (riffles, etc.) but those fish will likely be darker colored. Concentrate efforts in places where there's deeper water (pools/eddies) for bright/brighter fish. It's been my experience that moving fish (moving upriver) will not take a fly but that's not an absolute. Fish that're moving are usually visible near the surface and when rolling appear to be moving in a straight line, upriver, while holding fish are deeper and when rolling usually make splashy rolls not appearing to be moving upriver. Sometimes in deeper water, the only evidence that they're there is these splashy rolls. Before the long hole under the foot bridge in Fair Oaks became a banky/trollers paradise, I was able to find out if there were fish in the pool by watching for the splashy rolls and I caught Salmon there any time after mid-August. I've always found that Salmon are more likely to be actively feeding when a storm is incoming (barometric pressure change) but that doesn't always happen early in the season, here.

Unless fishing in shallow estuaries, flies for river Salmon should be weighted to get down to the fish. I've caught river Salmon on boss and comet patterns, mainly. The boss patterns are usually black with brown hackle/tail and silver rib. The comet patterns vary but almost always incorporate black/orange materials with a gold tinsel body (Golden Goose, etc.). Actually, there're too many effective patterns to name here. Leaders can be straight flouro/mono or tapered, your choice, but keep them short for depth.

IMO, the high water in the American is not good for fly fishing for Salmon. It can be done but requires heavy lines/flies, should be done from a boat. If you don't have a pram, etc., book a trip with someone like Andy Guibord (if he's guiding Salmon trips).

I recommend reading Fly-Fishing for Pacific Salmon II by Les Johnson & Bruce Ferguson (an updated version) and books by Russel Chatham for great story telling and good info on Salmon Fishing.

I'm sure that there're several really good fly fisherman that have Salmon experience on this board (Tony Buzolich for one), maybe he'll chip in....

I haven't kept any Salmon I've caught since the early 1980's and didn't keep any I caught before then. That fish was caught early in the season, bright and I thought it would be good table fare. It had a mossy/muddy taste that couldn't be overcome with a marinade, etc. No more valley river fish for me.

[Tony Buzolich]

Thanks for the compliment Darian. I used to guide for salmon on a regular basis using flies only. Now I pretty much target stripers the whole year and have become addicted to chasing them full time. The funny part is, I still catch a few salmon every year while chasing and casting for stripers.

The standard striper fly is my variation of a chartreuse / white clouser. I do use lots of flash through out the fly and extend the tail at least 2" past the end of the body hair. Sometimes I get a little goofy with colors and I've had salmon take all kinds of color combinations, even when I'm not targeting them. Lots of flash, and stick it in their face. They'll grab it and even chase it around while stripping the fly in.

Here's a couple of pictures of salmon taken in deep water while fishing for stripers.. The first picture was taken on the Sacramento river below Lovey's Landing. I though for sure it was a good striper until it Jumped and headed up stream.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/005_zps77597e38.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/005_zps77597e38.jpg.html)

The second picture was taken in the delta on False River next to Frank's tract, and the fly with all the colors that it ate.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/015-1_zps287a0583.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/015-1_zps287a0583.jpg.html)

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/001upload.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/001upload.jpg.html)

The next picture came from the Feather river in the spring. We saw fish busting the surface chasing bait and thought for sure it was feeding stripers exploding on the surface. This salmon took a blue/white deceiver again with lots of flash. Even tough salmon no longer eat once they enter fresh water, they still have 4-5 years of chasing bait out in the ocean. This was a really fresh fish right out of the salt and he still had good habits.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/tonyssalmon.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/tonyssalmon.jpg.html)

The last picture was taken on the American below Ancil Hoffman park. I could see this big guy laying behind a big rock in deep fast water mid-stream. I could'nt wade closer so had to cast long and kept coming up short on the throw. I was using my 10 wt .Winston XTR with a large pink and orange popsicle fly tied with marabou. Little or no flash though, Every time I'd cast short and the fly would swing close to the rock, he would come out and charge the fly. After several more casts and charges he was really pissed off and finally grabbed the fly as it passed. Wahooooo! Game on, I'm sure glad I had my 10 wt.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/Tony-salmon2email.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/Tony-salmon2email.jpg.html)

If you're fishing the riffles and working in the shallows it's pretty easy to line and snag some of these great fish. Sometimes it's unavoidable to not snag them, though at times they will get angry and bite at anything that gets in their face. Avoid walking around in the gravel and redds if at all possible. These guys are here to spawn and not just to get harassed.

Lastly, if you are in fact targeting salmon, fight them fast and get them in as quickly as possible. Use a 9 wt. or 10 wt. and don't play them forever till they die of exhaustion. If you know that you've foul hooked one, pop it off and break it loose. Fight an honest battle. You'll have more fun when you do.

Good luck, Tony Buzolich

[STEELIES/26c3]

This salmon took a blue/white deceiver again with lots of flash. Even tough salmon no longer eat once they enter fresh water, they still have 4-5 years of chasing bait out in the ocean. This was a really fresh fish right out of the salt and he still had good habits.

Springers, like the one you caught there on the Feather, DO actively feed, after leaving the ocean. They have to because, unlike their fall-run cousins, they need to spend 4-6 months in the river swimming, holding, developing and reaching sexual maturity before they can successfully spawn.

Prior to Nimbus Dam, spring salmon would have entered the mouth of the American River in late April, early May and with modest body fat and 2-inch egg or milt sacks... would swim upriver eating invertebrates and fish along the way. Once, in the chilly, snow melt waters of the Upper American River, these springers would be able to survive the summer months. A high-protein diet from eating the likes of juvenile trout, dace and chub, would fuel the salmon to develop towards sexual maturity and offer them enough stored fat to dig redds and reproduce.

The spring salmon today, though far fewer in number, are still subject to an earlier migration and active feeding along the way. They are oblivious to dams and know only to follow millions of years of genetic programming...

To target spring salmon in the AR, Feather or any valley river, it's important to do it EARLY in the season because by mid September, these fish will become like their fall cousins and go in to reproductive-mode and it will be highly unlikely to hook a FEEDING salmon. Sure, you can get a reaction strike from a springer late in the fall or a fall salmon even later in the year but it won't be the same type of grab...

Fish a big fly in chartreuse, orange, pink, blue/silver or copper in water with deep, cold runs.

By September, not only will the fish mostly stop feeding but the holding water with flows enough to move a big fly along will also disappear (as in the flows of the AR will drop from 5000 to 2000). Also, by then the flossers will show up in force and terrorize every salmon within 12 miles leaving you little chance at a place to fish much less a chance to entice a fish that hasn't had its feeding instincts beaten out of it by large pieces of lead, 20 ft leaders of monofilament and hooks in its ass~

[lcpl.allan]

Thanks a lot for the info guys! I've been spending a lot of time cruising the net looking for info, but nothing beets what I find here! I was in the shop last week getting some good points as well. Now to somehow get away without the misses finding out about new line and wading boots.
Looking forward to a (hopefully) good first season fishing for salmon. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good guide out of the Sacramento area? (besides the afore mentioned Andy in case he's not guiding salmon.)

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

If you can get into Kiene's American Fly Fishing Company in Sacramento on the weekends I know Andy Guibord has had lots of experience with King Salmon on the Lower American River.

On a good year they get thick enough to catch on flies in October but November is usually better.

Lower American River has a later run than many other California rivers.

They come in almost year round but you need a lot of them so they stack up.

[Darian]

Aside from Andy, there're several guides in the area but at this time of year, they're usually targeting Stripers and hook up on Salmon, accidentally. Look at the Western Outdoor News website for adds or contact Kiene's or Fly Fishing Specialties to see which guides are available for a local Salmon trip. Good luck!!

[joseph28]

I also have tried a few times to catch salmon on my 7 wt. I fish the Mokelumne river out of Wimpy's alot using pline jigs and baitcasters. Is there a different way to fish on the Mokelumne?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Fantastic post Tony.......

[donkeyhunter007]

1 vote for Tony having a flyfishing tv show...... just looks the part

thanks for the awesome post

[Idadon]

My Dad caught a lot of salmon on the coast back in the 50's & 60's. Don't think I ever remember him using anything other than a BIG Comet. Gold beadchain eyes, black body and orange hackle. They sunk like a rock!