08-24-2003, 10:28 PM
[font "Tahoma"][#336699][size 3]Kings on the Fly[/size][/#336699][/font]
[font "Tahoma"][size 2]
MELT AWAY THE MYTH’S
Before I get into these theories techniques and tactics, we have to emancipate your mind on the thought that “King Salmon don’t bite because they don’t eat anymore when they enter a stream” If you can’t free your mind of this untrue ol’ wives tale, then stop reading right now and return to some other spot on our web page. Because if you believe that, then you can’t CATCH salmon on the fly. I’m going to talk about a salmon CHOOSING to eat your fly as it passes by, or in some cases, chase your fly and eat it. I’m not talking about lining, lifting, searching, roping, snagging, or gigging. I’m talking “nibble..nibble….uuuuugh (sound of your setting the hook) FISH ON!
WHAT FISH TO TARGET:
I really love to fish kings with fly tackle. I’ve been very successful at catching kings so now I’d like to pass along that info to you. While we’ve dispelled that nasty ol’ myth (hope you’re all still with me on that…repeat after me…”King salmon Dooo…bite things while in the stream”) you need to know that kings are NOT and easy fish on the fly or any other bait for that matter. Oh they have their moments when they will hit anything that moves, but generally they are moody, slow to react, and pretty much have to be in the mood to take a lure fly or bait. There are some guidelines to make the odds in your favor much better.
*) FISH LOCATION:
I don’t look to fish deep slow pools for kings. Yes they will hold up in those places, and sulk for hour’s maybe days at a time, but deep pools or slow water is not ideal fly fishing habitat. Look for the “HEAT” Water that is moving at a rapid pace. Fast runs, tail outs, heads of pools (this sound like your favorite steelhead spots also…Kings are cousins to Mr. Steelie)…and pocket water. In long runs and riffles you’ll find depressions in the stream bottom. Ruts, and slots where a fish can rest just under the heavy current. Why is that you ask? Well a couple reasons. One, when kings run the rivers in Sept. into Oct. remember they are coming into water that is generally warmer then they prefer, mid 60’s to high 50’s. Kings prefer mid 40’s to mid 50’s at best. So in warmer water conditions they’ll seek faster water for more oxygen content. Second, more oxygen content will also make them more apt to strike at things. So lesion one is to hunt for fish in good oxygenated water.
*) PRESENTATION:
So you locate some kings fining away in a good run, now how to present the fly. Next lesson to remember, kings are not like stream trout, they didn’t spend a while lot of time in the stream or hatchery, they didn’t root around on the bottom for nymphs, or rise to hatching or emerging bugs. They did sit in riffles however and eat insects as they floated by, and they certainly chased small fish around in runs and pools. So presentation wise I don’t want to fish on the bottom. I have to be in their sight range, to be in their strike zone. This means that I have to drift my bug at eye level, which is generally a foot or two off bottom, depending on the depth of the run. I’ve never used much weight to fish to kings. But I do use a small dropper weight system when I choose to fish any weight at all. But in essence, I’m usually only running a couple micro shot on my four to six inch dropper and the fly some 24 to 36 inches behind the dropper. If you can’t site the fish then you have to be good at either reading the water, or knowing the particular stream you’re fishing. In other words, be able to read the cuts and slots the fish could be in to make you presentation.
I want to swing the fly so that it comes across in front of the fish at eye level, right off his nose a few inches in front of him. If the fish is hot, he’ll slide up and sip the fly with out you hardly noticing it. If you cast to deep into the slot and touch him with your line, you’ll most likely spook the fish, and he’ll either rush past you, or spin and speed off down stream. So don’t make contact with the fish…let him come to you.
If I don’t think I’m getting the right presentation either two deep or not deep enough to be in the fishes strike zone I’ll play with mending line, or casting location before I add or subtract weight. So work with your mends, and then think about adjusting weight on your leader.
THE TAKE:
As big and as nasty as kings are in the lake when they SLAM a lure or bait, they are much more nimble for the most part in a stream when they nibble at something. I do believe that salmon are NOT biting because they are hungry, so I agree they are not interested in eating once they are on the spawn, however these fish have an instinct that triggers them to strike out that doesn’t disappear after they’ve ascended a tributary. Often you’ll feel a perch like tick tick nibble, or just the weight on your line that shouldn’t be there. Preset by tugging down on the line, and lifting the rod just a little, if you feel solid weight, or head shaking, then finish the hook set and slam the hooks home. I have had king’s charge across the streambed some 10 to 15 feet to nail a streamer or woolly bugger, so they can get that aggressive but usually they take in a more subtle manner.
THE FIGHT
It’s been my experience that fair hooked kings do not as a general rule dash down stream like a fright train right away. I’ve kept records of how fish fight on the fly, and I can say that a higher percentage of kings tend to stay in the pool and slug it out near bottom. I’ve had them later in the fight after seeing that pure brute strength wasn’t working for them …then make a run up or down stream. They are not a hard fish to control when caught fair. Notice I said control…not land. This is still a big heavy fish on fly tackle, and they will use their strength and body make up to tire YOU out. They will get sideways in the current to put pressure on the gear; they will burrow deep into a run. But if they choose to run down stream, then you have to make a choice. Can you…will you run after them? If you will then high tail it down stream and get below them. If you can’t or not able to for what ever reason, then point the rod at them and break them off. Yes these fish are going to die, but if you try to wrench them back through 100 yards of hot water, you’ll kill them before they get a chance to do their business.
If you fish for moody king salmon you will foul hook a few fish no matter how careful you are. Experienced anglers can tell right away if they have a fish that ate the fly or not. Work on getting to be that experienced. If you’ve foul hooked the fish, break him off right away. Don’t waste yours or the fish’s time and energy.
LANDING ZONE:
Kings have a natural handle at the base of their tail so “tailing kings is pretty easy” Grab that area but be ready to get your arm shook. Try to keep the fish in shallow water while trying to remove your fly. After unhooking the fish, leave your gear on the bank, and with two hands cradling above the belly (you don’t want to get them excited into dropping eggs or sperm) and holding the tail point them back into the current, and gently work them into the current if they don’t seem to be responding naturally. Soon they’ll try to kick out of your grasp, a gentle shove forward, and away they go.
FLIES FOR KINGS:
Three major styles that I’ve documented over the years gets you bit more often
*) Woolly Bugger or Egg Sucking Leaches: In sizes 2 to 8. They like black, purple, brown, and chartreuse, sometimes orange or pink. With pink or orange for the egg on the egg sucking leach. I’m sure other popular egg colors will work also.
*) Egg imitations: Glo bugs, goo bugs, carpet flies, any estez style egg pattern, nuclear roe bugs to name a few.
*) Natural nymph patterns in black, brown, olive. Black is number one in my book. Stoneflies, gold ribbed hares ears, prince nymphs, hex nymphs, pheasant tails, etc. My best are the black stones and black hares ears in sizes 8 and 10.
FRESH RUN KINGS OR STALE FISH:
At the beginning of the salmon run, try to get as close to the river mouth or estuary as possible to fly fish. Fresh run fish are usually very willing to bite, everything from big to small flies. Swing streamers, or dead stick nymphs or egg patterns and the fish will usually go. Late in the run, high up in the stream, you’ll find weary tired spent fish, but they will still take a fly if you work the locations I mentioned earlier. Later in the run it’s more important to find good oxygenated water.
SUGGESTED FLY GEAR FOR KINGS:
Don’t be a hero! In other words don’t try and fish kings with a rod lighter then an eight weight. And an eight weight is still pushing it a little unless you are using a Spey rod. The longer two hander will give you more leverage then a single eight. For single handed rods I’d use a nine or 10 weight in a nine or preferably 10 foot length. However my favorite setup is a nine weight Spey rod in the 13 to 15 foot length. You can work a lot of line, mend line much easier, and once hooked up you have a ton of leverage to subdue a heavy nasty fish.
Reels, don’t skimp. You don’t need an $800 Abel, but a reel with a good drag system is essential, other wise you have to do too much work to control the fish. Let your gear make life easier for you. However Abel, Fin Nor, Islander, Orvis, Lamson, Reddington, and Cortland, to name a few all make good reels to do battle with kings. You’ll hit all the price ranges with the line up I’ve listed.
Be patient, work hard on the variables in presenting a fly, and locations of kings and you’ll see why I love to fish kings on the fly .[/size][/font]
For a more solid King hookup rate using Wiggle Warts, remove both stock hooks, add a 1&1/4" bead chain to the belly eye, with super sharp 2x treble (3x for the Mag Wart).
[signature]
[font "Tahoma"][size 2]
MELT AWAY THE MYTH’S
Before I get into these theories techniques and tactics, we have to emancipate your mind on the thought that “King Salmon don’t bite because they don’t eat anymore when they enter a stream” If you can’t free your mind of this untrue ol’ wives tale, then stop reading right now and return to some other spot on our web page. Because if you believe that, then you can’t CATCH salmon on the fly. I’m going to talk about a salmon CHOOSING to eat your fly as it passes by, or in some cases, chase your fly and eat it. I’m not talking about lining, lifting, searching, roping, snagging, or gigging. I’m talking “nibble..nibble….uuuuugh (sound of your setting the hook) FISH ON!
WHAT FISH TO TARGET:
I really love to fish kings with fly tackle. I’ve been very successful at catching kings so now I’d like to pass along that info to you. While we’ve dispelled that nasty ol’ myth (hope you’re all still with me on that…repeat after me…”King salmon Dooo…bite things while in the stream”) you need to know that kings are NOT and easy fish on the fly or any other bait for that matter. Oh they have their moments when they will hit anything that moves, but generally they are moody, slow to react, and pretty much have to be in the mood to take a lure fly or bait. There are some guidelines to make the odds in your favor much better.
*) FISH LOCATION:
I don’t look to fish deep slow pools for kings. Yes they will hold up in those places, and sulk for hour’s maybe days at a time, but deep pools or slow water is not ideal fly fishing habitat. Look for the “HEAT” Water that is moving at a rapid pace. Fast runs, tail outs, heads of pools (this sound like your favorite steelhead spots also…Kings are cousins to Mr. Steelie)…and pocket water. In long runs and riffles you’ll find depressions in the stream bottom. Ruts, and slots where a fish can rest just under the heavy current. Why is that you ask? Well a couple reasons. One, when kings run the rivers in Sept. into Oct. remember they are coming into water that is generally warmer then they prefer, mid 60’s to high 50’s. Kings prefer mid 40’s to mid 50’s at best. So in warmer water conditions they’ll seek faster water for more oxygen content. Second, more oxygen content will also make them more apt to strike at things. So lesion one is to hunt for fish in good oxygenated water.
*) PRESENTATION:
So you locate some kings fining away in a good run, now how to present the fly. Next lesson to remember, kings are not like stream trout, they didn’t spend a while lot of time in the stream or hatchery, they didn’t root around on the bottom for nymphs, or rise to hatching or emerging bugs. They did sit in riffles however and eat insects as they floated by, and they certainly chased small fish around in runs and pools. So presentation wise I don’t want to fish on the bottom. I have to be in their sight range, to be in their strike zone. This means that I have to drift my bug at eye level, which is generally a foot or two off bottom, depending on the depth of the run. I’ve never used much weight to fish to kings. But I do use a small dropper weight system when I choose to fish any weight at all. But in essence, I’m usually only running a couple micro shot on my four to six inch dropper and the fly some 24 to 36 inches behind the dropper. If you can’t site the fish then you have to be good at either reading the water, or knowing the particular stream you’re fishing. In other words, be able to read the cuts and slots the fish could be in to make you presentation.
I want to swing the fly so that it comes across in front of the fish at eye level, right off his nose a few inches in front of him. If the fish is hot, he’ll slide up and sip the fly with out you hardly noticing it. If you cast to deep into the slot and touch him with your line, you’ll most likely spook the fish, and he’ll either rush past you, or spin and speed off down stream. So don’t make contact with the fish…let him come to you.
If I don’t think I’m getting the right presentation either two deep or not deep enough to be in the fishes strike zone I’ll play with mending line, or casting location before I add or subtract weight. So work with your mends, and then think about adjusting weight on your leader.
THE TAKE:
As big and as nasty as kings are in the lake when they SLAM a lure or bait, they are much more nimble for the most part in a stream when they nibble at something. I do believe that salmon are NOT biting because they are hungry, so I agree they are not interested in eating once they are on the spawn, however these fish have an instinct that triggers them to strike out that doesn’t disappear after they’ve ascended a tributary. Often you’ll feel a perch like tick tick nibble, or just the weight on your line that shouldn’t be there. Preset by tugging down on the line, and lifting the rod just a little, if you feel solid weight, or head shaking, then finish the hook set and slam the hooks home. I have had king’s charge across the streambed some 10 to 15 feet to nail a streamer or woolly bugger, so they can get that aggressive but usually they take in a more subtle manner.
THE FIGHT
It’s been my experience that fair hooked kings do not as a general rule dash down stream like a fright train right away. I’ve kept records of how fish fight on the fly, and I can say that a higher percentage of kings tend to stay in the pool and slug it out near bottom. I’ve had them later in the fight after seeing that pure brute strength wasn’t working for them …then make a run up or down stream. They are not a hard fish to control when caught fair. Notice I said control…not land. This is still a big heavy fish on fly tackle, and they will use their strength and body make up to tire YOU out. They will get sideways in the current to put pressure on the gear; they will burrow deep into a run. But if they choose to run down stream, then you have to make a choice. Can you…will you run after them? If you will then high tail it down stream and get below them. If you can’t or not able to for what ever reason, then point the rod at them and break them off. Yes these fish are going to die, but if you try to wrench them back through 100 yards of hot water, you’ll kill them before they get a chance to do their business.
If you fish for moody king salmon you will foul hook a few fish no matter how careful you are. Experienced anglers can tell right away if they have a fish that ate the fly or not. Work on getting to be that experienced. If you’ve foul hooked the fish, break him off right away. Don’t waste yours or the fish’s time and energy.
LANDING ZONE:
Kings have a natural handle at the base of their tail so “tailing kings is pretty easy” Grab that area but be ready to get your arm shook. Try to keep the fish in shallow water while trying to remove your fly. After unhooking the fish, leave your gear on the bank, and with two hands cradling above the belly (you don’t want to get them excited into dropping eggs or sperm) and holding the tail point them back into the current, and gently work them into the current if they don’t seem to be responding naturally. Soon they’ll try to kick out of your grasp, a gentle shove forward, and away they go.
FLIES FOR KINGS:
Three major styles that I’ve documented over the years gets you bit more often
*) Woolly Bugger or Egg Sucking Leaches: In sizes 2 to 8. They like black, purple, brown, and chartreuse, sometimes orange or pink. With pink or orange for the egg on the egg sucking leach. I’m sure other popular egg colors will work also.
*) Egg imitations: Glo bugs, goo bugs, carpet flies, any estez style egg pattern, nuclear roe bugs to name a few.
*) Natural nymph patterns in black, brown, olive. Black is number one in my book. Stoneflies, gold ribbed hares ears, prince nymphs, hex nymphs, pheasant tails, etc. My best are the black stones and black hares ears in sizes 8 and 10.
FRESH RUN KINGS OR STALE FISH:
At the beginning of the salmon run, try to get as close to the river mouth or estuary as possible to fly fish. Fresh run fish are usually very willing to bite, everything from big to small flies. Swing streamers, or dead stick nymphs or egg patterns and the fish will usually go. Late in the run, high up in the stream, you’ll find weary tired spent fish, but they will still take a fly if you work the locations I mentioned earlier. Later in the run it’s more important to find good oxygenated water.
SUGGESTED FLY GEAR FOR KINGS:
Don’t be a hero! In other words don’t try and fish kings with a rod lighter then an eight weight. And an eight weight is still pushing it a little unless you are using a Spey rod. The longer two hander will give you more leverage then a single eight. For single handed rods I’d use a nine or 10 weight in a nine or preferably 10 foot length. However my favorite setup is a nine weight Spey rod in the 13 to 15 foot length. You can work a lot of line, mend line much easier, and once hooked up you have a ton of leverage to subdue a heavy nasty fish.
Reels, don’t skimp. You don’t need an $800 Abel, but a reel with a good drag system is essential, other wise you have to do too much work to control the fish. Let your gear make life easier for you. However Abel, Fin Nor, Islander, Orvis, Lamson, Reddington, and Cortland, to name a few all make good reels to do battle with kings. You’ll hit all the price ranges with the line up I’ve listed.
Be patient, work hard on the variables in presenting a fly, and locations of kings and you’ll see why I love to fish kings on the fly .[/size][/font]
For a more solid King hookup rate using Wiggle Warts, remove both stock hooks, add a 1&1/4" bead chain to the belly eye, with super sharp 2x treble (3x for the Mag Wart).
[signature]