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[rides bike to work]

tis the season to catch sockey probably one of the best seasons in resent history but it can get a little boring,almost to easy to floss.So lateley I have been catching all mine on the fly it took a little wihile to diile it in but thats what fishing is about much more fun ont the fly rod and keeps me out on the river a little longer instead of compl aing about crowded bars bouncing take a little walk find some slower water to yourself and cast afly you will be rewarded this could be a once in alife time opportunity  take advantage while you can.One tip I found the fish pushed in shallower in the late evenings and more actively rolling in front of me

[greybark]

  As Sockeye are relative no biters , Would this be Flossing with a challenge ?

[bigsnag]

when this snag fest is shut down for this season and all the flossers go else where, we'll have a one almost every cast on the fly fishery.

[andrew5]

I am one year into fly fishing, and have a 6wt fly rod.

I'm not in the financial position to go out and buy the salmon rod and levelwind reel at the moment, but I am interested if my 6 wt is adequate enough to catch any socks.

If it is possible, what wt leader and tippet woudl I use?

I also have no idea what to put on the end of it, or what techniques to use.

What areas might be condusive to socks on the fly right now. crowded bars are obviously not the ideal place.

any feedback woudl be greatly appreciated, as I really don't want to miss out on this!

Andrew

[rides bike to work]

sockey are biters how do you think they catch them in the ocean.I have also had many sockey bite in the  vedder and now on the fraser as I siad in the late evening when they are rolling I know its not for food but it is a act of  aggression and that is the key to getting them to bite one more tip is big black with some silver.

[marmot]

sockey are biters how do you think they catch them in the ocean.I have also had many sockey bite in the  vedder and now on the fraser as I siad in the late evening when they are rolling I know its not for food but it is a act of  aggression and that is the key to getting them to bite one more tip is big black with some silver.

no.

whether you want to believe it or not, you are flossing them on the fly just as much as the guys with the betties and 10 foot leaders.  Ever checked the stomach contents of a fraser sockeye?

[bigsnag]

no.

whether you want to believe it or not, you are flossing them on the fly just as much as the guys with the betties and 10 foot leaders.  Ever checked the stomach contents of a fraser sockeye?

Socks stop eating weeks before they approach the Fraser mouth to stage before they enter the river.

...... sigh .... another disbeliever that socks don't bite flies.

[Kype]

Marmot/bigsnag,

In short nope - you have it wrong.  

It matters not that the Sockeye have empy stomachs - Atlantics move into European rivers and from January and February and do not spawn until November time, yet for over 150years they have been proved to take a fly out of aggression and/or curiosity - and yet they too have empty stomachs and are known not to eat in fresh water!

Take a read of 'Salmon Fishing' by Hugh Falkus - Google will soon reveal a supplier, it is truly a work of art (on Atlantics) written over the course of a lifetime of observations and experiments.

It is pretty common for non-fly fishers to be highly suspitious when salmon repeatedly fall to a well presented fly rather than to a gob of roe.

[dennyman]

I beg to differ in comparing Sockeye to Atlantic salmon.  The majority of the Sockeye in the Fraser are on a tight timeline to travel through the waters of the Fraser River to their spawning grounds. These fish have limited reserves to expend on the arduous journey they have to make up the Fraser canyon through the rugged rapids of Hells Gate and then on to their spawning grounds. Once these reserves are used up whether or not they have been able to spawn that is it for the fish. IMO it may be possible to get a Sockeye to bite a fly on the Fraser, however the trick would be findng an area where these fish are resting for instance. If you can find those spots then yes I can believe a well presented fly to a pod of salmon can provoke one into biting. However, that is the trick finding water like that on the dark and silty waters of the Fraser. That is why most people will probably be flossing any Sockeye they catch when flyfishing for them on the Fraser River.

[kingpin]

if you want to ethically hook one on the fly, try the harrison, the water is clear and maybe you can get one to bite.. otherwise your flossing them on the mainstem fraser.

[hickman]

I am also fairly new to fly fishing and love it. I cannot believe I did not get into it sooner! I bought a setup for Coho fall fishing. I "fished" the Fraser for sockeye in the usual method (bottom bouncing with a 2 ft leader) last weekend and thought that it MUST be possible to entice a sockeye to take a fly. I might try this weekend around inflows where the water is more clear and slow... there are many thoughts on fly colors. I hear pink, orange and chartreuse would work. I am dedicated to putting in the time...

[kingpin]

Is this from your personal experience fly fishing for sockeye(or any salmon) on the main-stem Fraser or some one close to you who has spent years or decades pursuing them on the fly?

personal experience and the experience of friends. anyone who has done it and thinks the fish are biting is delusional. They are tough to get in the harrison in clear water let alone brown fraser water.

[marmot]

Marmot/bigsnag,

In short nope - you have it wrong.  

It matters not that the Sockeye have empy stomachs - Atlantics move into European rivers and from January and February and do not spawn until November time, yet for over 150years they have been proved to take a fly out of aggression and/or curiosity - and yet they too have empty stomachs and are known not to eat in fresh water!

Take a read of 'Salmon Fishing' by Hugh Falkus - Google will soon reveal a supplier, it is truly a work of art (on Atlantics) written over the course of a lifetime of observations and experiments.

It is pretty common for non-fly fishers to be highly suspitious when salmon repeatedly fall to a well presented fly rather than to a gob of roe.

I've been flyfishing for over 25 years so I assure you I have no prejudice against the fly.  I've never spoken to an EXPERIENCED fly fisherman who will attest to sockeye in the fraser biting.  Sooner or later, after enough hookups, you'll figure out what's really going on.

*edit* just read the flybc thread and still find it hard to believe.  Maybe the harrison fish are different... clear water might change things up for them.  still, I'm skeptical.

[dereke]

 Its not that the Harrison fish are different just a matter of water clarity combined with the fact that they are in their spawning stream. Had them take on the Vedder and the Stamp. The stamp was on the strip in and you could see the fish get activated and strike out of aggression. Clear water = biting sockeye.

[RalphH]

On the Fraser I've caught sockeye hooked inside the mouth both on the fly and typical gear with shorter (5 feet or so) leaders. Back many years I kept tabs a couple of seasons and I think around 20 to 25% had the hook in the mouth not in the hinge of the jaw or underneath the lower jaw as is typical with flossed sockeye. I 've talked to lots of guys who feel they do bite but flossing is dead easy so that's what everyone does. The origianl '92 93 test fisheries were done with 3 feet of leader. Some guys claim that Early Stuart fish and Horsefly fish are more prone to bite than Adams fish for example. Get's better if the water is a bit clearer late summer early fall