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[c-pin]

I went to the Stave River today. It was my first time back in at least 15 years.

It took me about an hour to get dialed in. Once I was, quite a few of the Chum came to the beach. Unfortunately, the 2 brightest and cleanest Chum were foul hooked, so no salmon dinner for me tonight. I hooked into 2 Coho, but they were long line released.

Here is what worked well for me today with my CP combo:

Main line - 12 lb
Leader - 10 lb / 18 - 24 inches long
Hook - #1
Float to weight - about 24 to 30 inches
Wool - It seemed whenever I switched up colours, there would be hookups. My best colour combo was a sparse combo of Peach & Red. The next best colour combo was Bubblegum Pink & Light Purple. Again, a sparse amount was needed.

I also brought along a spoon / spinner rod. I also tossed a few spoons and spinners in the seams of the flow and frog water. My homemade spinners did better than any spoons. This is what I lost the Coho on. I think I was playing them too gently, and they eventually became unbuttoned.

There were lots of fish being taken home. I must admit that my eyebrows were raised at the state of the green / purple / gray Chum that were being kept. However, I try not to judge too harshly, especially when one does not know the experience level of the angler.

It felt great to be welcomed back to the Stave. She treated me well.

Sorry - No Photos. I was on my own, as my fishing buddies had other things going on today.

[fic]

So what time of the day did you get your coho bites?

[Nitroholic]

Try jigs, pretty much a fish every cast

[c-pin]

Try jigs, pretty much a fish every cast

Where I was fishing was not exactly the greatest jig water. I guess I could have explored a little more, but it was pretty crowded.

So what time of the day did you get your coho bites?

The Coho bites were around 10:30 ish.

[DragonSpeed]

Nice report. 

It was a great day to be out fishing!

[Tee]

I also fished the river on Sunday morning as my first time on this river this year. Did not fish the Stave much over the years. Fished with different ways including using flies and roe, but I found the most effective way is using jigs where I was fishing. However, it seems that the person not far from me fishing with spoons hooked more fresher fish.

Did not hook or see any coho where I was.

There were plenty of chum but most were fully dressed in spawning colors. I hooked nice one that I retained.

It is amazing how chum is so upset with jigs!


 

[Stratocaster]

That's a really bright chum.

What's concerning this year though is how skinny they are.  I landed a couple of does that should have slightly round bellies because of the roe but the bellies look more like they came from bucks.  I did not retain them so I don't know what the roe was like.

[nickredway]

Could they have already spawned? I caught a couple of chrome does that felt like they must have already dropped most of their eggs.

[shi man oh man]

its strange on the stave this year, many chrome does, with either singles or no eggs at all.

[Easywater]

I've noticed a big drop in size this year.

Years past you would see a few beasts near 25lbs and a good bunch near 20.
This year, I think the ones I have been seeing have been around 12 to 15lbs.

[NiceFish]

Could they have already spawned? I caught a couple of chrome does that felt like they must have already dropped most of their eggs.

This exactly, I caught a few chrome (not as chrome as the one pictured), but JUST STARTING to turn. However, their skin felt rough, they didn't have the look or feel of a fresh vibrant salmon, but they appeared to be fresh at first glance.

[FlyFishin Magician]

Interesting.  We did speak to a guy who claimed he retained a chrome chum doe only to find single eggs in her.  I thought that was strange, but now we're hearing more of the same thing on this thread. 

[BCfisherman97]

Every doe but two this year were like this! They were thin, small and soft. They appeared chrome in the water, then I tail it and it seems soft. Plus a few had these orange dots which I thought was the problem. All chrome but just didn't seem to have the firmness.

[Tee]

Mine has no surprises, having all the goodies one would expect from a fresh fish. Her belly was full of roe and intact.

[Sinaran]

me and my buddies have caught quite a few like that at the stave this year too.  They looked so chrome (or barely coloured) on the outside, we then just found out that there were mature single eggs or not eggs in them at all!  weird... and those that were bigger in size and more coloured up, actually have firm meat and nice roes in skeins.   fish disease ?