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[Floon]

Hey guys, are you ready for another salmon season??

There have been many posts to the tune of flies and places to fish coho salmon but sadly there hasn't been much talk of terminal tackle for different bodies you may encounter during your search. This can be the difference between catching fish that day or spending it scratching your cranium.
A couple of things I have learned.
When fishing faster water with heavey sink tips, keep you leaders short. In upper, faster pools on rivers like the Vedder 3' is plenty. Often a foot is enough depending upon water clarity.
Use a piece of heavey mono between your sink tip line and your leader. I use a piece of 60# with a loop on the end about 25" long. Then I tie my tippet to that using a loop. This really aids in turning over some of those bigger flies you'll be slinging and keeps the leader short as well.
Most coho are found in slacker holding water as you probably know, but often they will hold under chum. This heavey short set up is great for getting down fast. I often cast up stream to get more sink time with my 328grn tip and high stick with the rod until I feel my line is starting the swing.

When fishing frog water and sloughs one should think about getting back into the trout mentality. Sink tips, Still water lines and even floaters are great choices. Even at spots on the Fraser these lines are being used on 6wt setups to great effect.
When it comes to leaders, I tend to revert back to the trout type set up, but go no longer than 9' and no lighter than 6#. There is a product on the market called Frog Hair and it's flourocarbon with great stretching capabilities and has proved pretty abrasion resistant. Beware the price though, it's like $16 for 50 feet. I believe in it though, so I pay.
When it comes to flies in sloughs or back waters, I tend to go down in sizes as well. I often fish #12s for streamers and rarely going larger than # 8s.

Cheers, and I hope to see some of you out there.

[FLYallAROUND]

thanks for all the awesome tips randy!

[d_w]

Great Read randy

[Hung]

Floonster ...    what do you mean by tying the tippet to the heavy mono using a "loop" (that helps the fly turn)?  I tried looking up for a picture on the web but found none.  Can you please explain more, or direct me to a picture somewhere?  Thanks!

PS I'm kicking myself for not watching your demonstration at the FFTF event in June.  Too busy watching the kids 

[d_w]

Floonster ...    what do you mean by tying the tippet to the heavy mono using a "loop" (that helps the fly turn)?  I tried looking up for a picture on the web but found none.  Can you please explain more, or direct me to a picture somewhere?  Thanks!

What floon means is that, you tye on a section of about 12'' of 25lb Mono or 60 as floon uses to you fly line. and do a loop at the end of the line like this/bottom knott is the loop knot, top is the tippet





The reason you want the heavy but section is for [ Turn over] , the reason for that is if you dont have a heavy but section you can often get wind knots(when your loop in the cast is small and the fly catches your leader resulting in knots in your leader)

(turn over) as seen in this pic



Hope this helps you out

[d_w]

and anouther reason for this setup is that you dont have to keep cutting back your fly line, witch in the long run means (Your Saving Money)

Or you could go to Braided Loop conectors, way more hassle free than heavy mono

[Trout Slayer]

Thanks d_w, I appreciate the photos and work you put into pointing this out. I do mine exactly the same.

[TtotheE]

Question about butt material:

What strength mono would you say is the "sweetspot" when it comes to stiffness vs coilage?  (for casting larger flies used when salmon fishing)

 I find the heavier you go,  the more coiled the line remains even after attempting to straighten it out with your hands.  I bought butt material in the past and it looked as thick as 40-50# mono,  but since the one I bought was sold in those small rolls it was coiled to begin with.  I use 15-20# for casting flies on lakes.  I don't bother with tapered leaders because the thick end never straightens out.

Oh lemme slip this last one in.  I have some gloss coat but haven't used it in a long while.  Its all hardened inside!  Any way to salvage it?

[d_w]

20lb would be the best, i have been using that latiely, i used to use 25 but coiled up quite a bit

[Hung]

Thanks, D_W.  Very clear!

[Steelhead King]

I say its all depends on what brand of leader material you using.. Like couple of the ppl said, when they use more then 25lb butt section, they start to coil up pretty bad. I got the same problem with maxima line i used. Then i switch it to Orvis super strong tippet material. I never run into the the same problem even with 40lb test . 

As for making a loop on the end of the butt section, i use a bimmini  twist. its the strongest of all loop/ knot.. From then on, i usually have a double bimmini on a piece of 20lb material in about 5 feet. then to my tippet/ class tippet and shock tippet.  To do it this way, you can qualifie for any IGFA record... You never know whne you gonna catch a big one!!!  good luck fishing.

[JP PATCHES]

The bimini twist  end result is a large knot though....what about the perfection loop, very small, tight & strong never had this one fail.

[Steelhead King]

well to a certain degree yes, the bimmin twist do come to a decent size knot.. but if you were going for a bigger game fish, i much rather use that then other kind of knots ( its all confindents.) But since now, most of the rod companies switched to over size guides, the size of the knot from the bimmin twist shound't be a big problem when playing fish/ sliding through the guides.   Again, i should added to the comments from last post.  I only use that set up on a heavier gage setup atlease 8wt or above. Theres no point when fishing for trout with a 3 wt....  goodluck fishing.   

[Floon]

Good job D_W.
I use 60# mono with loops on either end. I use this heavy stuff mostly when I am swinging my 328grn tip line. It has a very hard time turning over if I use lighter.  I use a "straightener" to keep it check after it's been on the spool. Essentially 2 peices of rubber stuck to leather. I pull it through 3 or 4 simes and it's straight as an arrow.
The reason I use 2 loops is I put loops on the end of all my lines so I change leaders  with no hassle (read nail knot) any time on the water.
I make the loops in the line itself using tying thread.

[TtotheE]

I've got one of those rubber leader straightener things.  I always thought it was so you can grab the leader without having it slip through your hands while stretching/straightening out.  You're supposed to run the straightener along the length of the leader?