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[MERC]

Gooey:  FYI:  Apparently, there were some sockeye with clipped adipose fins in the Vedder. Saw bunch of posters advertising this. Don't think it's an issue now at this time of the year.

[reach]

I wouldn't say coho have NO spots on the tail... they usually have a few right along the top edge, and sometimes a few on the bottom edge.  But as bug pumper says, chinook tails are covered top to bottom with spots.  If you see silver and lots of spots, it's a chinook.  Done.  If it has only a few spots, it's most likely a coho and you should confirm by looking at the gums.

If it has NO distinct black spots on the back or tail, but silver on the tail, it's probably a chum.  If it has no spots on the back and no silver on the tail, it's a sockeye.  (Jack chum don't have much silver on the tail, to confuse things, and are often the same size as small sockeye, and sockeye occasionally have a very small amount of silver right in the middle at the base of the tail, but the chances of running into either of those is pretty minimal.)  If it has spots on the back, it's a coho or chinook (or pink or steelhead or atlantic, for that matter) but not a chum or sockeye.

You can't use body spots or colouration to distinguish between chinook and coho - they both sometimes turn red and have varying numbers of spots.  But the white gums on coho are a definitive feature.  Another not so definitive one is if you are picking one up by the tail, a coho is harder to pick up (thicker caudal peduncle).

Is this horse dead yet?

[Gooey]

As long as people make misidentifications....the subjects not dead!

In regards to the clipped sockeye, I dont know if they would have passed thru the system yet...my guess is yes.  I am really surprised that there would be any clipped sockeye too...I woulda loved to have seen a picture.

[The Gilly]

Rodney try this when fishing the gin clear water.  Use a 6-10ft leader (that will get things going) with a #4 or smaller hook.  I like to use Peach wool (flatten it out on your knee) and 1/4 piece of red wool.  Put the red wool in the peach and roll it sushi style.  Place the wool in your egg loop and cut it small so it looks like two eggs.  Notice the red looks like the embryo centre.  Use a little salmon smell or annis oil.  Float this through the deep slots or on the side of the riffle.

[rob.l]

6 to 10FT leader!!!!!!!

[Gooey]

Hey rob l...how long was your leader when you hooked that spring in your little picture?!?!? 

I agree with you thou....that sounds like a flossing rig to me.  I find long leaders under a float allow the fish to spit the hook long before the float moves. 

[Neat Freak]

How do you toss a 6-10' leader? Must be difficult to land a fish as well.

[summersteel]

I wouldn't recomend that length of leader to anyone. But back to the coho ID, the coho do get some spots on the tail so if you're not sure look at the gums.

[rob.l]

Very true..The spring in my pic was caught durring Sockeye season.
Just seems too long for me, in the chedder. Did however see a guy BB the river a few days ago with great success. He had three Coho and all clearlyy hooked inside the the mouth,and not your usual flossing outside. IMO The fish nailed the yarn...
Tight lines

[Rodney]

I dunno, I usually try to save money so my leaders are short. Seriously though, I keep mine short because I love that instant contact when the fish pulls the float down. Sometimes it is so hard that the rod tip gets pulled down.

Aquaboy: With the spoon, I was using a 1/5oz. Basically, I do the same float setup, except I use slightly less weight to balance it out.

[Gooey]

Rob L question...how long was the guys leader??

I have always thought flossing and bottom bouncing are 2 different things.  you put a 2 foot leader in with no float and dont sweep it across the run then you wont floss the fish.

flossing IMHO is the intentional persuit of hooking a fish by lining them and the beaks that do that stick out like sore thumbs.

Bottom bouncing done right can produce fair hooked fish (as you witnessed).  My guess is this guy had a short leader and was free spooling down the run.

[The Gilly]

Neat Freak... Sliding float.  
I have never foul hooked one fishing this way.  I have spent a lot of time fishing the Chehalis in clear water on a perch above the river.  I can see the fish move out and let the gear go past when I use short leaders.  The long leaders (I forgot to mention 6lb. and even 4lb.) are less visible and put the "bait" farther from the weight.  I found that this catches more fish in crystal clear water.  Now that I think more about it, I usually use 4-6ft leaders and seldom go as much as 10ft.  It is a lot of fun playing a Coho on 4lb. test.  You need a buddy that can tail them as you'll never pull it on shore with 4lb.  All I'm saying is try it.  I works for me and may work for you.  If you don't like it don't use it.  This forum is about sharing ideas.  I've learned some new things since joining in June.  One should have been "never mention long leaders"

I don't use this meathod with roe, only wool.

I saw a guy BB the vedder (at Lickman) yesterday night on my way home from Kelowna.  The guy beside him was playing one on a float

[JP PATCHES]

6-10 ft leaders with wool!!!! Aye Carumba!!! Is it july again?

[Steelhead King]

if they are fresh fish in the system, they will bite even a 6inches leader with a 1/0 hook in gin clear water. And if the fish are fresh, they wounld not be leader shy, they are so aggrasive, will take anything even a 15lb leader with a 3/0 hooks. Thats why they  hit on big spoons and spinners.  But when it come to stale fish, that they been pounded million times then yea, they will scare off even with a 10 foot or 4lb leader.   There are lots of fresh fish in the system, just have to look for it. Don;t have to fish like you fishing in the Fraser. Anyway, goodluck fishing.

  

[Rodney]

Steelhead King brought up an excellent point. The main purpose of fishing with a short float depth is to specifically target fresher fish that are more aggressive. It's a discriminating way to fish if you are picky about what goes on the end of your line.

A couple of other things I want to point out is that:

I don't believe weight would actually scare the fish off. First of all, your offering is drifting ahead of your weight. The fish sees your offering first, not the weight. Secondly, use smaller weights. I generally like to stick with a small float like a Drennan Zeppler #2 or 3, which only require around 1oz of weight to balance. Another option is to use split shots.

Secondly, a long leader under the float does not work too well in shallow faster flowing water from my previous experience. Longer leader allows the offering to float up, missing the intended target zone. It may work better in deeper slots, but I don't know, I generally stick with waters between 3 to 4 feet in depth.

Um, SK, 3/0? We're trying to hook a fish here, not gaff it.