What's Catching You Fish?

Tom Butler

Grandpa, Small Stream Fanatic
Forum Supporter
The original James Wood Bucktail is a panfish catching wonder (for today anyway). Not having faith I tied one with peacock and black simi seal that wasn't as good for panfish but got two trout. Need to work on hair skills, the head is some blue wool I had.
20220914_jameswoodbucktail.jpgblack wooly buggers seem to always work as well
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Buzzy

I prefer to call them strike indicators.
Forum Supporter
Rabbit strip flies, simple, black was more effective even when the tail came off.......
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The rabbit strip flies worked well on day six as they did on day three, four, five and six. What about the first and second day? Another day, another fly, it too worked well (thanks again Tim @Rio Grande King)
 

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Buzzy

I prefer to call them strike indicators.
Forum Supporter
This chomped fly was sent to me (along with a full Alaska coho fly box) from @Rio Grande King - it wasn't chomped when Tim sent it.......very grateful Tim!
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This fish ate the pink streamer - we'd had so much rain (15" in 24 hours) that there was too much water to wade the creek that drains a large marsh so we fished The Marsh. Interesting place - there were a half dozen outlets that formed one creek (the one too swollen to safely ford). Coho were ascending these channels as the tide came in. This buck had just come up one of the channels leading into the marsh. It was fun to watch the fish jump up the small falls.

I had waded out into the marsh and found a point where the grassy peat dropped off and was able to cast to clear water, every time there was a pulse of fish pushing through there was a good chance for a hookup. My strike to solid hookup ratio was terrible. Most of you know a trout lift doesn't work very often with big, fresh ocean coho (I learned).

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Wanative

Spawned out Chum
Forum Supporter
This chomped fly was sent to me (along with a full Alaska coho fly box) from @Rio Grande King - it wasn't chomped when Tim sent it.......very grateful Tim!
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This fish ate the pink streamer - we'd had so much rain (15" in 24 hours) that there was too much water to wade the creek that drains a large marsh so we fished The Marsh. Interesting place - there were a half dozen outlets that formed one creek (the one too swollen to safely ford). Coho were ascending these channels as the tide came in. This buck had just come up one of the channels leading into the marsh. It was fun to watch the fish jump up the small falls.

I had waded out into the marsh and found a point where the grassy peat dropped off and was able to cast to clear water, every time there was a pulse of fish pushing through there was a good chance for a hookup. My strike to solid hookup ratio was terrible. Most of you know a trout lift doesn't work very often with big, fresh ocean coho (I learned).

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I wondered where you've been hiding.😉
 

ThatGuyRyRy

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
I was in the flotilla of boats in 10 on Saturday this weekend and thought I would share some coho wizardry.

I've been using this fly with pretty good success behind a flasher. The rod popped but nothing stuck pulled the fly up and the coho had taken the hook off the stinger loop. No broken loop, just straight up stole my hook. Replaced the hook and caught two more fish.


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PhilR

IDK Man
Forum Supporter
This little dude
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Caught this big dude ( and several others)
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Up here
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Stonedfish

Known Grizzler-hater of triploids, humpies & ND
Forum Supporter

Jake Watrous

Legend
Forum Supporter
Jake,
Nice looking pattern. Bendback?
Please post up a recipe if you feel up to it.
SF
It is a bendback. Something like the Umpqua xs435 but inherited from an uncle who gave up tying so it’s a mystery.

I’m crappy at fly pattern descriptions, but here goes:

Throat is mcflyfoam, eye is yellow and black model paint, UV resin over the top.

Body is olive bucktail, black bucktail, and white bucktail. A couple of strands of thin crystal flash or lateral scale to make it more sexy.

EDIT: Dip in hot water to relax the bucktail.
 

Stonedfish

Known Grizzler-hater of triploids, humpies & ND
Forum Supporter
It is a bendback. Something like the Umpqua xs435 but inherited from an uncle who gave up tying so it’s a mystery.

I’m crappy at fly pattern descriptions, but here goes:

Throat is mcflyfoam, eye is yellow and black model paint, UV resin over the top.

Body is olive bucktail, black bucktail, and white bucktail. A couple of strands of thin crystal flash or lateral scale to make it more sexy.

Thanks
I noticed last week that most of the coho I cleaned had small sandlance in them. Your pattern would work well for imitating them.
SF
 

Jake Watrous

Legend
Forum Supporter
Thanks
I noticed last week that most of the coho I cleaned had small sandlance in them. Your pattern would work well for imitating them.
SF
That was my theory based on the sheer number of them we’ve seen on East MA 9&10 beaches lately.

Trying out the bend back hook as I like the profile for sandlance more. EDIT: Also because I’m hoping they’re a lot more weedless. Lots of crap floating in the surf lately.
 
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