Coho 2026

Coho on the surface are a blast on topwater flies, you loose a bunch of fish but well worth it. I have used a 4-inch Bob Popovic's banger popper (@Vagabond tie and one of my fish below, see here for fly detail) and a similar sized Leland Miyawaki's popper (@Chucker tie and 2nd fish below). Have not fished them from the beach but they come out from my boat sometimes when fish are trashing herring at the surface.

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the_chemist said:
It can be done!
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Oh, no doubt it can be done on poppers or other topwaters.
I was commenting more on the use of a bass chatter bait. I’d like to see it happen.
Here is one from the beach on a topwater pattern I dubbed the 747. 😂
SF

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Of my 11 landed fish this yr, 6 have been jigs (buzz bombs) with baitfish tube flys behind. I like to think they are eating the tube fly 😉 The rest on fly with four on 2” baitfish patterns and 1 on a krill pattern.

Hard to beat the distance a fiberglass rod and a 2.5” buzz bomb covers along with getting under the floating salad. The fly hookups are so much more enjoyable though.

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I’ve caught many coho off the beach using only a 1/2oz. hoochie fished twitching style on my spin rod. White, chartreuse and hot pink are best. Oh ya, purple occasionally..I chop of the hook and add a trailing one..
 

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Excellent @VMP,

One of my all time favorite top water flies is Jack Gartside’s Gurglers. More aero dynamic, easily tied, floats high due to the closed foam body. Use an intermediate line and a fast two hand retrieve. With practice the fly will perform in a porpoise-like motion continuously breaking the surface like fleeing baitfish, shrimp, prawn, etc. Start stripping the second the fly hits the water with just a couple of slight pauses.
 
Big difference in behavior between saltwater and freshwater. Saltwater fish will absolutely crush topwater. Once they're in freshwater mode, not so much. Not saying it can't be done (guys fish wogs in Alaska, but those fish act way different than ours do down here for some reason), but I certainly don't have the confidence or motivation to spend time on it.
 
Evan B said:
Big difference in behavior between saltwater and freshwater. Saltwater fish will absolutely crush topwater. Once they're in freshwater mode, not so much. Not saying it can't be done (guys fish wogs in Alaska, but those fish act way different than ours do down here for some reason), but I certainly don't have the confidence or motivation to spend time on it.
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I think its a numbers and pressure thing in freshwater, to go along with getting off the feedbag. Will not stop me from trying though.
 
I normally flyfish for coho off the beach, but, there are times when they don't cooperate and stay out beyond casting range. For the past two seasons, I have been using a a spinning rod, with an Inno-bombarda (or Bombette) float setup (developed in Denmark), enabling me to cast an obscene (350' +) distance to reach beyond schools, then retrieve through. I have had good success using either a very sparse Margarita Clouser or herring smolt fly.
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I've already called it on my season. Our Columbia coho showed up way early - like early September. Last year I caught ALL of mine in October. Once October hit, it's been crickets. I put the covers on the boat this weekend and am getting things all tucked away for winter.
 
the_chemist said:
This has been a bummer of a season but still some brite(ish) moments to be had.
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Good that you have been getting into some coho. But what really struck my eye is your rod and reel combination. It just seems like that classic Fenwick should be paired with a Pflueger Medalist 1495. In the 70s I saw more Fenwick rods than all other fly rod makes combined, and easily more than half were paired with the appropriate sized Medalist reel. I probably shouldn't be talking since my Fenwicks generally have a Hardy, Sage, or Ross hanging from the reelseat.
 
Salmo_g said:
Good that you have been getting into some coho. But what really struck my eye is your rod and reel combination. It just seems like that classic Fenwick should be paired with a Pflueger Medalist 1495. In the 70s I saw more Fenwick rods than all other fly rod makes combined, and easily more than half were paired with the appropriate sized Medalist reel. I probably shouldn't be talking since my Fenwicks generally have a Hardy, Sage, or Ross hanging from the reelseat.
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The Fenwick I got from you has a JW Youngs that has that Medalist look (seen in my profile pic). Great combo.
 
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