Sea Run Cutthroat in rivers. What's your jam?

[clarkman]

What are your favorite streamers for SRCs once they've entered freshwater? In the past, I've used stuff like the standard reverse spiders, spruce, and sometimes borden specials. What else do you folks like using? I plan on actually targeting them a little bit prior to N coast rivers shutting down for trout and looking for other options (even though I kinda already have some ideas). It's been a few years since I've ventured out after them.

 

[Stonedfish]

Buggers or standard spiders in
orange, yellow or black and also muddlers.
SF

 

[clarkman]

oh that's right, how could I forget muddlers!

 

[SpeyrodGB]

Rolled muddler, burnt orange Dr. Sprately and burnt orange carey special, to name a few.

 

[Mossback]

They're most fun when you can skate October Caddis for them...

Can always get surprised too.

 

[DimeBrite]

My best fly for river SRCs (holding in deep frog water pools) is a variation reverse spider: Red yarn tail, black chenille body, tungsten bead, 6 strands limp flash-a-bou tied on the head to flare forward. It looks primitive, but is very deadly.

 

[the_chemist]

Buggers. Always get a few targeting coho. Some of really good size. Later in the season beads/ egg flies.

 

[clarkman]

Later in the season beads/ egg flies.

no




j/k, I do like a good 'match the hatch' situation....

 

[Pescaphile]

A sparsely-tied rolled muddler, it's also a favorite for coho.

 

[Evan B]

Beads

 

[the_chemist]

Beads



View attachment 192106

I mean i dont fish them often (or nymph in general) but pegged beads gut hook fish 10000x less than egg flys.

 

[FinLuver]

Swung below spawning salmon/tailouts…

 

[Porter2]

Reverse spiders are my main flies in black/yellow/orange/white color combinations. I have a few in red but not as successful. Black and white, orange and white are my go to colors. And have had some good days with a flesh flly. White/pinkish or just white, flesh with small pink egg head too.

 

[SurfnFish]

Ally's Shrimp was my top producer for OR coastal river SRC after Rich Youngers introduced me to it..also a great Silver fly

 

[clarkman]

I mean i dont fish them often (or nymph in general) but pegged beads gut hook fish 10000x less than egg flys.

100000x than zero? that tracks.

I still can't recall a single time I've ever gut-hooked a trout on any fly: egg, nymph, dry, streamer or otherwise...but that's just me. Then again, I do have a pretty solid sample size to draw from.

 

[clarkman]

Ally's Shrimp was my top producer for OR coastal river SRC after Rich Youngers introduced me to it..also a great Silver fly
View attachment 192113

oh yeah, almost forgot about those too. Years ago, I did a trip with Rich. Worth every penny.

 

[jasmillo]

This is my favorite salty SRC fly. Tie some up for rivers and see how they fish. I bet they will work. I’ve caught bass, lake stockers, and tailwater New England trout on them for fun as well .

 

[Dave Westburg]

I fish the classic wets. Butcher, Fiery Brown, Dunkeld, Peter Ross...



Irish shrimp flies on small trebles when I'm going to keep Cowlitz hatchery cutts...



A sparse Brad's Brat in honor of Enos Bradner...



Classic new england streamers like the Chief Needabah or Col Bates or White Ghost...




But if you said only one fly ever for sea-run cutts then I'd have to select Roderick Haig-Brown's Silver Brown...

 

[Matt B]

Like others have said, buggers, spiders and reverse spiders. I’ve also caught ‘em on top with stimmies, October caddis and crane flies.

I wish I could legally fish the local rivers for cutts, but heaven forbid my size 10 spider should drift within 10 yards of a Chinook; the poor fish might be skeert half to death!

 

[Paige]

What ever you like, their not picky!