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

clarkman said:
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.
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The Pistol Pete was my favorite on the Cowlitz back when it was overstocked with cutthroat. Size 8, black with a red tail.fb6640b7fdf3297e6859118523d66d17.jpeg
 
Since 2018 1788888935198.png for SRC & resident CC in coastal streams...
#12 my "confidence" searching (wet) fly, has fooled hundreds of fish.
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#12 variation
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#10, Beadhead Dazzleair for deep pools and has fooled my largest to date.
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Often once in the rivers they are stacked up in small schools so if one short strikes stop your retrieve, wait a few seconds, and start retrieve, many times they will have already struck .... it makes the short strike more fun to try this out
 
_WW_ said:
Where do you get those fly holders?
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You can find em online. But in the case of the ones pictured, I went to every Radio Shack from Tigard to Eugene/Springfield…before they closed their doors for good. Probably hit 6 - 8 stores in one day’s worth of road trip.

The stand was wood scraps from a buddy’s wood shop.
 
99% of the time I use an October caddis colored muddler variant, usually a euphoric muddler/muddled euphoria. On the surface, in the film, on a sink tip, I fish it however I'm feeling.

If you want to find bruisers instead of numbers, big leechy things can be worth trying. My largest SRC was an incidental catch on a black and purple MOAL leech.
 
IMG_2727.jpegOne of my favorite fisheries is the SRC run on the Cowlitz (happening now). I tie up reverse spiders on tubes. This gives you a couple of advantages. One being that the trailer hook helps with more hook-ups due to their short-striking nature. Another is that the reverse hackle causes the fly to spin and will twist your leader up pretty badly. The tube alleviates this issue. Most of the SRCs on the Cowlitz are hatchery fish and I’ll happily retain a limit for the table and smoker. I typically just use an intermediate sinking line, let out the line to the backing, put the rods in rod holders, and then row as if I’m pulling plugs. It’s a great way to fish with folks that don’t know how to fly cast but want to go “fly fishing”.IMG_2627.jpeg
 
Do you guys notice much of a difference between the Cowlitz hatchery stock and the wild fish on the OR N coast?

Breck said:
View attachment 192194One of my favorite fisheries is the SRC run on the Cowlitz (happening now). I tie up reverse spiders on tubes. This gives you a couple of advantages. One being that the trailer hook helps with more hook-ups due to their short-striking nature. Another is that the reverse hackle causes the fly to spin and will twist your leader up pretty badly. The tube alleviates this issue. Most of the SRCs on the Cowlitz are hatchery fish and I’ll happily retain a limit for the table and smoker. I typically just use an intermediate sinking line, let out the line to the backing, put the rods in rod holders, and then row as if I’m pulling plugs. It’s a great way to fish with folks that don’t know how to fly cast but want to go “fly fishing”.View attachment 192193
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was just about to ask what folks think about purple.... :LOL:
 
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clarkman said:
Do you guys notice much of a difference between the Cowlitz hatchery stock and the wild fish on the OR N coast?


was just about to ask what folks think about purple.... :LOL:
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I've only caught them in the Columbia tribs. I've tried fishing the salt for them, but didn't do well. Purple and purple/black seems to be the perfect prescription in my experience. I do a few wraps of lead wire under the body material to help get them down a little too.
 
clarkman said:
Do you find that they short strike often? I notice that most of the patterns posted have either short tails or no tails.
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Jay Nicholas wrote a book about SRC fishing and flies that's Oregon-centric. I think it's an excellent resource as he draws from his career as a ODFW fisheries biologist as well as a life long pursuer of SRC's. In the book he talks about "rapid ejection", which is when the fish takes it into it's mouth and then quickly spits it out before hook set. I found missing those subtle takes went way down once I started fishing the rubber legged spider (the fly does have a name but it's not exactly PC :LOL: ). I also think the retrieve (short, erratic jerks) often forces the fish to fully commit.
 
adding to my meager stash...probably going to add something black/purple leachy type prior to heading out this weekend...

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FinLuver said:
There is a this fly that looks like the Spruce Fly, called the Purple Joe. 😉
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yep, found a couple of those in my long lost box! Dunno that I've ever fished it.
 
Josh said:
Is there a pattern for this anywhere? If you felt like it, a step-by-step tying post would be a great thread to post in the forum.

Or heck, invite the fellow from the other forum to PNWFF if he's interested in making the SBS post himself. Would be cool.
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If these are what I think they are I recently posted them in “what’s in my vise” with a MFV link including video.

Last Thursday; post 13141
 
Pink Nighty said:
Do you use those on tenkara? Cool ties
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Yes. I actually have not fished for trout in a small to mid-sized stream with a rod and reel since 2018.
 
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