Re: Salmon on the fly SF CA Coast

Posted by Dan Blanton on 2012-03-19 16:50:35 in reply to Salmon on the fly SF CA Coast posted by Paul on 2012-03-19 13:24:55

Paul, Over the decades I've caught a few ocean Kings on purpose with a fly - not many though. Back when we had a ton of fish ranging around in Monterey bay during July and August and the chovies were thick near shore, I'd pull out the fly rod. I didn't give it a try unless the fish were in the upper 20 feet of the water column. I found the fish didn't like a fast pull and they would often follow the fly right to the rod tip, rejecting it at the last second. The ones I did catch almost always hit on the pause or the drop. My best patterns were my Sea Arrow squid and my Sar-Mul-Mac. I think they would have really gone for FT Clousers and FT Whistlers; and I think the Darting Jig Hook Sea Habit would be very effective - at least more so than the other patterns I've tried. They love darting lures and jigs. You have to keep it in their face though. I'd make a long cast with T-14, count way down and then retrieve slowly with a lot of pauses and drop-backs. I wouldn't bother if the fish were deeper than 20 feet. The best luck I've had was off the mouth of Elkhorn Slough at Moss Landing at the "Green Can". This was always in July and August when the fish moved in on the chovies balled up near shore. I've also caught them working the outgoing tide in the mouth of Elkhorn Slough casting off the north jetty. The best action was at the bottom of a big spring tide when the chovies came pouring out of the slough. I was on that Steve Abel charter for salmon Ben mentioned and I never got a bump. The water was extremely rough and the drift was way too fast though. It was not a good test. Dan

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