Recommend a fly line for saltwater coho

[EricNotTheRed]

Hey folks,

I'm heading to WCVi next week and we plan to chase some coho on the fly in the salt (around the kelp beds, I'm told). Neither I or my buddy have any experience with this.

I'm bringing my 7wt and 9wt rods. I have various freshwater lines, including a quad- tip system, and a saltwater floating line for the 9wt.

I was told by a guy in a fishing ship to pick up something like a 300 grain Airflo Depth Charge line to get down deeper, but I don't know how much he really knew about this fishery.

I've done a bunch of googling, and what I've read seemed to point toward a standard sink tip or even a floating line.

I would appreciate any advice on the type of line you'd recommend, as well as the weight (ie. 7 or 9).

I'd be tempted to get a freshwater versi-tip line for my 9wt if it would work, as this would give me the maximum versatility for my dollar, but I don't want to sacrifice for this trip too much.

Regards,

Eric

[SalaR]

You are a wise man...don't get the wrong line for this great experience..I would suggest the #9 rod and a fast sink line like the Aiflo or Snowbee Count Down 7...any fast sink line in the 6"/sec will do but not a tip system...sure they will work..occassionally!!..My favorite line for this is a Fast Sinking Scandanavian Shooting head...chuck and duck for sure...but it gets the job done well. If you are fishing the shorelines then a floating or slow sink line will suit well.Make sure you have some Green and White Polar Bear flies along with you...even Chartreuse works very well...large White Shrimp patterns are also a good bet....these fish are not leader shy...and if you get tangled into the kelp be prepared to lose a line...that is why I really like Shooting heads..
Have a great time
C

[Allure]

SalaR,

I'll be doing some beach coho fishing this year, as well. Reading your post, can you clarify for me with a floating line, what leader setup would you use? Would you use any of the sink tips if not taking off the surface? or just sparse flies to sink?

[btree]

Allure, did you see Salar's post about the gear he has on special at his shop - the lines he mentions should give you some serious clues about what to use.

I've been told to use long leaders, and since I've fished chronies lots, I thought that a 20 footer would be about right...but I don't think you need to go that long. Ive been told that 12-15ft will be fine. Poly tips seem to also be recommended since they land a lot softer and roll out nicer than some other tips you can get.

Imagine trying to cast a 20 ft leader into the wind.....

[EricNotTheRed]

Thanks for the input. I decided on the Airflo Depthfinder in a 300 grain, which I've spooled up on my 9wt.

Cheers!

[stevil]

I've never fished a leader longer than 9 feet for Coho, and have had great success. I believe you'd be way better off to keep it a manageable length, and not comprimise the strength of your leader with wind knots. Maybe I spook some fish, but spend less time re-tying and more time fishing.

[EricNotTheRed]

I've read that coho are not leader shy, and around an 8ft leader or even shorter is sufficient. Apparently they are very aggressive in the salt when staging.

I'll probably start around 8ft and go from there.

Cheers

[robin]

I start with a commercial off the shelf 9' 1X leader and add 8 pound tippet as necessary when changing flies. So always fishing about 8 to 10 of leader and tippet.
-r

[ggp]

I prefer to attach a couple of feet of 30 lb. butt section to the fly line, then add a nine foot tapered leader of 12 lb. to which I will add a section of 10 lb. and lastly 8 lb. tippet. So I will end up with somewhere between 12 to 15 ft. of leader, sometimes even longer. My preference when fishing salmon is to walk the beach and cast to any fish I may see, or when the Coho show up, use my 12' aluminum boat, search fish out then anchor and cast. I would agree that there are times when short leaders are advantageous, however when casting to fish that are in relatively shallow water it has been my experience that long leaders work better....Long leaders are really not that hard to cast, it just takes a little time, practice and patience, and in my opinion well worth the effort.