Top Alaska Coho Flies

[MaribuMonkey]

I'm heading to Southeast Alaska this fall for a fly fishing adventure targeting primarily Coho. What are your top 5 coho flies for river/stream fishing in Alaska. I need to start tying the 300 flies I will need for the week.

-Mark

[JDarr]

I love the enthusiasm, but I guide in AK all summer and I've been doing it for the last couple years and I dont think I've ever used anywhere near 300 flies for silvers. Honestly, we'll catch with 2 clients 30-60 slivers a day on flies and I dont think I've had to tie more than about 10 flies for 2 guys for the week. They do get banged up a little, but I tie everything with kevlar thread and use good hooks that I can resharpen a few times and wing 'em back out there. As far as what to use I wish I had some pictures but, think big, flashy, pink, red, fucia, and white combos with a ton of maribou over long bunny strips. Definately dont get skimpy with the flash. My silver flies look like a cross between a road flair and a disco ball. Shoot me a PM for more details if you're interested. Good Luck on your trip, Your gonna love it. :smash:
JD

[redfish89]

egg sucking leach...

[D3smartie]

eggsuckers for sure
pollywogs for surface action
popcicles

like JD said. You shouldnt need anywhere close to 300. if you tie a quality fly out of good materials it should hold up quite well. Its not like you have to be rolling bottom in most cases where you are going to loose flies either. Also any sort of flash fly will usually do well.
I like rabbit strips because they hold up so well.

[MaribuMonkey]

This location that we go has rivers that are filled with volcanic rock (we are on an Island) rather than nice cobble, so I lose a lot of flies. 300 flies may be a little much but over the weeks time I lose a ton of flies. My flies contain heavy hooks, monocord and generous amounts of super glue, especially for bar bell eyes. These rivers are filled with Pinks and Chum as well so we catch ~75 fish/day, with ~8 of them being silvers.

What is really odd about this location is the big and/or flashy flies tend not to work very well. The best producing patterns were sparse and darker patterns, like size 8 steelhead patterns. A fisherman we met on the river has been coming there for 10 years in a row and he fishes a size 10, sparse, forest green pattern for Coho. Any thoughts why that is?

[NWaddict]

At the risk of sounding too cynical, I dont think Alaska coho care what your fly looks like for the most part.

I've been the guiding in SW for the last couple of years and most of the fish we target could care less if your crystal bugger has feathers hanging off of it or just the lead underwrap, no joke.

Now, if the water you are fishing is off color, definatley fish hi-vis colors like white and chartreuse, but even then I really believe if you get anything w/in the vision of an agressive AK coho they will probably chase it no matter what color it is. We've had coho chase twigs tied on a hook up there.

I would say tie up whatever you like to fish/feel-confident-fishing and go from there. The most important consideration is having differently weighted flies and sinking lines that will get you to where the fish are. Wild AK coho are not that picky.

-Dom

[JDarr]

At the risk of sounding too cynical, I dont think Alaska coho care what your fly looks like for the most part.

:yeahthat: If it looks trashed the fish will just think it looks wounded:D

[mgdfly]

One of the "HOT" flies for silvers the last couple of years is the "SPANKER". Pretty simple to tie: Maribou and/or Flashabou for the tail, and Cactus chenille for the body. DONE! I've tied hundreds for guys headed up North, and all the ask for is more, mostly in Chartruse, Hot Pink,and Hot or florescent Orange,or a cmbination. You can tie them with Coneheads, but lead is cheaper if you're losing a lot! good luck!

[Mojo]

What is really odd about this location is the big and/or flashy flies tend not to work very well. The best producing patterns were sparse and darker patterns, like size 8 steelhead patterns. A fisherman we met on the river has been coming there for 10 years in a row and he fishes a size 10, sparse, forest green pattern for Coho. Any thoughts why that is?

Where I fish in BC it is the same way (subtle for silvers). Here is my list...

1) Bunny Leeches. Fast to tie, you can weight the crap out of them with cone heads or dumbell eyes and lead wraps if needed, and they work very well. Cherise, Black, Purple, adn Blue are my top producers.
2) Rolled Muddler Minnows in natural, green, and blue work great. Basically a sparse muddler, with a very trimmed down head. Some guys don't even spin on a head.
3) Bucktail Streamer (weighted) with a dubbed body. You pick the color. I go drab in tan, green, and blue.
4) Egg sucking leech in black and purple. Obviously a hot pink "egg" head.
5) Green Butt Skunk. Don't laugh it works!

If you have any frog water around, fish a big pink Wog, and try a big purple or black Wog as well. Nothing cooler than a big silver slashing a Wog on the surface. Sometimes the Chums go for it as well.

[where's your bobber dude]

tungsten head bunny leeches!

[duck_crazy101]

egg sucking leeches and wolly buggers the other flys i use are my own creations pm me if you want to know how to tie some flys the work :twocents: where are you going in ak if you can give me the name of the river then i will know what you need

[MagicMaurice]

egg patterns