Trolling and Casting Flies for Salmon

My favorite flies for bucktailing are Radiant flies. Witch doctor, Ginger jake, greenhornet and autum leaf with a Cowichan spinner in front.
 
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Nice attention to detail on the heads...
 
Polar bear is the best, at least for coho in the Strait. Back 30 or so years ago, before it was illegal to bring polar bear hair into the US, we used to get flies in Vancouver with little stinger trebles, they were absolute killers.
A friend here in WA tied me a few with some hair that was given to his dad back in the 1930's!
 
Good post! Brings back fond memories of the satisfaction of tying your own bucktails. As mentioned earlier, I also tyed my bucktails with a copper blade and generally my success although limited was with purple and white Polar Bear with a stinger. Third rod off the wake with a 3 oz weight, Campbell River along the kelp beds at Big Rock. Unreal experience. Would send pictures but in the day digital cameras didn't exist.How things have changed.
 
Have you ever rowed the Tyee Pool?? It's on my bucket list, but I'd better hurry---am 76!! My best fishing experience was in 1986, the year of the 1986 World Fair in Vancouver, we flew to Port Hardy and took a Beaver to Langara Lodge, in the first year of its operation. There were only 3 guests---me, the wife, and Tony Pletcher, who was an official in BC Fisheries (he took the pics of the salmon for the regs brochure). He taught me how to mooch with 12# leaders and big rubber snubber. He put a little dab of epoxy on the hook at the eye gap to eliminate possible wear.. We caught tyee from 30 to 42#. And only $2200 for wife and me for 4 days!! NOw it's 4-5 thou for 4 days...here's me back in the day, with a 35 and 42 kings, and the cute little 15ft boats at the lodge, whgicg was actually a barge. 4 staff, 3 guests, and a Belgian chef who made superb food for us.segosego 3004.jpg
 
Have you ever rowed the Tyee Pool?? It's on my bucket list, but I'd better hurry---am 76!! My best fishing experience was in 1986, the year of the 1986 World Fair in Vancouver, we flew to Port Hardy and took a Beaver to Langara Lodge, in the first year of its operation. There were only 3 guests---me, the wife, and Tony Pletcher, who was an official in BC Fisheries (he took the pics of the salmon for the regs brochure). He taught me how to mooch with 12# leaders and big rubber snubber. He put a little dab of epoxy on the hook at the eye gap to eliminate possible wear.. We caught tyee from 30 to 42#. And only $2200 for wife and me for 4 days!! NOw it's 4-5 thou for 4 days...here's me back in the day, with a 35 and 42 kings, and the cute little 15ft boats at the lodge, whgicg was actually a barge. 4 staff, 3 guests, and a Belgian chef who made superb food for us.View attachment 42867
Yes, did row the Tyee Pool but with little success for the big one. Great experience though but again that was over 40 years ago and have not been back since CR was no longer the Salmon Capital of the World. Things I understand have improved though.
 
Polar bear is the best, at least for coho in the Strait. Back 30 or so years ago, before it was illegal to bring polar bear hair into the US, we used to get flies in Vancouver with little stinger trebles, they were absolute killers.
A friend here in WA tied me a few with some hair that was given to his dad back in the 1930's!

I like the polar as well but it’s getting hard to find in decent lengths , the one bucktail you asked about prior my buddy hooked into a 9lb rainbow with that hook on Tuesday.....as much as I liking catching them it’s just as cool to have buddies doing well with em....
 
I remember fishing hand tied Loyd Peters coho flies behind a Abe and Al #1 flasher for king salmon. It used to be a killer. I would assume it still is.
 
image.png These flies are very popular on the Great Lakes for Chinook. I have used them with good success for coho, especially the reverse tied version.
 
I like to buck tail and cast flies for salmon of the west coast of VI. I was wondering if any of the other members did and would share their patterns.


Are you guys using lines with integrated sink tips while casting those big buck tails for salmon or are you running a floating line with a poly leader on the end? If using and integrated sink tip, how fast a rate does it sink?
 
Are you guys using lines with integrated sink tips while casting those big buck tails for salmon or are you running a floating line with a poly leader on the end? If using and integrated sink tip, how fast a rate does it sink?
I”ve used a dry line with a 12’ leader for years, running the bucktail right in the prop wash. Such a short line it doesn’t really matter what flyline you use. Dry line is easy to manage. Bucktail runs just under the surface with a silver Colorado blade. Works great when you’re on the fish.
 
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