Silvers still eating poppers on the coast. Really. No foolin’.

fly fishing for silver salmon

Coho salmon fly fishing on the oregon coast

Coho salmon fly fishing on the oregon coast

October 21, 2011. Think popper fishing for salmon in Oregon is over for the season? Nope. Think that it is only in T-Bay where Silver salmon (coho) eat poppers? Nope again. Eight days fishing poppers this season so far. Fish boiled every day. Sometimes a few. Some days so many that counting is silly. Not every coho eats the popper, but it is such an adrenaline rush that it doesn’t really matter.

Fast strip. Wind. Hard focused work. Exciting. Not easy. This is the most demanding, most exhausting fly fishing I have ever experienced. More casts, faster retrieves, more line cuts, swollen tendons and knuckles. White, red, yellow and black, red and black, green, green and black, orange and black. and (fill in the color preference here) foam bodies in the River Road Creations Foam Cylinders (7/16″ and 1/2″) cut with the Salt water Gary Krebs Popper Jig Set have been on he menu so far.

Think this fishing is hot? Sometimes two chrome silvers will follow and boil on the same retrieve. Expect to make a hundred casts for every boil. Expect 3-4 explosive boils per take. Expect to be surprised as all get out when they chomp your fly. Yes, I call these a fly. So there. The fresh fish are still coming in, mixed with Kings, and those are the fish I am determined to bring up to a popper, eventually anyway. No retention on the silvers, but a lot of fun and think Kings please please please.

Jay Nicholas October 21, 2011

Here’s the scoop on the tackle I have been fishing…
Echo 3 SW 7 wt.
Airflo Tactical Stelhead 5 wt. (no tip)
Airflo Ridged Running line
10# Maxima Ultragreen leader

Coho salmon fly fishing on the oregon coast

Coho salmon fly fishing on the oregon coast

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8 Responses to Silvers still eating poppers on the coast. Really. No foolin’.

  1. mike doughty says:

    looks like a blast!

  2. Nuchal rouge says:

    So how do you floss them on a popper? Just kidding. Keep it up and I bet you get a King on a popper someday.

  3. Ignorant fisherman says:

    Nice blog…nice pics.
    I’m glad to find someone else is blogging about their fishing trips.

  4. Oregon Fly Fishing Blog says:

    Blast? That is what the coho do to your popper. Floss? I prefer the mint flavor because it slides between the jaws better and gets those pesky anchovy bits out of the fish’s mouth. King salmon on a popper? In Oregon? Gosh I sure hope so. I am trying. Sometimes, very trying. JN

  5. Dr Dave says:

    Really ? you guys will do anything to sell poppers 🙂 Back in town today will try monday ><<

  6. Matt Eifler says:

    Fish are not snobs. Fishermen are. Nice post. Good to see some varied techniques bring some nice ones to hand. And as always, nice writing, Jay.

  7. Paul says:

    As per the usual, so cool. These posts get me through!

  8. Christopher says:

    do they eat poppers upriver too or just in the tide waters?

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