It was a late afternoon setting on Vincent Spit on the Harrison River. Chum salmon were breaching all around the spit but no takers. My offerings had been not-so-politely declined. What to do? I took out a gold bodied, gold bead head muddler fly, about a #10 hook size. Small fly, big salmon. Hmmm. I cast to the usual spot where they definitely were. I retrieved. Some resisitance. A definite pull back! A few seconds later, the fight is on! For the next 15 minutes a 25 pound chum is in charge and I just react to the circumstances. I land and release him. Thanks for the fun! Next cast…the same scenario. After 45 minutes supper time has passed. No more action.
It was the right time of the year! Sea runs are rather unpredictable but they are in the Harrison looking for salmon fry in the early part of the New Year. I anchored in some nice current where the Harrison meets the Fraser, close to shore. Up river, some nice-sized fish were ravaging schools of fry near the surface. The spashes got closer to my boat. I waited. I had a muddler pattern tied to a 14 foot 5-pound leader attached to a #2 sink clear tip, fused to a floating line. The fly would be about a foot under the surface after I cast.
They were splashing closer to shore but along side and just down river of the boat. One 45 degree cast to shore and a little down river. Let it float and sink a bit. Strip hard with 2 foot strokes! Wham! These fish fight like small coho!
I tried a slow retrieve. Nothing! Cast again. Back to a hard strip retrieve. A hit! and another fish to the boat!
