Coho Fly Patterns
I've been tying a lot of salmon flies over the past couple days. And am just curious as to what some of your favorite coho flies are.

I already have a bunch of Christmas Trees, Silver Thorns, Silver Thorns Dressed, Mickey Finns, and Rolled Muddlers. What else should I consider adding?

How about something called a Yehti?

I saw this pattern in Fly Tyer a few years back and changed it a bit to suit. It's worked for coho and pinks:

Hook: Size #8 3xl
thread: white
tag: silver tinsel
Butt: florescent green floss
Tail: Sparse white spooled antron as long as the hook shank
Body: pearl angel hair or light bright or anything
similar
Hackle: teal well marked, spider style
Eyes: jungle cock.

I haven't used it much but when I have I've caught fish on it.


you should also have some Mickey Finns - they're indepensible in the fall. Tied from Partridge SLF hanks they look teriffic.

Mike, The best all around coho fly that I know of is a Christmas Tree.
A another one of my favorites though is a pattern that was shown to me this year by one of the many Fraser Valley guides,is is very effective on coho and cutties.
To tie it use ,red hackle for the tail,Silver tinsel body,natural mallard flank and Flashyboo for the wing,and red hakle for the throat.It's very simple to tie and also very effective for coho on the fly

Mickey Finns have been a great producer of Coho(jacks and adults)for me, this year and last(1999). I have been using an Olive Green Sparkle Woolley Bugger, recently, and it has been out producing everthing else. (including Mickey Finns)It seems, early in the Coho season, the Mickey Finn, produces well, but, as the season progresses, the Olive Sparkle Bugger kicks it's ass.But, it's different for every angler, I have also caught lots of Coho on an Olive Green Rabbit Strip Leech, of all things! Coho love trout flies. A few days ago I nailed a nice, wild 8 lbs chrome Coho buck on that particular pattern. I have never tried a Christmas Tree, but I know Felix knows what he's talking about, so, I must try one. Dave

Here is a pattern I adapted from a fly old Roger Turner used to tie, it is also similar to a Fall Favorite.

Sandman's Pearl

HOOK: #6 Mustad Salmon hook
THREAD: Orange
UNDERWRAP: Wire or dental floss
TAIL: Red hackle
BODY: Braided pearl
WINGS: Dyed orange polar bear
HACKLE: Red hackle

For specific instructions on tying this pattern see the entry in this topic area under "Fly Patterns".

I Forgot to mention a another effective fly pattern for coho It's called the KCK . Although I have only caught a few on this pattern this year it's still worth having a couple in your fly box.

TO TIE:

Tail: Red Hackle Fibers
Body: Gold Olive,Green,yellow,red,Plastic chenile.
Wing: Natural Mallardflank and crystalflash.
Throat: Red hackle fibers
Optinal:Strip off the tail and the throat.

Freshwater. Bead head articulated leach in chartruese/blue, red/blue, yellow/pink. Works great jig it along the bottom and fill the freezer.

Saltwater. Needle Fish (tube) Surround 1/2" tube with fishair (sparse), surround tube again with pearl krystal flash (sparse), top of tube chartruese fishair, top chartruese with ~10 strands of krystal flash in either purple/black/red/green (color of choice). Form a nice neat head and epoxy with metalic eyes. I very the sizes from 3-6 inches. Works great off the beach or out of a boat.

Mike: try tying some softer more alive patterns with marabou type materials. Sometimes a stick, just doesn't seem to get them. but then sometimes it does. I tend to mix alot of soft hackled feathers with the bucktail type materials (my preference I guess).

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