Howdy guys. I am hoping to get a few shots at a silver on a fly rod this year and have never really chased them with the bug rod, or anything other than spinners for that matter. A few folks have told me to stick with a clouser in green/white or blue/white. What is your favorite fly, or combo or flies for silvers in the fresh water?

Also, how do you typically fish them? Swung deep, twitched, stripped fast/slow?

Thanks!

be carefull with how you fish with the fly-rod because i see alot of guys that use them as a very effective way to floss, but i have seen a guy get them to bite a blue clouser-like fly.

I hear ya on the flossing thing. I have seen that in action a few times as well and don't endorse it at all. If I can't get a fish to bite, I don't want to catch it.

I had one on a blue clouser on the Stilly yesterday, but lost it after a little bit of aerial action. Good fun and encouraging to get a grab on my first time trying for silvers with a fly.

I've never heard the term "tackle" associated with flyfishing. Can some of you highbrows help me out here? Tackle is associated with terminal gear rather than fly gear aint it?

Sorry. I thought "tackle and technique" was catchy I was looking for recommendations on flies that might catch a silver. I guess I have always thought of "tackle" as a general term for stuff to get the job done.

Tackle is tackle whether in be fly tackle, gear tackle, climbing tackle, or block and tackle. Sheesh.

I managed to land 28" Silver on the Cascade last Saturday. There were quite a few fish in the river and quite a few people fishing. Saw one on the bank when I got there and there were a about 15 people fishing at the mouth. A friend and I went down river to get away from the crowds. I spent about an hour and a half trying different patterns, sizes, and colors to coax a silver onto my line. The only thing that ended up paying off was persistence. After about a dozen humpies I finally hooked into a nice silver. I think the best part was that it was in front of a lot of egg chucker’s. The fight was great and turned a lot of heads and smiles. Only bad thing was a typical white trash gear head decided to cross the river towards me while I was playing the fish to stand where I was when I hooked it. What a tard. I asked him not cross right then and then a couple of guys on his side gave him a verbal licking for even thinking about it. Anyway, I caught it on a small pink fly with lead eyes called a humpy chaser and was dead drifting in moderate current where the fish were holding. The take was obvious as my finger has a nice abrasion on it where I was not paying attention and holding my line. I tried clousers, comets, egg patterns, and a couple marabou patterns in pink, green, white, and blue. My suggestion is to try as much stuff as possible. Silvers can be picky and unpredictable when in the rivers.

chartruese is usually a good bet for a silver. I like knudson's spiders in pink or chart.
also the usual agg sucking leaches and comets are a good bet.

I have never tied one. When you speak of color, are you talking about changing the body color and leaving the hackle the same. I found a picture of it here: http://www.angelfire.com/wa/salmonid/fly136.html
What sizes? 4's and 6's?

I tie mine on a #4 saltwater hook. usually mustad 34007.
mallard hackle tail. Chartruese body and mallard hackle on the front.

Coho Candy: 3/4" silver tinsel tail, pink or chartreuse chenille body, nickel dumbell eyes -simple & effective. Strip fast.

I had a guy tell me one time that "some guys use their favorite lure/fly and the guys that catch fish use what the fish actually eat"!!!!!!!!

WK,

And your point is . . . ?

Those of us who fly fish for salmon aren't doing so because we need to catch one, or prove anything to anybody. Sometimes I fly fish for silvers because of the satisfaction I get from trying to catch one on a lure it would never eat, but exploits a behavioral quirk of the fish. If I'm hungry and feel like I need a fish, I have other options.

Sg