Duane Stremlau and I arrived at the river a little after noon and were met by our friend Lou Jirikowic. “You’re in luck,” he told us, the salmon are coming in heavy.” And so they were. There were older fish there, too; ones that had run in the week before. But as we stood fishing, fresh-run salmon buzzed past on their way upstream. And even though the water was a bit turbid, we could still make out their gargantuan proportions in all but the deepest pools.

We started by the willows, a section that we fished often and knew well, and we weren’t disappointed. There were tails waving everywhere in the shallows, and the sounds of thrashing fish echoed up and down the watercourse. Many anglers, when confronted with this many fish, tend to “flock shoot,” aiming their cast at the pods and not at individuals. Two things generally happen. (1) They snag the fish because the fly is swinging through a mass of swimming and fighting fish bodies. (2) They don’t catch any fish. One must target a specific fish and work it until there’s certainly that the fish is not interested or until there’s a take. I nominally allow ten casts. If there’s no take, I target another fish.

For these big kings of the Lakes States, I’ve found that two colors consistently take them: something whitish and something blackish. I often use the Bullhead Silver Leech and Black Collared Leech. I usually dress the black flies with a little green, purple, or blue tinsel mixed into the collar. The kings also take an Oregon-Cheese-colored egg fly very well. So rather than trade off fly after fly, I’ll rig up a strip fly and hang an egg behind it: Bacon and Eggs.

Day one ended at 6pm with 16 fish hooked and 10 landed between Duane and me. The count was almost evenly split between those that took the Bullhead Solver Leech and those that took the trailing egg. The rig goes something like this: 6 feet of leader down to 0X and then a 3mm leader ring. The top fly (in this case the Bullhead Silver Leech) is hung about a foot below the ring on 0X. The tag end of the OX is allowed to hang out about 4 inches and is knotted at its terminal end. One or more size B shot are clamped to this short dropper n(current speed and water depth dictating the number of shot). The egg is tied to the hook bend of the Leech using about 15 inches of 0X.

The flies are fished down and across whenever possible with only the very slightest movement. Typically I try to find several males together that have been sparing a bit and have a high testosterone level. One is almost certain to be so upset that it will slam the leech. Or, if I can find a female that is cutting a redd, it’s possible she will grab the egg. Then, too, I’ve had single fish whip out and grab the fly, too. The best rule of thumb is that there is no rule of thumb. Just go for it, but target individual fish, and make every cast as accurately as you can. I frequently cast well above a fish and too long, pull the fly back until it’s right in the fish’s drift lane, and then drop the rod tip and allow the Bacon and Eggs to drift in, ready to eat.

First fish of the trip.

Duane's first king of the trip

I don't eat bacon, but I'll take that egg.