What to do? I hear Bronte Creek is having a good coho run this year...so that was naturally the best plan to spend 6 hours
This species called coho salmon has been evading me ever since I started fishing rivers for salmon (probably for the past 10 years). I have fished pretty much different time of the fall, different creeks and rivers, fish out of stinger's boat, went to BC to the Kitimat and Capilano Rivers...and yet, I remained coho-less. Capilano was the closest chance since I hooked and lost one
This year at Bowmanville (when I went with my dad), I saw 3 cohos...and that was the closest I got to having a chance at them in Ontario.
So I was in shock when I arrived at Bronte this afternoon and found one pool filled with cohos. There were probably 30 coho in the pool, with only one chinook, one steelhead and one nice brown. My chance of getting my first coho just looked so much better today.
Unfortunately, I was challenged with 1) sunny conditions 2) low, clear water 3) minimal flow 4) lots of people. So needless to say, the fish were only holding and not in the mood to hit.
I got there at 11am and by 3pm, I had only snagged two coho and had another coho ran into my line. All three were pulled off (even though I was pretty desperate to get my first coho...it just wasn't right
) The one that ran into my line actually jumped and landed next to my line, then somehow got itself hooked in the dorsal fin 
By 3pm, I almost gave up. Knowing I have only 1 more hour to go, I kept drifting my float rig with 2' of fluorocarbon and a small roe bag. I had tried my own flies earlier without success...
On one fateful cast, my float had just landed when someone went for a hookset. The person's rig went flying into the air and it snagged into the branches above. As I was watching the person's attempt to free his rig, I almost had my rod ripped out of my hand! 8O
I looked for my float...which by this time, it was on the other side of the creek and running fast upstream. I didn't even have time to yell FISH ON before the fish ran into someone's line. As much as I could see I had a coho on my line, I was worried about having someone's line attached to my line while I try to fight this fish. Luckily, the person worked fast to free our lines (much thanks to him!
) and now I can fight my fish better.
This fish didn't look to be snagged. As I fought it, I was able to lead it away from logs and the upstream riffles. The fight was amazing for the size of the fish. No wonder people love cohos! I even took air a couple of times! 8O When it jumped, I got a confirmation that it was hooked in the mouth somewhere.
Finally, I had the fish in hand after several attemps to beach it. Just when I thought the battle was over, the fish had a last kick and managed to kicked off from my grip (even when I was using my landing glove)
So it was another 5 min before I had the fish beached. This time, I fully beached the fish and placed it 10 feet away from shore
And at my feet is one of the most beautiful fish in my life...
Just to make sure with myself that is really is a coho...
What a beaut!
The fish looks like a male eh? With that kype?
But it was actually a female. After the last pic, I saw roe on my waders...and I was totally surprised! 8O Just to show you never know for sure
This fish was hooked on the corner of the mouth but from the outside. It must have ran into my line instead of hitting my roe bag (hence almost pulled the rod out of my hand...). So...as much as it was my first coho...it just doesn't have that full satisfaction and validity yet.
After that fish, I stayed for another 40 min and didn't have another bump.
That's okay...because I landed my first coho today.
