River-bound salmon are often generalized as non feeders that are impossible to entice. This is not necessarily the case. True, their stomach cavity shrinks to make room for roe or sperm sacs, but they will still aggressively bite due to territorial behaviours.

When salmon spawning takes place, the river becomes a buffet-style feast for other species in the water. Cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, bull trout, dolly varden and various minnow species feed on salmon eggs deposited in redds. To protect their offspring, salmon will bite these smaller fish species as a defense mechanism.

Metal fishermen who take advantage of this behaviour are usually rewarded with a few big aggressive coho salmon on the end of their line. Grabbing their attention is not so easy, one has to figure out the right lure colour and size, swimming depth and speed. Once these components are mastered, you will succeed.

Typical spoon patterns employed include Gibbs Croc, Ironhead and Koho, Blue Fox Pixee, and Luhr Jensen Krocodile. Colours that have been proven to be deadly include blue, orange, pink, green and purple. When water clarity is low, choose a dark coloured spoon. When water appears to be clear, a brightly coloured spoon rarely disappoints. Spoon size depends on the depth and flow speed of your run or pool. Generally, your tackle box should contain lures that range between 1/4oz and 3/4oz.

Do not neglect spinners. A spinner can stir up an underwater party as its blade vibrates during the retrieve. That vibration is usually sensed by the lateral line of a fish, therefore it can be very effective under low visibility condition. Spinners allow an angler to slow down the retrieve because the blade creates a tremendous amount of drag at the same time. When the blade stops rotating (often felt as the line slacks), set the hook immediately!

Quite often there will be many spawners, or older fish, "hugging" onto the river bed in still waters. To avoid foul hooking these fish, downsize your lure or retrieve at a higher speed to raise your lure's swimming depth. Freshly arrived fish will not hesitate to chase down an attractive spoon or spinner. Many times a coho will follow the lure for a long time before striking, so pay close attention until the end of the retrieve.

When fishing a medium flowing run, cast your spoon upstream of you to allow the lure to sink to the depth desired. Start your retrieve when it begins to drift downstream of you. Slow your retrieve down if the lure is pushed up by the current.

Spincasting allows you to be mobile. You have the ability to effectively cover a lot of water during each outing. Normally, whether a piece of water will produce can be tested by a spoon within ten casts. Undisturbed fish will readily chase down a foreign object that swims by their field of view. Give it a try, you will be pleasantly surprised!