Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => Fly Fishing Cafe => Topic started by: koifish on October 07, 2014, 10:06:07 AM

Title: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: koifish on October 07, 2014, 10:06:07 AM
Any one catch a coho on  a muddler minnow around this time of the year?         I read up its a good way to catch coho on the vedder but  want to know your opinion?
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: mcallagan on October 07, 2014, 01:13:55 PM
Not really a Muddler Minnow but I have had good experiences with Rolled Muddlers on the Harrison.
Close to the same fly but without the wings.
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: colin6101 on October 07, 2014, 08:21:33 PM
Yup, have caught quite a few on various muddler patterns.
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: HOOK on October 07, 2014, 09:06:19 PM
Rolled muddlers and xmas trees are in my top rotation  ;)
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: clarkii on October 07, 2014, 09:32:30 PM
If it works for cutties it should work for coho.

That being said I've only caught one coho, and it was on an intruder in mid-december....
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: A Frayed Knot on October 08, 2014, 01:29:32 PM
Only Rolled Muddlers myself. Mostly a Rolled Mickey Muddler pattern, I think thats what it was called. It's got a bit of a yellow sorta wing in it.
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: RalphH on October 08, 2014, 04:12:28 PM
Most people in the Fv use a rolled muddler. Color variations are also good - gold with wood duck wing, chartreuse, blue as well as the standard silver with pearl or grey mallard. Tie them larger than for cutthroat - #6 & #8 and sparse. A sparse muddler or marabou muddler would likely be as effective.
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: HOOK on October 08, 2014, 07:13:09 PM
Most people in the Fv use a rolled muddler. Color variations are also good - gold with wood duck wing, chartreuse, blue as well as the standard silver with pearl or grey mallard. Tie them larger than for cutthroat - #6 & #8 and sparse. A sparse muddler or marabou muddler would likely be as effective.

I tie the standard deer hair type and then I do them with a rabbit wing in place of the mallard. Its great for when there is a bit of color in the water, trick is to still make the wing quite short so the hair itself is the same length as the hook. I think the bit of hide is maybe 1/4" in length
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: koifish on October 08, 2014, 08:03:40 PM
Thanks for the help!  But I had the most luck on Micky Finns for cohos and springs I even had a steelie on it. but the hooks I used where to small they kept getting bent when I got a fish on so it kept escaping. I found a perfect honey spot on the vedder last year it's by the KW bridge but not underneath the bridge you have to walk in the water not to far little less then knee   deep but I wouldn't do that again I got scared almost tripped. I was watching a guy fish there with roe and within 5 mins he and his buddy had1 coho each so next day I went there  I had like 4 cohos on seen them jump and a spring
This  is from last year so don't get excited guys :D
Tight lines guys!
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: RalphH on October 11, 2014, 04:47:17 PM
I found a perfect honey spot on the vedder last year it's by the KW bridge but not underneath the bridge you have to walk in the water not to far little less then knee   deep but I wouldn't do that again I got scared almost tripped. I was watching a guy fish there with roe and within 5 mins he and his buddy had1 coho each so next day I went there  I had like 4 cohos on seen them jump and a spring
This  is from last year so don't get excited guys :D
Tight lines guys!

next time can you put a sign on the bank in that spot so I can find it next time I'm up there?  :o
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: RalphH on October 11, 2014, 04:48:06 PM
I tie the standard deer hair type and then I do them with a rabbit wing in place of the mallard. Its great for when there is a bit of color in the water, trick is to still make the wing quite short so the hair itself is the same length as the hook. I think the bit of hide is maybe 1/4" in length

marabou works well for coho - it's one reason lots of people use and recommend a wooly bugger.
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: koifish on October 11, 2014, 11:59:59 PM
What about pink wolly buggers? I got only pink
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: A Frayed Knot on October 13, 2014, 11:21:20 AM
Not sure but you can always change the color on the buggers, with food coloring, or easter egg dye if you got any kicking around (if you have kids), which actually now that I think about it, is probably the same thing.  ::)

Anyway, depending on how "pink" they are, you'd simply just soak them in a darker dye for a period of time. You can't make primary colors. But you could probably get something close to brown by dying it (since white + red = pink) you can only really go darker. Best best a black.

Kind of a unique/cheap way to solve the problem I think, also you can mess with white already tied flies and get some interesting patterns from dying flies.
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: RalphH on October 13, 2014, 02:42:06 PM
I've never caught a coho on a pink fly of any pattern. Dying a fly already tied may not work - most artificial materials won't take dye plus any dye applied has to be set. Microwave or vinegar solutions are the usual method. Don't put fish hooks in the microwave!
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: A Frayed Knot on October 13, 2014, 03:22:24 PM
You don't need to microwave it just needs to be heated but there are solutions that will allow for applying dies to any materials. Most synthetics will take dyes rather well, with some of my Maribou jigs, I've had great success obviously because of the nature of materials but for the tougher stuff like some wooly buggers that which usually contain Maribou, Chenille and the Saddle Hackle, as well as the wire.

Anyway there are a couple easy, safe ways to do it. Also don't plan to re dye the same fly all the time, you'll cause the materials deteriorate.

1) Rit is a great product.
2) KoolAid (which is why I've stopped drinking it, but then again as a kid who knew better?!)
3) Acid Dyes (Dharma Acid Dyes)

#1 Rit is pretty nice. Its about $4 a bottle which should last you forever, because its not like you are dying all the time.
#2 Is fairly obvious, if you got kids you'll probably have it around. But its only about $0.20 in the grocer? Trouble is you won't get much of a color selection.
#3 only requires hot water, its not gonna harm already tied flies. I have had access to this product via friends but you can order it and probably pick it up at walmart I am sure or any fabric place.

That or keep it simple and just buy more flies :P

You shouldn't have an issue with fading either, make sure you give it some reasonable time to dry. I usually throw mine above the furnace, for a day or two or till I am satisfied it's set well. you have to experiment a little with it, but its kinda a fun. I came across this when my favorite steelhead fly got hit with black splotches, something I had bled on to the fly and well...yeah >< kinda mad, but now its a show piece anyway, memento to my first steelie ever lol
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: HOOK on October 13, 2014, 04:47:08 PM
I have got coho on a few different pink flies

pink rolled muddlers
pink California Neals
silver body, purple marabou tail, pink rabbit wing - more for dirtier water

just keep in mind that pink doesn't work often but on the days it does it's usually the best producer. Pink has never worked on the Vedder, only north side rivers for me.
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: RalphH on October 13, 2014, 09:47:19 PM
any dyed item has to rinsed several times & very completely or it will leech dye onto any other fly or jig in your box. That makes a hell of a mess, ruins other flies in the box and it's why I don't do much of that myself. Rit is as prone to this as any product though my overall experience is limited. I don't believe plastic and similar chenilles will take dye. Color in such materials is set right into the material when it made. Overall it makes more sense to go to a shop and buy some appropriate flies (if you don't tie your own) rather than to dye the few on hand. For me bead or cone headed olive wooly buggers with plastic or krystal chenille  or UV Ice dub bodies and some flashabou style material in the tail have caught me more coho than all other patterns I have fished combined.
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: clarkii on October 13, 2014, 10:45:00 PM
Don't even need to dye materials to have them bleed...I've had several reds and greens bleed out into my white flies when marabou and rabbit are around.  Especially the reds...
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: A Frayed Knot on October 14, 2014, 12:32:16 AM
I hear ya Clarkii, like I said before its happened to one of my favorite flies, I can't even find anymore nor how to tie it myself it was given to me ><
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: RalphH on October 14, 2014, 06:04:02 AM
yeah even commercially sold tying materials or flies may bleed colours. Reds are the worst in my expereince. It's gotten much better over the last 30 years.
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: clarkii on October 14, 2014, 08:15:51 AM
I hear ya Clarkii, like I said before its happened to one of my favorite flies, I can't even find anymore nor how to tie it myself it was given to me ><

What was the original colour scheme? Further what does it look like?

Question three does it still produce well with the bleed ink?  If so ignore one and two.
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: A Frayed Knot on October 14, 2014, 12:02:46 PM
I took a picture of the fly, I actually haven't used it at all since it that black got a slight bleed to it, I tried making one very similar to the style but it doesn't seem to work nearly as good as the first one did.

(http://i.imgur.com/ePtDE86l.jpg)

The pink one with the big black blotch on it, was the poor soul who got to close to a a couple store bought wooly buggers from Fred's
And the purple and pink one is the one I tried to make myself to see if I could get something close.  But it hasn't worked for me yet or anything ;/
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: ajransom on October 14, 2014, 04:35:51 PM
I took a picture of the fly, I actually haven't used it at all since it that black got a slight bleed to it, I tried making one very similar to the style but it doesn't seem to work nearly as good as the first one did.

(http://i.imgur.com/ePtDE86l.jpg)

The pink one with the big black blotch on it, was the poor soul who got to close to a a couple store bought wooly buggers from Fred's
And the purple and pink one is the one I tried to make myself to see if I could get something close.  But it hasn't worked for me yet or anything ;/



Those look like nice steelhead flies!
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: A Frayed Knot on October 14, 2014, 07:13:08 PM
Thanks!
One of them is a favorite for sure! If I can find a good time to hunt down some steelies, I am gonna give the purple one a shot again see if maybe I have better luck.
As for pink woolies, probably won't be super effective but give them a shot anyway, worse case like I said, if they don't produce nad haven't produced try dying them for fun see what you come up with and give it a try you'd be surprised.
I remember trolling in the ocean w/ the gramps and we had zero luck with our usual herring (dogs kept snatching them up) and hooches did almost nothing so he dug up some yard he used to tie up the rods and tried it, lol... red wool with a red tinted hook and, we did great. Was a great way to salvage the last hour.
Heck, I spent the morning today making some penny lures like I said on some Captain Quinn videos, when trout season rolls around I'll see what kinda damage I can do trolling in Buntzen Lake :P
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: koifish on October 15, 2014, 10:21:23 PM
Hahaha I love captain Quinn!  Those trout are definitely penny pinchers I was making some till I lost the ones I made I found some nice shiny pennys but I got to  find some more
Title: Re: Any one catch coho on a muddler minnow?
Post by: A Frayed Knot on October 15, 2014, 11:46:27 PM
Some of his videos are very inspiring like the "Just Fishing" documentary he did, its only 20 minutes but its enough to make you think.