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Angling Publications - Index

Angling Publications - april2008 - Index

38
Female chums lay anywhere from 2,000
to 4,000 eggs each, and depending on where
they are hatched, these fry either immediately
head out to the ocean or spend a few
months in the river.
Tactics
Chums tend to travel in schools, though
these schools very greatly in size; little pods
of as few as 30 fish, to schools as large as a
football field. You’ll find chums resting near
sand bars if caught by a dropping tide, or you
may find them pulled in below a break in the
river to stage while waiting to go upstream.
Don’t bother looking for chums in deep
pools or areas that are sometimes referred to
as “frog water.” These areas hold pike and
resting silvers, but chums like the openness
of moving water and are not likely to be
found where anglers look for other species of
salmon to hole up.
Once you’ve located a school of chums,
cast your fly slightly upstream and wait for
the current to do most of the work. If drifting
your fly down and across doesn’t get a
response, change tactics to something you
feel more comfortable with. I’ve gone after
chums using some of the same tactics that
I use for smallmouth bass. Some anglers
even use popping bugs with success. The
important thing is to take your time and
determine how your school wants its flies
presented.
Don’t wade too far out to chums. The
farther into the river you wade, the farther
you’ll push the fish from you. After all, chums
are aggressive, not stupid. If you find yourself
waist-deep in the water, back up—you’ve
probably gone too far.
I’ve found that chums often take flies
on the swing, so sometimes a small bump
will be followed by a shoulder-rattling jolt.
Set the hook firmly once you have a strike,
and don’t be afraid to set the hook a second
time. Spawning chums develop bony jaws
with big kypes, and can be hard to hook.
Once you feel the hook is set, don’t try to
force the fish to do anything, or you’re likely
to break him off.
Chum Gear
A fairly wide range of rods is appropriate
for chum fishing, depending on the size fish
you’re angling over. If limited to only one rod,
I would probably choose an 8-weight, which
won’t overpower smaller chums, but has the
beef to turn larger fish. A note of caution: If
you do hook a large chum, you’ll never need
to be reminded again to keep your knuckles
clear of the reel crank.
Because chums tend to stick to fairly
shallow water, weight-forward floating lines
are the best choice. I use Airflo’s Polyfuse
series because it can withstand the abuse
these fish dish out, and because of its high
floating characteristics. Check your line and
leader frequently. Spawning chums develop