posted 08-02- 09:16 AM AkDT (US)
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Contender,
"Lining" Reds is the most productive method of hooking and catching them legally. Some time of sparsely tied fly is tied to a leader or directly to monofilament line. A sinker is attached 18" or more above the fly. The sinker should weigh enough so that it bounces along the bottom.
If Reds are present and the current is strong enough to keep them moving upstream without milling, then as the leader or line passes through the fish it will often pass through their open mouths. The line will then slide through their mouths and the hook will set inside their mouths. This "type of strike" is often not a strong one and one has to learn to feel the right time to set the hook.
It took me many years to figure out what was happening. I remember thinking that the fishing always got better when my fly got battered up for some reason. I also used to think that Reds were sure nice because, unlike Kings & Silvers, you didn't have to get up early in the morning for the best fishing. (grin)
However, there are exceptions to the general rule that Reds will not strike a lure. I have caught them using a jet diver & eggs on the Kenai and have even caught them using a Mepps spinner. However, I would not attempt to catch a limit using such methods.
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Fishhead5
It is not illegal to deplete a fishery by management.
They need to limit Democrats to two terms, one in office, and one in prison.