Home to all five pacific salmon species - king, silver, sockeye, pink, and chum - its no wonder anglers from around the world flock to the 49th state every season to catch them on a fly. Surely, there's no shortage of theories on what fly patterns and colors are best to use for salmon but we figured we'd share AFFG's staff favorite flies for each salmon species to help you decide how to fill your fly box for salmon.
King (Chinook) Salmon
Mr. Bodangles - Chartreuse & White
Mr. Bodangles is an all-around king (chinook) salmon slayer. It's tied on a 1/0 jig hook to give it great movement in the water column, has some marabou & silicone legs to make it wiggle, and lead eyes to get it down to fish fast. It has all of the characteristics to get even the fussiest salmon to bit! Our staff's favorite color is the chartreuse and white but there are several other deadly color combos to try as well.
Silver (Coho) Salmon
Dolly Llama - Black & White #2
Yes, that's right, Alaska's most productive "utility" fly, the black and white dolly llama, is hands down our top selling silver (coho) salmon fly. Pink and chartreuse color combos typically dominate the color palette in most every anglers silver salmon fly box but the black and white dolly llama takes the cake when trying to unlock the jaws of picky silvers. If you are a doubter, give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
Sockeye (Red) Salmon
Sockeye Lightning - Green #2
When it comes to fishing for sockeye (red) salmon effectively, a sparse fly with some flash and a little contrasting color tied on a strong sharp hook is your best bet. The Sockeye Lightning provides all these ingredients. Whether you're a fish flosser or in an area where sockeye eat a fly, the sockeye lightning is a must have in your fly box.
Pink (Humpy) Salmon
Humpy Hooker #4
There's no question that the humpy hooker is, by far, our #1 choice when selecting a pink (humpy) salmon fly! Sure, pinks will bite a lot of flies, but this one will out fish them all. Trust us!
Chum (Dog) Salmon
Alaskan STS Leech - Tutti Fruitti #2
The STS Leech with a chartreuse head and pink body (aka the Tutti Frutti) is absolutely wicked chum (dog) salmon fly! The color combination paired with it's slim profile and snaky action make this a hard fly for chum to refuse.
