The Dean River has a reputation for being home to the hottest, strongest steelhead and chinook salmon around. Its steep gradient and legendary canyon section have bred super-races in all its anadromous species – if you’re going to spawn in the Dean, you need to be able to fight its powerful flows.
There’s another Dean species that’s less notorious but equally special – the silver salmon, or coho as we say in Canada. Coho in the Dean get big and strong, and more than a few anglers in mid to late August have simply been shocked by these fish. Unlike silvers in Alaska, Dean coho tend to get hooked in fast water and they love swung flies. Punishing grabs, long fast runs consuming hundreds of feet of backing, and a don’t-quit attitude are the norm.
You’re not going to catch dozens of these fish at BC West – one or two makes a great addition to a day of August angling on the Dean. Hot, bright, big and powerful – what more could an anadromous angler ask for?
[…] They’re Cool on the Dean Too […]