There has been anticipation of the arrival of Pink salmon in the Campbell River system, but only a few have entered so far. Early this morning, a high tide at 1 am reached nearly four meters, causing a twelve-foot rise in the estuary and prompting the salmon to enter the river.

I arrived at the river by 5 am, just as the schools began their journey to the spawning grounds.

Today I used the Amundson Outdoors Spey rod, 14’ 3”. This is my third year with the Spey rod, and each year my casting has improved.

In my experience on the Campbell River, casting slightly downstream with the Spey rod allows the line to perform effectively. For this approach, I use an OPST 18-foot shoot-floating head with a 13-foot sinking tip for riffles. Each angler has their preferred fly and technique.

I designed the ugly fly with a trailer hook positioned just behind the fly. This setup helps the hook catch the outer corner of the pink salmon’s jaw, reducing the risk of fatal hooking and improving catch-and-release recovery.

While it may not be visually appealing, it is highly effective.