Tips n' Tricks

Fishing with the K Series Spoon

By Jason Tonelli, Angler's West, Vancouver BC

The Gibbs K series spoon has a perfect teardrop shape that allows it to be fished slowly through shallower and slower water where other oval or elongated spoons would snag on bottom or have to be retrieved too quickly to be effective. This unique characteristic makes it my first choice for the tailout of a run. A tailout is where the deep part of the run (the pool) starts to end and they are generally 2-5 feet deep depending on the size of the river. Experienced anglers know that under most water conditions fish love to hold in these tailouts. A K3 or K4 spoon allows the angler to get the spoon down to the fish and retrieve it or swing it through the tailout slowly with an enticing wobble that steelhead and salmon seem to love.

The most successful spoon fisherman have different finishes, colours, and sizes so they are armed for each situation. I like the K3 for medium size rivers and the K4 for larger rivers because the extra weight allows you to get down in the deeper tailouts. For winter conditions where the water is very cold, try the silver plate. The intensive flash from this finish can wake up stale and lethargic steelhead. If the water is warmer but still has good visibility you need less flash so a gold plate or brass finish often produces well. When the water is gin clear and not cold the fish will be alert and easily spooked. In this situation tone down the flash by using a copper finish. On the other end of the spectrum when the visibility is poor you need maximum flash so use silver plate or a spoon with some colour on it like a K3 or K4 with a fire orange stripe. Remember to be flexible and adjust the finish to the conditions. This can make all the difference. Good luck and tight lines.