Ever since most of the runs have peaked or passed in the ocean alot of attention has turned to freshwater / river salmon fishing. When reading all the reports of fishing I see the term flossing and snagging thrown around alot, and it's negatively looked at.

Can someone care to fill me in on what flossing a fish is? Just using common sense i'm guessing snagging is using a hook or lure, and casting it towards a wading or milling fish and then pulling back quite hard to hook the fish regardless if it was going to bite the hook or not?

Sorry for any redundant questions but i'm a young and eager learner towards salmon fishing as this was my first year out on a boat catching springs, coho, and pinks so far, and eagerly awaiting the chum's to start in at browns bay in october for my smoker.

Don't get me wrong i'm not interested in learning how to do either.

Cheers.

Flossing - as explained to me, simply put, trying to snag the fish by dragging the hook through the mouth. IMHO an effort to use a less offensive term for snagging a fish. Life is too short to engage in that kind of crap, and I would hope none of us needs a fish that badly.

Salmon normally swim with open mouths. If you use a long leader it will drift into their mouth then pull the hook into the sides of their mouth so it looks like they are hitting it when in reality they are being snagged.

Ah thanks for the replies guys.

I prefer to leave the fish alone when they hit the river, I have nothing against people who fish them in freshwater but I prefer to go to a fish ladder and observe them migrating up the river .

Flossing is the "PC" term for snagging. Flossing its targetted snagging..."close enough" to the mouth to count. It will be the downfall of fresh water salmon fishing in BC as it brings out a less than desirable element to the river. one that lacks ethics, ettiquette, etc!

If your looking to get schooled in FLOSSING / SNAGGING wait until next pink season and head over to the government docks in Cowichan Bay watch the F/N they have it down to a science, if your looking for the same on the rivers head out to NITNAT and watch the rednecks out there bring your barf bag if your a legal fisherman it gets sick real fast