There are all kinds of opinions when it comes to Alaska's silver salmon, and nearly all positive. And yet, when it comes to listing the world's great gamefish, coho almost always go overlooked. People get weak in the knees when thinking about the salmonfly hatch on a handful of rivers in the Western U.S., and billfish have been known to induce a case of the shakes. Fortunes have been squandered chasing tarpon on the flats, and steelhead are the rock upon which many a marriage has crashed. Sea-run browns in Tierra del Fuego, tigerfish, permit, peacock bass, Atlantics on the Ponoi, stripers anywhere - these names come up again and again whenever anglers break out the dream sheet, which may include Alaska in the fall, but only because no one can argue against our rainbows being truly world class.

I'm not saying this is some sort of conspiracy - we're talking a notoriously narrow-minded bunch here, a group capable of arguing for hours over the best knot to connect tippet to fly, making consensus unlikely if not impossible. But anyone who's tied on a Popsicle in August knows the coho deserves better.

Silvers are the second least abundant of the Pacific salmon, after Chinook, and the species was originally distributed in North America from the area around the San Lorenzo River in California northward to Point Hope. In Alaska, silvers range continuously from the far southern panhandle to the wide-open artesian streams of the Aleutian coast, and from there north to Norton Sound and then sporadically to the drainages flowing into the Chukchi Sea. They are an extremely adaptable fish and occur in nearly every accessible body of freshwater in much of this range, from large, glacially-influenced drainages like the Kuskokwim or Susitna to the boulder-strewn creeks that tumble through the old-growth of Southeast, where spawning populations are known to exist in over 2,500 streams.

These Alaska coho average between eight and 12 pounds, though fish of over 25 pounds have been caught. In some areas of the state, wild fish of over 20 pounds are actually a fairly regular treat. In particular, some Kodiak Island streams and the rivers of the Gulf Coast south of Cordova have been noted for the large average size of their silvers.

What all of Alaska's coho share is an innate aggressiveness. Emergent fry begin to feed immediately upon leaving the redd in the spring. They then tend to take up residence in the shallows of stream margins, later establishing territories in lakes and within the deeper pools of rivers, which they'll rigorously defend. From there they'll cruise the shorelines and dart out from beneath debris or other submerged vegetation to take prey. Both terrestrial and aquatic insects, especially midges in many areas of Alaska, and zooplankton comprise the bulk of the young silvers' diets. As the juvenile coho grow, they begin to feed on progressively larger prey and can eventually become serious predators of young sockeye salmon. Past studies have even indicated that in some Alaska systems, young coho consume up to seven times as many sockeye fry as do Dolly Varden, a species that was once under a state bounty due to their penchant for victimizing salmon stocks.

Throughout their range, young silvers will begin their ocean migrations after their first year, though in Alaska, several stocks will remain two, three or even four years in freshwater before smolting and heading to sea. While in the marine environment, coho feed voraciously and growth is rapid. Herring and squid make up the bulk of their diet where abundant, with the opportunistic predators also consuming large numbers of crustaceans and other baitfish, like sand lance.

Most return to their natal streams after 16 to 18 months at sea, feeding heavily along the way, with reentry occurring anytime between midsummer and winter. As a rule the earlier spawning returns are associated with the more northerly stocks, but each separate population of coho will have evolved a distinct run timing based on their particular circumstances. For instance, coho that must traverse a falls during their in-stream migrations might arrive in July when water flows are lower and the barriers easier to navigate. Other stocks, such as those of the Yukon drainage, might arrive early because of the distances they must travel to reach the spawning grounds. Water temperature also plays a part, as in northern streams with colder average temperatures, silvers have developed earlier spawning times to allow for longer periods of egg development.

In the end, while they stop actively feeding upon reaching freshwater, the natural ferocity of the coho bodes anglers well when the fish do return, as unlike tight-lipped sockeye and the occasionally obtuse Chinook, these anadromous salmon typically remain prone to attack. They willingly chase both flies and artificial lures and will absolutely crush offerings of bait. Coho fresh from the sea are also the most likely of all the Pacific salmon to rise and explode on a surface presentation. Long, sizzling runs, aerial maneuvers, and good size and stamina are just the icing on the cake. Add it all together, spice with high numbers of fish and then toss in the magical surroundings of Alaska, and you have one of the world's truly great fisheries - and one great gamefish.

Put them on the list.