Coho Salmon are sometimes called bluebacks because of the bluish colouring on their backs. They have white gums, black tongues and a few spots on the upper portion of their bodies, and silver-coloured tails. They have a wide tail base. Bright silver with a metallic blue dorsal surface.
Coho salmon usually live for three years and grow rapidly in their final year. They weigh between 1.3 kg and 14 kg.
Fresh run coho is very similar in appearance to other salmon species, bright silver with a metallic blue dorsal surface, and a wide tail base with a few spots on the upper portion of their silver-coloured tails. As they mature, the males become reddish on the sides, and green on the back and head, often dark on the belly. Females are less strongly coloured.
The gums at the base of the teeth in the lower jaw are almost white. Its mouth is white but can have a black edge. It has a black tongue and sharp, strong teeth. They have a square silver tail with just a few scattered spots, usually on the upper portion of the tail. It has a wide tail base.
Back in the 70s, l owned a guiding outfit on Vancouver Island, the salmon that was our mainstay was the coho. Of course, we fished for the springs and humpies, but the coho salmon was a very common fish, not just for our guides, but it was chased after by the commercial day trawlers. You do not see them like that anymore. Overfishing, both recreational and commercial did major damage to the runs, and logging did its share of damage to the river systems that supported these fish runs. Between us all, we almost destroyed the once-abundant runs of these beautiful fish.