Moving waders are best likened to the seals that prey on these small salmon. A carelessly cast fly line that lands on top of the school may be interpreted as an ariel predator judging from the speed pinks leave the area when it occurs. Slow, careful, and cautious are the best moving methods for the angler. When the pinks have arrived at their home estuary beaches there does not appear to be any tide period, flood, ebb, or slack, that the fish prefer. I have found that tides are more important for how they reveal the intertidal areas along these beaches.
Pinks follow the contours of the intertidal flats, sticking with the deeper submerged channels.
They also concentrate on the beach side of the river where the fresh water flows. I prefer a long, six-weight fly rod with a stiff spine. Length gives me extra distance on my cast and the stiff spine plays these strong feisty fighters. It is also a unit that can be cast all day without fatigue. Many years of experimentation have given me considerable confidence in the color combination of silver and pink for my flies.