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All Those Nice Salmon Flies;

3K views 17 replies 13 participants last post by  Heli-fish 
#1 ·
I have quite a collection of them, actually I've got so many that I didn't need to tie a one for this season. What I've been up to is teaching myself to make a good Sculpin pattern that will get me into the 30" club on our rainbow / steelhead trout here.

I'm still getting the tying figured out but the other day I was in a favorite spot known to harbor some big trout and using this;


That's one of those new style shanks with a pair of the little plastic eyes that have to be glued together on it, they are nearly weightless. The fly is dressed with bunny fur and a wee bit of deer hair and a trailer hook attached with 20 pound backing. These are pretty new to me as I've never used eyes on flies other than jungle cock feathers or a stinger hook for trout.

On an early cast to just the right spot I caught this.


In six casts I caught 3 of them. They are beginning to turn and I released all 3, two males and a hen. I believe I could have caught more had I stayed in this run but after the triple I moved on up river seeking that trout. All of the kings were about the same age / size, maybe 25 - 29 pound fish. I was alone and so did not mess with extensive photographing of them but took a snap shot of all.

How bout that? all on a trout fly, all on the swing and all put up quite a fuss when they discovered they were hooked.

I thought it was interesting that they grabbed the Sculpin minnow.

Ard
 
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#5 ·
Hi Guys,

Borano,

Figuring out how to tie the fly is the hard part. I can imagine they will be the ticket for a brown trout.

For you other fellows, I hope I didn't sound ungrateful, I was happy to catch some salmon, it's just that I had my heart set on a trout.

The Hardy Marksman 2, T series rod I am fishing made the day a real pleasure. Not only was it up to hossing these fish to the shore but it threw some of the best and tightest loops I've ever cast.

I have a bit of a review for the rod and will post it here. That post has some more pictures.

Ard
 
#7 ·
Down here in Cali when they come in I started using the possie bugger tied on a #6 TMC 7999 hook. Great trout rod and never thought that salmon will like them just as much. So its worth thinking out of the box to catch salmon. And sometimes its what it takes a simple trout fly :) Nice work by the way.

I guess these are early spring salmon to look like this?
 
#8 ·
Hi Winxp,

Actually they are in for a couple weeks to look like that. We call the tint 'blushing' meaning they are starting to turn. When you get on them by the 20th of June they are bright silver with a dark back, really a magnificent fish to see & catch when fresh. These guys will be guarding beds within a week or 2 at most. The hen was starting to swell pretty good and will be ready soon.

I hope that no one will catch and kill her this weekend, they allow harvest on weekends and that brings out the bait soakers and gear people. If the guides would simply take the position of, 'No Hens', that would make a huge difference here. I make it clear to people fishing with me that I strongly discourage the killing of a hen. Since they too are fly fishermen I've never been met with an argument on this request.

Ard

Here's the other half of that fish and the other 2 as well.







This is the female;
 
#11 ·
Hi Mike,

I've been able to get into them pretty well this season. The problem has been that being alone the picture taking has been rather sparse. The regulations are that 'no king salmon may be removed from the water and must be immediately released'. With the Spey rod in one hand and a feisty fish's tail in the other I generally pass on the photos. These were a 'better get a few' type thing, and after that hen I promptly dropped my little Cannon (non waterproof) point & shoot in the river. Serves me right I guess, I was wanting to see how many I could get and photograph. After the camera went in I cooled off and went looking for trout water :eek:

Still was fun even though I need a new P&S now. Pretty soon the silvers will show and I'm going to get a waterproof camera for the remainder of the season.

Hello to you too Paul, how's the summer going down there?

Ard
 
#13 ·
Mike,

Right now the kings are thick in some areas and the sockeye are here with a few Chum showing also. In another week the chum will be the most noticeable fish out here. By August the silvers will start to show and that will take us into September.

Fishing starts as soon as ice goes out but the salmon get in around June 15 - 20th and keep coming until the ice comes back.

Post September 10 is trout - grayling and char time and generally lasts till it gets too cold to fish comfortably. Pike are available all season at the cabin.
 
#16 ·
Hi Ard
Nice going!

By your story and that you said you were going trout fishing......and reading a bit more into this......

Does that mean that you caught those kings on a 5 or 6 wt trout rod?

If so....Holy Crap! (you indeed are a modest man :) )

Best from upstate NY.
 
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