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Fall time is Dry Fly time ... right ??

2K views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  ENSO 
#1 ·
As I continue my journey in using the dry line more often, I'm finding that it can open more doors than expected :roll:
I brought my dry line to the fall salar hunt this year again and while my posse went on using the sunk lines, I tied on a big Carter's bug and decided to dead float a dry over top the pooling salar.



This bug was tied by one of the fishiest salar chasers that I have ever met, Glenn Roberts, a native of PEI and often resident of Cape Breton. Big and ugly is the way to go if you want to see quick results he said.

Quick results was right !! Just too bad it wasn't a salar this time ...





A big male brookie, in full spawning colours and a huge "hump" and kype. The photo really doesn't depict the fish, we estimated it at over 7lbs. About 6lbs better than my personal best :hihi:
This fish was pooling in with salmon. Prior to hooking, two salmon between 15 and 18lbs jumped within the same pool and a very large salmon porpoised in the middle of the pool ... it was really big !!

Hoping to continue the dry fly trend this fall in my home river. This might be the year of a full take on top :D


Mike
 
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#3 ·
Hey thanks Cameron :)
It was one of the most exciting takes I have ever witnessed. The first cast was the experiment. The fly dead-drifted and then went under drag and caused a "V", which attracted the dark shadows under the fly ... but no take. The second cast was the final. I quickly placed drag on the line and the shadows re-appeared, then quickly switching back over to drag free. I fed line to the drifting bug and a small nudge, then WHAM !!! Big boil sucking the big bug under and I felt the weight immediately, the battle was on !! First roll on top had me wondering what a red stripe was doing on a salmon. The brookie fought hard and bull dogged the whole time keeping me wondering about the stripe. Then during net time it revealed it's identity, a big brookie with insane amount of pulling force ... a very worthy opponent !!


Mike
 
#6 ·
I have yet to have a salmon take during the "V wake". They don't seem to commit, just curious. I have given some of Todd's Wangs away to a few friends to try waking up a salmon, so far I have yet to hear of success. But the experiment is still on going :D


Mike
 
#8 ·
Mike, you've got to try to get out in spring or summer sometime. Your odds for surface atlantics will dramatically increase.
And you'll be mostly chasing and fighting fresh silver fish in their peak.
Oh, the thought has crossed my mind many times and I'm not ruling it out for next year either :D
The fall season is just fantastic in the valley !! The fall colours and the smell of pine and cedars add another layer of freshness.
Always wondrous to see the eagles flying with the multi-coloured background !!


Mike
 
#11 ·
Randy, there has been many discussions here about "waking". Which is allowing a buoyant fly with or without a hitch to drag across the surface of the water. Some excellent waking patterns out there.
Next would be skating. The use of a heavily hackled fly to ride on the surface, usually treated with a floatant spray or paste (at least that's what I do). I cast downstream and then twitch or speed up and slow down the fly. The fly rides on it's hackles and moves across the surface as many natural bugs do. I often do this when fishing caddis or stoneflies for trout.
Lastly and how I presented this bug for a take, was dead drifted and not swung. Many Atlantic Salmon have fallen for a dead drifted dry fly.

I am trying these three methods at home on GL's steelhead. So far, the skating and waking techniques have produced results. I've yet to raise a GL's steelhead on a dead drifted dry fly, but I'm still trying :)


Mike
 
#10 ·

Very nice charr Mike. Beautiful spawning colours. That is one terrific consolation prize; folks will spend lots of money and time to catch a brookie like that.

Note how beaten up the tail is. This one looks like a veteran of a few spawning seasons.

-Erik
 
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#14 ·
Just a side note to say that for those who love sea-run brook charr, Quebec has many river systems with large sea-run brook charr.

They will take a range of flies from dead-drifted #12 dry flies to 3-inch fur strip streamers to 5-inch long floating streamers retrieved at a good clip.
 
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