These are a few for a friend. He helped me catch my first salmon. 18 years ago! Although the salmon was suicidal.
5 am first cast for salmon ever. " make sure you let the fly hang for a few seconds after your swing, they sometimes like to hug the bank this early in the morning." Joe explained as my swing came to a dangle. As I was about to pick up for another cast, a grilse swipped at the small silver rat, but it was too late. " Okay,Okay, wait!! Did he feel the hook?"
"Nanana no!" I replied shaking like it was the first buck I ever saw.
He explained that we should wait a couple of minutes & not to think that salmon fishing was this easy with a player on a first cast.
Okay. GO. The salmon came quick this time, "SET THE HOOK!", but again too late. Joe was starting to get frustrated for me, but still tried to stay calm always saying, "Don't think salmon fishing is this easy!"
"okay be ready this time," I told myself, thinking it would come back even after feeling steel. Joe was less optimistic.
As the fly swung into the strikezone, my heart began to race faster than any thing I had ever experienced(yes even sex). The salmon came up, which seemed to be in slow motion,I saw his eyes & open mouth come for the fly,& STRIKE!!!
"I CAN'T BELEIVE THIS!! THIS IS NOT SALMON FISHING! THIS IS NOT SALMON FISHING!! YOU HAVE TO WAIT TIL HE TAKES THE FLY BEFORE YOU SET!!! Now Joe's frustration was very evident to say the least.
I felt a huge loss come over me. Going from such a high to such a low was exhausting. I Felt bad enough as it was & I had this guy telling me off on my first salmon trip. " This is not for me", I told myself untangling the fly line from the bushes,"salmon fishing is not for me."
"Joe its my first time," He quickly realized what he was doing to this kid in front of him,but as I got to know him over the years, I realized that his passion for salar was immense & that he was reacting as he had lost the salmon.
After we both calmed down, I tried again. Yes the salmon came up clearly took the fly & I set the hook!, but no salmon.
Joe inspected my fly & checked the hooks. I could tell he was wondering why it wasn't hooked.
"what did I do wrong?" I said.
"You did everything right. This time it was the salmon, but don't think this is salmon fishing.This usually never happens. Some people take years before hooking their first.This is not salmon fishing" he kept stressing.
Yes, my next cast was the one. I never felt that kind of power at the end of my line before!! Sumersaults & runs a trout can only dream of."SALMON FISHING IS FOR ME!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!"
It was an unbeleiveble feeling as I brought it to shore!Nothing can bring me down now. As we knocked the fishes life out of it, something did. It was a few years later when I read, " A salmon is to valuable to catch only once,"
that I realized what it was.
Joe shook my hand firm & looked me in the eyes & said, " Don't think this is salmon fishing!"
Sorry for the rambling. Here are some flies he likes for early season in Gaspe:
Forgot this one
5 am first cast for salmon ever. " make sure you let the fly hang for a few seconds after your swing, they sometimes like to hug the bank this early in the morning." Joe explained as my swing came to a dangle. As I was about to pick up for another cast, a grilse swipped at the small silver rat, but it was too late. " Okay,Okay, wait!! Did he feel the hook?"
"Nanana no!" I replied shaking like it was the first buck I ever saw.
He explained that we should wait a couple of minutes & not to think that salmon fishing was this easy with a player on a first cast.
Okay. GO. The salmon came quick this time, "SET THE HOOK!", but again too late. Joe was starting to get frustrated for me, but still tried to stay calm always saying, "Don't think salmon fishing is this easy!"
"okay be ready this time," I told myself, thinking it would come back even after feeling steel. Joe was less optimistic.
As the fly swung into the strikezone, my heart began to race faster than any thing I had ever experienced(yes even sex). The salmon came up, which seemed to be in slow motion,I saw his eyes & open mouth come for the fly,& STRIKE!!!
"I CAN'T BELEIVE THIS!! THIS IS NOT SALMON FISHING! THIS IS NOT SALMON FISHING!! YOU HAVE TO WAIT TIL HE TAKES THE FLY BEFORE YOU SET!!! Now Joe's frustration was very evident to say the least.
I felt a huge loss come over me. Going from such a high to such a low was exhausting. I Felt bad enough as it was & I had this guy telling me off on my first salmon trip. " This is not for me", I told myself untangling the fly line from the bushes,"salmon fishing is not for me."
"Joe its my first time," He quickly realized what he was doing to this kid in front of him,but as I got to know him over the years, I realized that his passion for salar was immense & that he was reacting as he had lost the salmon.
After we both calmed down, I tried again. Yes the salmon came up clearly took the fly & I set the hook!, but no salmon.
Joe inspected my fly & checked the hooks. I could tell he was wondering why it wasn't hooked.
"what did I do wrong?" I said.
"You did everything right. This time it was the salmon, but don't think this is salmon fishing.This usually never happens. Some people take years before hooking their first.This is not salmon fishing" he kept stressing.
Yes, my next cast was the one. I never felt that kind of power at the end of my line before!! Sumersaults & runs a trout can only dream of."SALMON FISHING IS FOR ME!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!"
It was an unbeleiveble feeling as I brought it to shore!Nothing can bring me down now. As we knocked the fishes life out of it, something did. It was a few years later when I read, " A salmon is to valuable to catch only once,"
that I realized what it was.
Joe shook my hand firm & looked me in the eyes & said, " Don't think this is salmon fishing!"
Sorry for the rambling. Here are some flies he likes for early season in Gaspe:
Forgot this one