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flies for a friend

3K views 14 replies 11 participants last post by  Charlie 
#1 · (Edited)
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
 
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#4 ·
Hitcher, i loved the story and i enjoy looking at that green fly although unless its the cascapedia i dont know where else the King likes green.But i like it .
Tight Wraps & Tight Lines
Rick Wallace
P.S. nice rendition of Magog Smelt
Thanks guys.Green is loved by ALL salmon here in Quebec.
These are all Marc Leblanc flies which I have a fondness for because they are relatively easy to tie & make you look like a pro.(which I am not)

The green one he calls the "Green Spey".
 
#5 ·
A great history and some even greater flies, John, i bet your friend will be very very happy.

That last fly has sometkind of "i don't know what" that just pops to my eyes, i will have to tie something like it when i get back to the vise :hihi:
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the feedback.
Lonewolve, The Magog smelt is missing the peacock, but I have some really nice goat I would hate to cover.

Nb Rob, It is funny how we see different things. I always tie a silver tinsel underbody on all my flossed & pearl bodies. I always think my butts & bodies are too thick.

Rob, the last fly is a "Picasse" A very popular fly nowadays in Gaspe.

Gary, Thank you. So do I.

These are fun to tie & to fish, although they may come out of may box only once a season. I mostly fish Gaspe in July when levels are low & dry flies are the game!!

A side story:

I haven't seen Joe in about 10 years. Although our passion for salar grew our directions led us apart. Last year, my fishing buddy, now in Afghanistan, decided he wanted to check out a little river in the Saguenay area. The Petit Saguenay. I immediately said yes, I'll take care of the booking. This was my first home river. Where I caught my first. I knew that Joe stays there for 2 weeks in July. I caled the ZEC & asked when would he be there.

We had some tough conditions, but found a pod of fish and raised salmon on bombers all afternoon(none hooked). Awesome!

On the walk back to through the zec, I see Joe & hit it off like it was yesterday, quickly talking about salar & the recent conditions. No, "how have you been?" It was, "How was the fishing." , for we both knew salar was bigger than us.
While I shook his hand firmly & looked into his eyes, I said, "Salmon fishing is not like that first day 18 years ago!"

Please post your first salmon/steelhead story. They are all good stories, I'm sure!
 
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