Salmon Fishing Tips: Salmon Fly Fishing Tackle
Atlantic salmon, although they cease to feed on entering our rivers, may be caught on fly, spinner or on bait. Spin fishing tackle, however, is generally now reserved for conditions of high water or for times and places when fly fishing might be impossible. Natural bait fishing for salmon, with prawns, shrimps and worms for example, has become less popular in recent years - largely due to the difficulty of returning fish which have taken a bait - and is, in fact, banned as a method of fishing on many salmon rivers. At times, the man skilled in the use of spinning tackle might outfish the fly fisher but, increasingly, wherever and whenever possible, fly fishing is the favoured option for the majority of salmon anglers on the majority of our Scottish rivers.
Salmon Fly Rods
Salmon fly rods have come a long way from the heavy and unwieldy greenheart and split cane rods and horsehair lines of yesteryear. Today's salmon fly fisher can fish comfortably for a full day with one of the many modern light and efficient carbon rods, matched to the latest profile in specially designed "Spey" lines. On the larger rivers, a rod of eighteen feet, in the hands of an expert, can cast a fly more than fifty yards.
The more popular length of fifteen feet, though, will cover most situations allowing thirty yard casts with relative ease. On the smaller rivers, or in the low water of summer, shorter double handed rods of twelve or thirteen feet, or even single handed rods of about ten feet, will allow a more delicate presentation of the smaller flies aimed at summer grilse and salmon. Today's tackle trade caters well for the salmon fly fisher, offering a wide range of models, from the famous traditional makers like Hardy and Bruce and Walker; from Daiwa and Shakespeare; and, now, from companies like Sage, Loomis, Orvis and Loop, all vying to make their mark in this now very competitive market.
Salmon Fly Reels
As with salmon fly rods, the salmon fisher is faced with a bewildering choice of reels, from the solid British tradition of a fine old Young's or Hardy fly reel, now highly regarded by both collectors and fishermen, and much sought after on the second hand market, to the miracles of modern disc drag technology, a Loop or an Orvis or perhaps an Abel or a new Hardy disc drag reel.
For me, the dependable efficiency of a traditional, well engineered spring and pawl fly reel is hard to beat, a reel such as the Young's 1500 series or the matchless quality of one of the older Hardy fly reels - a Hardy Perfect or a Number 1, 2 or 3 Marquis, a St Andrew or, for lighter lines, a Zenith or St Aidan. With an adequate supply of backing, any of them will cope with all eventualities likely to be met in salmon fishing on Scottish rivers.
Salmon Fly Lines
For much of the last century, salmon fly lines meant supple braided lines of dressed silk which required a great deal of care if they were to function well. Given proper attention, however, a silk line was extremely versatile and the salmon fisherman could fish a whole season with just the one silk line. The more expensive lines were double tapered and could be fished, ungreased, as a slow sinking line; partially greased as a sink tip line; or fully greased as a floating line, the method popularised by A.H.E. Wood of Cairnton on the Aberdeenshire Dee as "the greased line" method of salmon fly fishing. The modern salmon fisherman spends little time in fly line maintenance and preparation. Instead, he has a plastic coated fly line for every conceivable situation. He has floating lines, sink tip lines, neutral and intermediate lines, slow sinking, medium sinking, fast sinking, even ultra fast sinking lines; he has double tapered lines, weight forward lines, shooting heads and now "Spey" lines with head lengths and profiles to suit all abilities, styles and preferences; he has tapered monofilament leaders, braided leaders, poly leaders in all manner of lengths and densities...... and all this to make the life of the salmon fly fisherman simpler!
Salmon Fly Rods
Salmon fly rods have come a long way from the heavy and unwieldy greenheart and split cane rods and horsehair lines of yesteryear. Today's salmon fly fisher can fish comfortably for a full day with one of the many modern light and efficient carbon rods, matched to the latest profile in specially designed "Spey" lines. On the larger rivers, a rod of eighteen feet, in the hands of an expert, can cast a fly more than fifty yards.
The more popular length of fifteen feet, though, will cover most situations allowing thirty yard casts with relative ease. On the smaller rivers, or in the low water of summer, shorter double handed rods of twelve or thirteen feet, or even single handed rods of about ten feet, will allow a more delicate presentation of the smaller flies aimed at summer grilse and salmon. Today's tackle trade caters well for the salmon fly fisher, offering a wide range of models, from the famous traditional makers like Hardy and Bruce and Walker; from Daiwa and Shakespeare; and, now, from companies like Sage, Loomis, Orvis and Loop, all vying to make their mark in this now very competitive market.
Salmon Fly Reels
As with salmon fly rods, the salmon fisher is faced with a bewildering choice of reels, from the solid British tradition of a fine old Young's or Hardy fly reel, now highly regarded by both collectors and fishermen, and much sought after on the second hand market, to the miracles of modern disc drag technology, a Loop or an Orvis or perhaps an Abel or a new Hardy disc drag reel.
For me, the dependable efficiency of a traditional, well engineered spring and pawl fly reel is hard to beat, a reel such as the Young's 1500 series or the matchless quality of one of the older Hardy fly reels - a Hardy Perfect or a Number 1, 2 or 3 Marquis, a St Andrew or, for lighter lines, a Zenith or St Aidan. With an adequate supply of backing, any of them will cope with all eventualities likely to be met in salmon fishing on Scottish rivers.
Salmon Fly Lines
For much of the last century, salmon fly lines meant supple braided lines of dressed silk which required a great deal of care if they were to function well. Given proper attention, however, a silk line was extremely versatile and the salmon fisherman could fish a whole season with just the one silk line. The more expensive lines were double tapered and could be fished, ungreased, as a slow sinking line; partially greased as a sink tip line; or fully greased as a floating line, the method popularised by A.H.E. Wood of Cairnton on the Aberdeenshire Dee as "the greased line" method of salmon fly fishing. The modern salmon fisherman spends little time in fly line maintenance and preparation. Instead, he has a plastic coated fly line for every conceivable situation. He has floating lines, sink tip lines, neutral and intermediate lines, slow sinking, medium sinking, fast sinking, even ultra fast sinking lines; he has double tapered lines, weight forward lines, shooting heads and now "Spey" lines with head lengths and profiles to suit all abilities, styles and preferences; he has tapered monofilament leaders, braided leaders, poly leaders in all manner of lengths and densities...... and all this to make the life of the salmon fly fisherman simpler!
Labels: Salmon Fishing, Salmon Fishing Equipments, salmon Fishing Tips