One for the salmon fishers. Im currently starting a new fly box for the purpose of salmon fishing :roll:. What salmon flies should i have, style etc. Any home made variants that anyone swears by? Ive currently got a few allys shrimps , a cascade, and a few stoats tails tied on size 10, 8 doubles.
Col
Don't turn to the dark side Col! Go pike fishing instead! :)
These http://www.ftscotland.co.uk/gallery/flies/Tubes-Waddingtons.841x1021.html. (Tied up so long ago I have forgotten their names :) ) The green bodied ones on the bottom are my favourites. The body is green metallic selotape with gold rib.
1?" to 3" plastic, aluminium or brass depending on water height and fly line used.
Col,
Just back in from a wee salmon sesh myself - the usual, blank - get used to them :roll: Mind, I did hook and play a decent double figure fish for around ten minutes but then it came off :(
Anyway, I try and keep my salmon flies basic and simple.
Ally Shrimps - in size 14-8. In orange, red and yellow plus a few pinks and purples for a change (desperation shot).
Cascades - in size 14 -6. In standard colours and with jungle cock.
Stoats tails - tend to tie them on aluminium tubes (so silver stoats tail I suppose) usually half inch.
Pot Bellied Pigs - a couple of these for those deep pools
As you'd expect I jazz them up a bit with holographic tinsel, straggle fritz, maribou tails etc, most are tied on gold or silver Salar doubles.
I see you have a new avatar - looks suspiciously silver and big to me.
Norm
Other than some mentioned & I would include a Willie Gunn type for back end fishing.
Tight Lines
Ally's Shrimp, Silver Allies, Cascade, Munro's Killer, Silver Stoat and Blue Charm on size 8 to 14 doubles. Willie Gunn, Gold Willie Gunn, Black, Yellow & Gold on 1 to 2 inch aluminium and copper tubes.
Orange, Red and Cascade Pot Belly Pigs plus Red and Black Frances on 1/2, 3/4 and 1 inch copper tube.
A few bottle tubes in a Willie Gunn type pattern and some Collie Dogs would cover almost every situation right through the season.
In my opinion the pattern is less important than the size of the fly and the way you fish it.
Correct depth and speed is essential.
A few golden rules:
Low water conditions require small flies, high water asks for big flies.
Big salmon usually want fast flies.
Dark weather> dark flies, bright weather> bright flies.
But, as the late Hugh Falkus said:
'There are no dogmas in salmon-fishing'!
Tie flies in several sizes and stick to a few patterns as mentioned in the other replies.
And to prevent serious problemas like in the picture:
Bring forceps to be able to cut hooks or press down barbs...
Cheers
Quote from: col on September 24, 2008, 06:30:49 PM
Thanks lads some great suggestions. I'm finding it very difficult getting the correct ammount of material (bucktail) for tails etc and getting the materials to lie right, then theres are they too flashy or not enough, bodie thickness and so on.. Very differant from the usual trout flies.You would be spot on Norm, the Avatars my first flee caught Salmon!
Col,
I should also have said that I tie them very sparse right through to quite heavily dressed, low clear water and its the sparse version. High and dirty water and its the heavily dressed, more jazzed up version. At the moment I'm playing around with marabou tails, over-layn with a few stands of buck tail to make them a bit more robust, to try add some movement. I often tie the black part of the ally shrimp's body with a uv straggle fritz, I find it particularly effective in the red version. - see photos.
(http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/strathearn/wfs-24-09-2008-20-59-39-imgp3103.jpg)
Todays Box - mixture of Salmon and Sea Trout flies, probably mostly abit on the small side for the water I encountered.
(http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/strathearn/wfs-24-09-2008-21-00-05-imgp3111.jpg)
Ally's Shrimps - Size 12 at the top to an 8 at the bottom
(http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/strathearn/wfs-24-09-2008-20-59-54-imgp3110.jpg)
A couple of Cascades (the top one enticed my taker today), a Silver Stoats Tail tube and a Pink Allys.
You'll note that I've bulked up the heads a wee bit with adding some dayglo floss, I think it works orther wont. Hope the photos help a wee bit but there are so many variables :shock:
Now, can we have the tale of the salmon capture, or have I missed it?
Norm
I've only just started on this salmon fly fishing business myself, catching my first grilse just a few weeks ago, but I've had another four since so things are going quite nicely. I'm not best qualified to answer your question, but so far I've stuck to Ally's Shrimp, Cascades and silver stoats with jc cheeks, all in a variety of sizes. I've also tied and tried the Park Shrimp, which is this year's "must have" and is reputed to have magical powers for attracting fish. It is a bonny looking fly and a friend took six salmon in one day on it, but I haven't had any luck with it so far.
Maybe it's just because I've been lucky so far but I'm loving this salmon fishing stuff.
I wouldnt go out without a dunkeld at this time of year for loch or river. Size is important (as said already). On the river if you wish to downsize from long shrimpy flies then a wee double 12 Dunkeld without much of a tail can be quite good. Its a bonny fly both wet and dry.
Had a wee grilse on Wednesday myslef on a size 10 single dunkeld, slip o a thing but it works year after year for me. I give it a swim earlier in year if its bright but usually it gets the main use from mid Sep onwards.
I am no expert but get a couple of salmon every year (usually about 5 outings a year).
I tie my own and despite boxes of varients and creations all my fish have fallen to two patterns - Allys Shrimp and Pot Bellied Pigs (fav orange or claret).
I always have a few wee tubes and black stoats tails but these do the business every time.
Was having a salmon lesson last week and was told the likes of collie dogs and temple dogs we good 'when all else fails' stripped fast.