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Salmon lures


Kevo

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Ok you've probably heard this one before but i'll ask it anyway. I've never been salmon fishing before and a river only 40 mins from where I live has over the last 5 years had good runs of salmon and sea trout. I'm a member of the water and fancy a go at catching a salmon (its a course fishery, nobody fish's for em). After talking to other anglers and reading various books what I can't get my head round is if salmon don't feed in rivers why are some flies, lures and baits better than others in different conditions. If someone can explain this I maybe able to make an informed guess at which method I should use.

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Not sure when he will look in next but you could email this question to nightwing at paulwillison@webtv.net . I know they are one fish he targets with the fly rod (along with trout, carp, and just about anything else that swims). Post a link to the thread if you email him and he can reply on here so others can benefit as well.

" My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!" - Harry Truman, 33rd US President

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Atlantic salmon, like most migratory spawners, eat little if any around the primary spawning time. However, they still take a lure or bait, due to instinct, and aggression. In unpressured waters(which sounds like your situation), brightly colored and flashy spey or streamers should illicit strikes, often out of aggression. Areas where fish are targeted often produce better results with "toned down" dull patterns, and those more akin to natural forage. These fish, I believe, are less aggresive, but will still take a fly out of instinct if it is presented well. Water conditions also have a large effect on pattern choice. Colored, high water calls for brighter, more visable patterns, while ultra clear water often calls for smaller, less flashy patterns. If I were in your situation, I would start with classic salmon patterns in moderatly bright patterns, but have a number of more natural nymphs available as well. A key pattern in the U.S. for steelhead, but which seems little used for atlantics, is the egg fly. Resembling a single salmon egg, it ilicits strikes in almost all circumstances, but is particulaly effective on the more aggressive male fish. Eggs work on both the instinctive(food) and aggression responses, and therefore are a staple pattern for me. Salmon at spawning time have a natural desire to elliminate the competions for their own young, and will therefore destroy any free-floating eggs they come accross. Egg patterns therefore work very well as a searching pattern also.

In a nutshell, A variety of large flashy speys and streamers(the "classic" salmon patterns most often fall into this catagorie), along with some large natural nymphs, and a selection of egg patterns, should do you well.

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Thanks Nightwing, these salmon are a fair way up river so maybe the egg fly might be the best method. I will try this and the traditional fly patterns as suggested. I'll let you know how I get on.

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