What would you have done?

[MCXFisher]

Nymphing with the 11' 6" #8 Tool was relatively easy as it's so well balanced around the upper hand, but in faster water there's always so much line to gather and control in order to stay in touch. On the other hand I don't recall running a trout nymph over a distance much over 4-5 yards, whereas here it was sometimes 10 or more.

 

[firefly]

Of course it can be done & some are caught as by catch, but you never ime see people out there nymphing for salmon. Maybe it’s popular somewhere out there in the world. #8 nymphing rod would be fun


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I'm sure it will work on some of your home rivers. Don't wait till you see someone else do it.

 

[Cookie-boy]

I recall a man once telling me he had taken six salmon from a single pool on the Deveron at Huntley on a trout rod with a hare's ear nymph. All in a two hour period. I called bull**** at the time but perhaps now I'm older and wiser he probably did?

 

[cgaines10]

I recall a man once telling me he had taken six salmon from a single pool on the Deveron at Huntley on a trout rod with a hare's ear nymph. All in a two hour period. I called bull**** at the time but perhaps now I'm older and wiser he probably did?

Hard going on trout gear imo, unless it was a while ago & not using the light rods as we do now?

I got spooled by a fresh sea trout earlier on in the year while dry fly fishing for trout lol I couldn’t stop it at all


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[Tangled]

Hard going on trout gear imo, unless it was a while ago & not using the light rods as we do now?

I got spooled by a fresh sea trout earlier on in the year while dry fly fishing for trout lol I couldn’t stop it at all

In the situation I described I was using a 9’6” #7 single hander. On that river some people use a 9’ #5 targeting salmon - but that feels too light to me. I've landed a fresh run 95cm salmon on that #7 rod. But it was deliberate, I was using 15lb line, modern rods will stop a train if you've got heavy enough line. If you're fishing for 2lb trout and hook a 20lb salmon though, you're in a lot of trouble.

 

[flyfifer]

Absolutely, likewise with anything. Good on you for giving it ago. Will you be doing it more? How was it nymphing with a switch rod?


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I’ve been told many times over the. Years anglers nymphing for Grayling catching Salmon. Maybe nymph imitation
Could be used more often in these situations.

 

[ozzyian]

You should have gone for drams and come back for another go an hour or two later. The fish might have switched on by then.

Some ghillies would have said exactly that but also thrown some rocks into the pool to stir them up before giving them a break for an hour or 2. Never done that myself, I would have just gone the increasingly smaller fly thing down to 16 and then given up, sometimes fish don't take.

 

[Cookie-boy]

Some ghillies would have said exactly that but also thrown some rocks into the pool to stir them up before giving them a break for an hour or 2. Never done that myself, I would have just gone the increasingly smaller fly thing down to 16 and then given up, sometimes fish don't take.

Without wishing to sound clever I have personally had more success going "bigger" in those situations than smaller. Weirdly.

 

[Rrrr]

Without wishing to sound clever I have personally had more success going "bigger" in those situations than smaller. Weirdly.

I like doing both and it seems to work on the tyne, something big and visable on the bottom then a dull size 14 to 18 fly on the dropper. They seem to spot the big fly then nail tbe dropper upnin the water for some reason. Its got to work elsehwere too.

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[ozzyian]

Without wishing to sound clever I have personally had more success going "bigger" in those situations than smaller. Weirdly.

A fella I fish with a bit tends to use big flies, sometimes so big I wince when I see them, he does well though. I think the temptation is to go smaller when you can clearly see whats going on (clear water/good visibility) and bigger when you can't. You're probably right though, there's potentially a lack of logic in it, next time I'll try bigger - then give up in frustration

 

[scotsmac1]

What was the depth of the water in which the fish were lying? And what was its temperature?

If the water is very cool, it's often the case that the distance over which the salmon will commit to a fly is reduced from the normal 6 feet or so. That distance is also affected by the current beyond the bounds of the lie: they're often reluctant to follow a fly into heavier water owing to the energy expenditure involved.

And if the temperature is normal - in the range 7.5 - 15C - but the fly is perhaps a mite too far away, they may move to inspect it but not commit.

For every one reason for a salmon to take there are 99 for it not to take.

A bit to rational, and technical for a wild species. Personally it can be the opposite of norm as many times as norm thinking with finicky fish.
On trick I would certainly off tied, would been full floater, 16ft tao
pered leader, and a small heavy cone head Francis Dead drifted down to them, even letting the line slip thew your fingers, bopping along the Botton, till the francis if swirling round the fish lie, Your spotter can telll you. Lift and drop the rod. If it works , bang your in. if not the fish will move with lockjaw.
A lot resort, that works when all elz fails, And it different.
But remember it Salmon fishing, and some just dont, play.

 

[MCXFisher]

Scotsmac,
I agree. They're fish and we don't understand them.
MCX

 

[scotsmac1]

Of course it can be done & some are caught as by catch, but you never ime see people out there nymphing for salmon. Maybe it’s popular somewhere out there in the world. #8 nymphing rod would be fun


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The main thing with the Dead drift technique, being so effective, is partly because it something different. We all know fresh fish are easier catch and are generally more aggressive.
But when fish been in river 4days to a week and more, hey've seen flieas swinging at them from 9am till 5pm all day, and after time, they actually move sideways away from the fly, then return their spot. Then suddenly something comes at them face on , getting nearer and nearer then right in its space, and hopefully pissing it off, and it hits the flee.
Iv seen this so many times in pools that hold fish, that ate subjected to relentless flies swing at them. They wise up. And every so often some fresh fish move in , and are caught. So the relentless swing presentation carrys on 98% the time
Their wild, but not stupid.

 

[Lamson v10]

Of course it can be done & some are caught as by catch, but you never ime see people out there nymphing for salmon. Maybe it’s popular somewhere out there in the world. #8 nymphing rod would be fun


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You do on the tweed ??. Supposedly fishing for grayling but most definitely fishing for salmon

 

[nore fly]

Sometimes the fly or the line etc disturb the fish in a lie and they move and circle around but are not chasing the fly..what you need to watch for is there mouths opening and closing .and a left and right body movement flashing ther flanks ..that's the movement that gets me going when I am spot fishing from a high bank ....my advice go crazy small with your fly choice and strip it fast to make a wake ...floating line ...

 

[simonjh98]

3.3mm Tungsten nymph on a size 12 jig hook, cast upstream and keep in contact as it dead drifts.. Bob's your uncle

 

[Tangled]

3.3mm Tungsten nymph on a size 12 jig hook, cast upstream and keep in contact as it dead drifts.. Bob's your uncle

Sadly, no downstream access, where I was was where I had to be.

A few things I definitely would do now that I couldn't do then would be

1. Go very small. Trout nymph small.
2. Use a big streamer - certainly a sunray
3. skate a big dry fly
4. Try some of the big rubber-legged bugs I picked up in Argentina
5. Stick on a squirmy wormy (soz)