[easky]

Size 8 Curry's Red Shrimp from the Weir Pool on the Fortland Fishery of the River Easky in the west of Ireland on 13 July 2001 - tide fresh and fought like a tiger, couldn't believe the power. Same beat as big Jack Charlton was fishing and remember going to chat to him and he was still fuming at losing a 10lber at the net! Went on up to the single bank in the afternoon and landed another two, little did I know that its not always like that

 

[strowan lea]

Garden fly! Schoolhouse pool, Ruchill, 11 years old, 11lbs, 11th oct 1966!🤓
Ist on fly was a few years later on Aan at the Dell, just an unknown random which came first out box virtually on last cast of day. Dont ask me what it looked like as I lost the fly next cast when another took me and on striking, the fly flew behind me into a tree and is probably hanging there to this day!

 

[tynefisher]

Who can remember the fly pattern that caught your first fly fished salmon?

Mine was a fully dressed curry's red shrimp with swan veilings on the Clongee beat of the Moy some 30 years back.

I can remember the day well as it was July and extremely hot and fishing in rubber waders was uncomfortable.

Although I had caught many salmon on spinners and natural baits before I really didn't know what I was doing.

I can remember trying damn hard to remove the fly from what I thought was another rock the fly was stuck on when right below me a tide bright salmon jumped.

I handlined that fish in like a stockie rainbow didn't have a clue how to play a salmon on a fly rod it was a tide bright fish of about 10lbs

Willie Gunn tied on an Esmond Drury treble, size 12. River Cree, Scotland

 

[General Practitioner]

Bann Special, September 2009, River Easkey, Ireland.
Until today, my most favorite pattern - it‘s all about trust and confidence I guess.

 

[salarchaser]

Another first on the GP . River Taw , Rising Sun water on falling water . Size 10 double ,self tied, on a 10' sink tip , courtland wf 7 , 10' 6/7/8/9 Diamondback rod and Ryobi 333 reel . Long time ago , must be at least 30 pound by now. Actually about 6 pound.

Oooo.
A 10 foot 6-8 diamond back.
Had one of them for a few years before it got nicked from my van.
Got a 10'6" 5-8 as a replacement.
Great rods. Mine still in the garage though sadly with a broken top section.

 

[scoops]

A big 2” copper cascade tube about September 2005 (I think) a fish about 8lbs from horse shoe bend at Kintore on the Don, remember some the other fishermen saying they’d never have used that fly, I never knew much about fly selection then, had a big cheeser smile for a few days

 

[HantsAvon]

Comet tube fly...13lb fresh cock fish from the Royalty Fishery, Hampshire Avon 29 May 2007

 

[Lurig]

Black Dart 1” Copper Tube Fly on the Nith at Upper Nithsdale late in the Season & the Salmon was 9lbs & very fresh about 35 years ago.

 

[Fergal1975]

Quite a few first salmon caught on the Currys Red Shrimp, mine included. I was around 12 or 13 years old. Caught the fish in a spawning stream going in to a lough. The fish was maybe 2.5lbs or 3lbs, black as turf. I killed it and ate it, as was the done thing then. It still haunts me now that I killed that fish.

 

[Dandy angler]

It was a Dunkeld size 12 on a 9 ft 7 wt rod in 1984, 14th July. Ive still got the entry in my old fishing diary...... I was looking for sea trout on the Allan. I remember the fish and fly but not the rod , thanks to fishing diary for that. I was 14 and fishing with my dear departed dad , who was my constant fishing companion and taught me all the basics and inspired me. That fish a grilse was 3lb 6oz,and probably hooked me on salmon and fishing as much I hooked it.....😃. Thanks for this thread because its brought back fantastic memories . 👍🎣

 

[meyre]

Aboyne Bridge Easter 1984. 1'' # 8 long shank Pink & Black Woolly Bugger. 8 lb hen ---- delicious cold and hot.

Alan Brodie had advised...'' If they ignore your 2 1/2 inch Black and gold Devon minnow ( standard item for Dee and Don at Easter time ) then give them something they haven't seen.'' Father's cap was full of handy things from Chew and Grafham , where no springers swim, and the Bugger from Canada was certainly outlandish enough.

Presented on a Wet cel 2 loaded on a narrow Hardy Viscount from a 14' Diawa .with a 6' Maxima 15lb tippet.

Interesting list of very varied flies Many intended for trout , often off a single handed rod.

 

[pfeul]

black wet fly for trout size 12 on a 9ft 5wt trout rod, floating line
Don, Monymusk beat 7, early May 2009, 5°C, hail and wind.
A fresh and liced silver fish was the reward after 10 minutes fishing
I still wonder if it was the beginning of a terrible addiction or a wonderful fishing trip.

 

[hut pool]

Size 10 Greenwells Glory ,River Thurso when I was 10 yrs old ,You can't beat the wee flee's

 

[Occasional salmon fisher]

black wet fly for trout size 12 on a 9ft 5wt trout rod, floating line
Don, Monymusk beat 7, early May 2009, 5°C, hail and wind.
A fresh and liced silver fish was the reward after 10 minutes fishing
I still wonder if it was the beginning of a terrible addiction or a wonderful fishing trip.

Both

 

[Oscar]

My first 3 salmon were caught on exactly the same fly, a Size 10 Bibio given to me by Jim Stafford, the manager on the Erriff at the time.

Despite trying it many times since, I've not even had a take!

Oscar.

 

[Cookie-boy]

Aly’s shrimp, Polly Pool on the A’an. Rod was a Daiwa 11’ single hander. Couldn’t believe the power of a double figure fresh run fish on a rod that size. Been too scared to use it since! 😂

 

[Tees88]

A 1" Cascade tube fly.

 

[burnie]

I have the fly on my Acubra hat band, a silver and blue thing on a small double, no idea what it's called. I caught a Grilse of around 4lbs from the Arrats Mill Lade on the South Esk at Kinnaird around 20 years ago. The first salmon I caught on a fly I tied myself came from Lower Careston, the fly was a rather rough looking flame thrower, I still have that fly too.

 

[speydog]

My first legal salmon on a fly was on the river Ayr on a #4 Stinchar stoat. The year was 1972 and the water had started to drop, a few local rods said I was wasting my time with the flee. They were fishing Toby’s, I cannot remember the name of the pool but the salmon I caught that day was around 10lbs. I still have the fly somewhere!!

 

[firefly]

Fiery brown temple dog variant, Mandal, Norway.