6 Tips to Get You Started Fly Fishing For Salmon
I know that the river condition are not right for fly fishing for Salmon just yet but I thought that I would throw out some common tips to get you started on the right foot when the rivers do come in. I hope these help you in some way and that the rivers will straighten up soon until then here are the tips
Tip #1: Fly Fishing for Salmon – Mood Matters
Salmon can be an odd fish to catch since their mood often matters. If they are in a taking mood they will accept any lure and bait. However, if they are not in a taking mood they will ignore anything that you dangle in front of them.
Tip #2: Fly Fishing for Salmon – When Will they Strike?
When salmon are in the river they won’t be feeding. However, this doesn’t mean that they won’t be striking. For a salmon, striking is a natural behaviour. The Idea is to get a drift that will drop your offering in front of them suddenly so their natural reaction to strike takes over. You don’t want to drift it down to them where they are watching it drift down they normally will move away from your offering if the have time drift off to the side and just before it drifts past slowly pull it in front of them.
Tip #3: Fly Fishing for Salmon – Keep your Hooks Sharp
The salmon has a very thick jaw so you’ll want to keep your hooks as sharp as possible so that they can penetrate deep. Make sure you are using a heavy enough hook to stand up to the abuse a salmon is going to give it and is capable of penetrating their heavy jaws.
Tip #4: Fly Fishing for Salmon – Fishing with a Partner
Try fly fishing for salmon with a partner so that you can spot more fish. Take turns fly fishing. One partner will fish while the other one stands on the opposite bank or a higher advantage point where he can keep an eye on the behaviour of the salmon and exactly where they are. Make sure that you bring along your polarized glasses as getting your fly in front of them at just the right time is the trick in making them strike
Tip #5: Fly Fishing for Salmon – Find a Good Hole
Make the effort to find a hole that has plenty of salmon in it. These types of holes can be fished all day. Look for deep slow moving spots in the river channel and one that offers some type of cover weather it is from a downed log or some large boulders.
Tip #6: Fly Fishing for Salmon – Choose Low-Light Days – Cool Water
Salmon like days that have a low-light or cloud cover. On days that are sunny and bright you’ll most likely find salmon congregating away from the brightness in deep holes. It’s those cloudy days that will make the salmon more accessible to you.
Water temperature, and knowing what it is, can play a big role in the success or failure of salmon fishing. You’ll want to invest in a good thermometer so that you can keep track of water temperatures throughout the day. Make sure that you place the thermometer in the same place each time to a depth of anywhere from six inches to three feet below the surface. Water temperature that range from 50 to 55 degrees is what I believe to be Ideal .
Keep a notebook with a record of water temperatures, being sure to update whenever you can. After a few years of recording water temperature in your favourite fishing spot you’ll have a good idea of which patterns are occurring.
Salmon do much better in cooler water. When water temperatures start to rise, salmon go deeper. This is because there is more oxygen in cooler water and salmon need this oxygen to survive. Salmon will be more active in cooler water than warm water so they will be a little more difficult to catch as they fight harder to escape. You’ll want to find a happy medium in water temperature so that the fish aren’t too active but nor are they too hot.
Understanding the water temperature of the water that your fishing can play a big part in knowing what type of rod, reel, and line to use as well as what type of lures and baits you should be using.
