Good Afternoon OFN

[StoneFly]

Good afternoon OFC, glad to be aboard. I dont want my first post to be controversial, but I have been reading alot of the posts about salmon and snagging, and they are half dead and they dont hit in the rivers, etc, etc.

 

While I agree wholeheartely that once a fresh run comes in the river, and they start to turn after a few days as the water drops clears and warms, hitting a bait for feeding is rare. All you have to do is go to any pool in southern Ontario with more than 12" of vis and see 100 fish and 10 anglers using roe and ALMOST every fish that gets on is snagged and most are lost for reasons already mentioned in previous posts.

 

I will absolutely admit when fresh fish are on the move they will strike roe out of aggression its a bio/evolutionary thing. But consider this,...If 95% of fish are snagged and a few lined with roe and the ones coming up have obviously been in the river for a while,..BUT if someone was using little stonesflys and pulling up fish that were still fresh and silver and every one was hooked in the mouth, is there something to these statistics? I have personally witnessed this time and time again over the last couple of years and really dont even use roe to fish salmon anymore. If anyone tries this and there is enough vis, you will clearly see the fish go for your fly, simliar to how stealhead hit.

 

Salmon roe works good for the first few runs of rainbows that come up (hopefully soon with some rain and cooler weather), but there are more prodcutive and legimate baits to catch FRESH salmon at this time of year. Along with this is that if you use strong enough leader, that little Fly hook will bend, if by a small chance that #14 or #16 size hook has fouled the fish,...and therefore you have released an illegally hooked fish and and not left a hook in its back belly or tail.

 

That same hook will usually NOT bend at all when you have cleanly hooked a fish. I have seen this time and time again. I personally would rather use small flies and get legit strikes all day, if the salmon gets off, he won, it is a sport afterall, those tiny hooks have to be set perfectly to land a large fish, while the guy next to me keeps breaking off due to hookin the fish in the belly with his #4 hook and roe bag. In a pool of 100 fish, all I am thinking of is those couple fresh ones with flies on the mind and legit hits.

 

I'm not trying to stir anything up at all, just trying to help. I don't consider myself an expert by any means, but do consider myself fortunate to have learned from one of the most knowledgeable anglers i have ever met.

 

I personally would love to see alot more anglers out there on the rivers using better baits for more legit strikes on salmon once in the river. I think we would see alot less dead fish in the rivers and ALOT less salmon coming up with big hooks already in their back, fins and tails. Bottom line is it is a more productive, legitimate way to fish and better for the fishery and the environment. Just my Opinion, didnt mean to offend anyone. If anyone is skeptical, try it sometime.

 

And last but not least, one from today, pretty fresh looking, on the smaller side, in fact the only fresh fish I saw landed today, and on the fly deep in the mouth.

 

cheers,

 

[Greencoachdog]

Excellent fish on the fly!!!

[solopaddler]

Nice fish and interesting observations.

Edited September 1, 2008 by solopaddler

[Leecher]

Welcome to OFC and very nice fish

Leechman

[ccmtcanada]

Great fish! As solopaddler said, interesting observations on river salmon.

 

Good luck out there....I look forward to more reports and great pics!

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Very nice! I haven't fished tribs for awhile but in clear water, flies or a single egg on a hook are tops.

[John]

Thanks for the very interesting first post StoneFly. I think that no matter what, this topic is going to get you flak from some of the lets say more opinionated members of this board.

 

Anyway, welcome. Look forward to your posts.

[StrealHeader]

Good to have you back Milty.