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It's That Time of Year! by Jay Peck
Here we go again, a new salmon season. By the time you sit down to read this the first of the salmon fall run should be arriving in a few rivers. Fishing tactics for these fish have been a little controversial, to say the least. With this mess in mind, I'm going to talk about a few salmon fishing techniques that have worked for me over time. Most of my fishing has been done with a fly rod. But many points and practices that I will discuss will be useful for both bait and spin fishermen.
Early salmon season has one major factor that will control the activities of the salmon. It is water temperature. In a nutshell, warm water (high 60's and above) doesn't hold enough oxygen for the salmon to be very active and they do not bite well. Until the water cools down from the low 60's to the mid-50's, when and where to fish will be critical. The best fishing is going to be from first light until mid morning. By doing this it will make the most of the coolest part of the day by water temperature. By mid morning the water has started to warm up and the oxygen level has started to drop off.
With water temperature being the major contributor to oxygen levels so too can the type of water fished. With oxygen at a premium for the salmon, most active fish will be found in the hard water (that is the head of pools and the pocket water in the riffs and runs that are running into the pool). Two characteristics that make these locations prime spots to fish are the fast moving water which catches and holds a little more oxygen, and water surface which makes a roof for the salmon.
Keep in mind while scouting potential pools to fish, it is best to resist the temptation to fish the visible fish in the slower water. The salmon that are found here are resting and are not interested in biting. Sleeping fish are hard to tempt into biting. The approach I use is I would rather fish to ten fish with five biters than a 100 fish with ten biters. The heads of pools and the pocket water is where the majority of active salmon will be concentrated.
In September and early October the major thought that is in the minds of salmon is to run and run upriver. Some of the best fishing will occur on those days that are wet, rainy, and cold. The water temperature will not rise much at all and the dark days will give more security to the salmon. The salmon will move all day and will present excellent fishing opportunities. On wet and rainy days serious salmon fishermen will not pass up the opportunity.
By mid October the water temperature has dropped off sufficiently and the salmon run is in full swing and the fishing day can be expanded. During the midday the salmon will usually settle down and will hold in pools until the last two hours of the day. As the light starts to fade in the water, the salmon becomes restless and starts to move. The best part of this is that the crowds of fishermen are thinning out and many are going home. The river is quieting down and the salmon are on the move and biting. What more could you ask for? Do not beat yourself up. Rest with the salmon during the mid part of the day.
In late October the salmon are starting to spawn and can be found paired up on the gravel beds. Most of these fish will be old and beat up but a few good fish can be found. Fishing to the males that are trying to hold a territory can make for some exciting fishing.
So far I have talked about where in a river and the time of day to fish. Salmon fishing is no different than any other type of tributary fishing. The river maybe full of fish but finding players is the first and most important step.
Once active salmon have been located the fishing presentation I would employ is a down and across swing (the slow swing). Salmon have a preference for flies fished on the swing. One difference is the fly can be fished just off the bottom, that is you bump the bottom two or three times during the drift.
As for the flies, salmon have a preference for flies tied in natural colors. The old traditional salmon flies like green butt blackbears, green and pink butt skunks, stone flies, in all sizes 8 to 2 and of course large streamers sizes 1 and 2 will always get a few bites. By picking the time and place you can make the most of salmon fishing this fall.
Content © 1999 Troy Creasy Enterprises, Inc. Formatting © 2000 FishUSA.com |
Date Article Added: Monday, July 31, 2000
Article Applies to site(s): FishSalmonRiver.com
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