See it or feel it?

[elwyman]

I'm having to 'make do' with some trout fishing until my salmon season starts in May with a trip to Boleside on Tweed.

Had a good day on our club lake today, catching 8 rainbows to 3lb, half on dry flies and half on wets. I have to admit that I enjoy the pull of a take to the wet fly more than the visual take to dry - this probably explains why I enjoy night fishing for sea trout so much.

My question is, what is the most exciting take in salmon fishing - the visual or the unseen subsurface take? I think all of my fly caught salmon have been the latter.

[kercock]

The salmon shows out on the river,I think to myself,bugger me,that must be close to my fly................a few seconds pass.........the reels starts to click away......................it has taken my fly ! click click click...........(a lot more clicks)........then the slow lift..............the rod begins to arch............................and he's on NAAHHH, Ye cannae whack it.

[elwyman]

Aye Kercock - the click click of the reel, that's when the adrenalin starts flowing!

[rennie]

Only fish with a full floater when a river is right down in its bones, usually fish some form of polytip so I rarely see a take. The first indication is usually the reel giving me a shout to wake up and get on with it,would recommend this to newbies/beginners as you don't get a rush of blood and yack the fly out of the fishes mouth when you see it move (as I used to do).My best ever fish chased my fly for several yards across the surface before it nailed it,scaring me to death in the process,but still like to hear the reel go 0-60 in a sparrows fart right out of the blue.In short like them both,whatever cards the fates may deal.

[exerod]

I reckon I see about half my salmon take, by which I mean I actually see the fly or spinner disappear into the fishes mouth. The unseen takes are good but for me it adds greatly to the experience to see the fish coming before the take. Dibbling the fly in narrow slots and gullies is the best.
Upstream spinning (I rarely cast a spinner downstream, thats the direction for casting flies!) also produces some exciting takes, I like to see the fish turn and chase. Some of the most memorable ones have been the ones that appear at the last minute rushing the spinner open mouthed but turning away without taking, that always leaves me shaken!

Tight lines

Andy

[gavan]

rennie,
are you saying, that , when fishing the fly, it is best
to fish with the clutch turned off, so that the fish can
take line off the reel, as soon as it takes the fly.??/
................gavan................

[Fruin]

Gavan,

Some people like to fish off the reel, others don't. Personally, I like to let the fish take a few feet of line off the reel before I tighten into it. The exception to this is when I am fishing a small spate river, where the fish don't seem to turn on the fly the same and most are lip hooked. In this instance I like to raise the rod immediately, as I find this sets the hook better. There are some rivers where the ghillie will tell you to strike the minute a fish takes. Unfortunately, like so many other things in this game, there are no hard and fast rules and you can only find out over time what works best for you.

Also, on the original subject of the thread, I love the take on a sunk line. I like, as rennie said, to be woken by the sound of the reel zinging and then raise into the fish.

[hans]

What I like most, is to come to a river, try to read the places where to expect a fish, (a stone, the current etc.)
than work my way downstream to these spots.
My most fished river is the Gaula in Norway, the water is always a wee bit cognac coloured there, so not likely to actually see the fish.
If I come closer to an expected hotspot, the adrenaline rush starts to flow, and when this tiny pull on the line find place in such a spot, think that is one of the most exciting things in the world for me....
Hans.

[redshrimp]

Quite a few rivers i fish here in N.I. are not classic streamy water and you have to hand line to get the fly working effectively. A lot of times you can see the fish coming to the fly, well not exactly the fish but you see the wave building up as the fish comes,then a big boil as it turns away. Mostly it takes the fly but sometimes it doesn't. The secret is to keep pulling the fly as normal until you feel the take. Very exciting. I have had fish coming three or four times before they take and it's amazing just how far they will come to intercept a fly.

[rennie]

Gavan,yes thats how I like to fish,I adjust the drag/ratchet of my reel so as my fly fishes round in the flow the current cant pull line off the reel but only just ,then if I see a fish move to the fly or not I wait for a pull and the reel to sound as line is taken by the fish as it turns with the fly.Its the simply a matter of raising the rod and tightening into the fish.The only times I change this is if I am hand lining the fly or I suspect the fish are running hard and not turning on the fly properly when I will clamp up and welly them.Most times fishing like this takes will be steady purposeful affairs but sometimes you will get the Valentino Rossi take where you will be well into your backing before you know it,just be careful here this fish will be hooked nearly instantly just gently slow your reel until the fish stops or you could break or pull the fly from the fishes mouth.

[gavan]

thanks rennie, and, you too fruin.....
gavan...............

[wilbert]

Most of the fish that I catch I feel and very rarely see them but I did have some success on bombers and skated tubes in Russia which is great fun and I will be trying to get 1 in the UK this year. The last take i had on the Dee last month was probably the best if not the best take I have every had, it was on a sinker with a sunray and went 0-60 in the blink of an eye. looking forward to another one like that.