Flies

[donangler]

Right, rod bought, backing changed, line washed, loops changed, jacket rewaxed, what next.......... flies i guess well my salmon fly box is pretty much bare just a couple flies i got given,....... what should i buy? what size? what colour? and one more question what strength nyon should i use and sink tips should i buy? I will be fishing the Don mainly but may fish the Deveron and some other rivers around my area.

Thanks, Jay

[altmor]

Jay,

Not that I fish either the Don or Deveron regularly,(last time was last season in April / May), but I would have thought size 8s or 10s trebles or doubles from May onwards in patterns like cascade, ally's shrimp (orange and yellow). Come June heading into July I would try 10s and 12s in patterns like executioner and arndilly fancy. I would stick to the floater and often I use just 4-5ft of med sink braid (not the polyfuse type - I don't like it's presentation). In these months, 10lb - 12lb maxima line is what I use, although you might want to think 15lb for the Don.

Front end and back end, I might be tempted if the water levels were not too high, to pop on an intermediate, still with approx 5ft sink braid, and would either go for size 8s or 6s trebles or, more likely, a small waddington both black and gold bodied, tied willie gunn pattern. Again depending on water levels and clarity, I'd use either 1", 1.5 or up to 2" waddingtons. Line I would keep up at 15lb breaking strain.

And don't forget the net - hope you'll need it. Good luck.

[donangler]

Any essential flies exept ally's and cascade?

Jay

[donangler]

As you all probably know i'm a total novice. Just some questions i need to get my head round. Do you use smaller or bigger hooks at the end of the season or the start and do you use brighter ones at the start or just whatever the water conditions are? Grilse are they just small salmon? and when do you catch them.

Thanks, Jay

[donangler]

Great so say i stuck with the cascades all season i still might catch a fish even if the conditions are different?

Jay

[donangler]

Sorry probably a really stupid question what is a grilse and when can you catch them, are they young salmon?

Jay

[altmor]

Technically Jay, yes grilse are young salmon. They return to the river often having had just 1 year at sea (feeding up). They will normally be in the 4 - 7 lb class, shaped like small torpedoes and will normally be caught on most rivers in June, known as the start of the "grilse run".

However as this year (past) has shown us the grilse ran later and on some rivers, (as has been the trend over the past few years), these fish were in the smaller 2 - 3 lb class.

Generally, a fish 8lb and over may well be a 2 year wintered at sea fish, meaning it has spent at least 2 years at sea feeding before it returns to the river whence it was born to spawn, and not technically a grilse. It might be referred to as a "springer" or "summer salmon", or "autumn runner". A 20lbr might be a 4 year wintered fish, and so on ...

Generally thus the grilse has spent 1 year at sea - but still makes for cracking sport on lighter tackle at the onset of summer.

[donangler]

Do they still go for all the same flies as normal salmon?

Jay

[iainjay]

Graham
Am I right in thinking that come June/July these particular patterns would also attract sea trout?Or when fishing at this time do you specifically target one or other,salmon or sea trout?

Cheers

[Sloggi]

Donangler

I'd be quite happy to fish Ally's, Cascade, Ness C (cascade variant), and Pot Bellied Pigs (coneheads,orange, black, and a mix of both) throughout the season with the addition of a silver stoat and flies with teal, blue and silver colours for sea-trout and grilse.

The grilse info is pretty comprehensive. The one thing I notice with grilse is that when fresh they can be very aggressive - similar to sea-trout in that the takes can be hard and fast whereas a salmon can often seem to just draw away with line. I think you're also more liable to experience grilse jumping clear of the water compared to the rug-rug movement of a decent salmon. But generalization is not good either! A bit of silver or gold or flash is never a bad thing when looking for grilse. I suppose the silver stoat is a good all-rounder when summer fishing as you'll take both sea-trout and grilse with this fly.

[donangler]

Well thats something to think about at the moment i'm tying a lot of cascades 6's and 8's in doubles. But I'll be sure to put a few of them in as well, where can i find out the patterns for the ness c?

Jay

[williegunn]

I would describe a cascade as a Ness C varient as the Ness C was on the scene before the Cascade.

[Sloggi]

williegunn said:

I would describe a cascade as a Ness C varient as the Ness C was on the scene before the Cascade.

Really? Thanks for that - amazing similarities - something fishy going on

[Sloggi]

donangler said:

Well thats something to think about at the moment i'm tying a lot of cascades 6's and 8's in doubles. But I'll be sure to put a few of them in as well, where can i find out the patterns for the ness c?

Jay

Ness C dressing is on the Forum - I think it's in the fly-tying section

[exerod]

The Ness C.

salmosalar.proboards80.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=salmonflies&thread=1142165730&page=1

I'd forgotten that bit of the forum exsisted!

Andy

[macd]

Jay

don fish will take a very small fly, even in med-highish water. In spring 3/4 copper willie gunn is a favourite.

tight lines

[robmason]

Don Flies, as others have mentioned- silver stoat, executioner and ally's shrimp, haved worked for me.