Fly v spinner

[tweedsider]

This week the use of spinner in pursuit of salmon shall cease on Tweed, the ban which extends to the weeks before the opening and after the closing of the old netting season may be unique to Tweed , if not I am sure members of this forum will soon correct me. Again many association waters will only allow the use of spinners when river levels reach a certain height. Association rules I assume are in the interest of good sporting practice ans conservation. Do forum members know of any private beats which apply rules similar to association's, or are there merely guidelines upon this.

[victorclem]

The Dee has been fly-only for ten years, and maybe longer, in the interests of conservation of the fish. I am not sure how much discussion/ argument this raised at the time, but people seen that the situation merited it, and is now universally accepted.

[castelforte]

Some of the big templedog flies these days with all the flash can actually look like spinners in the water anyway and so the fly can be just as good as a spinner and can definitely score higher in the smaller sizes.

The only thing I have against a spinning ban is the fact that this method actually helps beginners and kids get into salmon fishing. Sometime this is due to the casting skill required for distance but it could be due to having too much water to wade safely.

I hope your river board has the foresight to organise some casting clinics and fly tying schools for the youngsters so that they are included.

CF

[williegunn]

I'm not convinced that the Fly Only Rule stops kids from wanting to fish, most rivers North of Inverness are fly only even on the Association stretches and a lot of kids still fish.

[tweedsider]

Hello castleforte from sw Norway. I was not advocating a spinning ban although I never use the method myself, I find the bit of bent wire whirring arouind on the front of the reel an absolute irritation. I was merely curious about how things were arranged in other river systems. My own local Association on a Tweed tributary is fly only, and a believe that there is an organisation on Tweed dedicated to fetching young anglers into the sport. Best wishes Tweedsider

castelforte said:

Some of the big templedog flies these days with all the flash can actually look like spinners in the water anyway and so the fly can be just as good as a spinner and can definitely score higher in the smaller sizes.

The only thing I have against a spinning ban is the fact that this method actually helps beginners and kids get into salmon fishing. Sometime this is due to the casting skill required for distance but it could be due to having too much water to wade safely.

I hope your river board has the foresight to organise some casting clinics and fly tying schools for the youngsters so that they are included.

CF

[tyneandrew]

victorclem said:

The Dee has been fly-only for ten years, and maybe longer, in the interests of conservation of the fish. I am not sure how much discussion/ argument this raised at the time, but people seen that the situation merited it, and is now universally accepted.

Thats not strictly true but on the whole yes.

Birse still spin in the early months as do quite a few lower beats.

[castelforte]

tweedsider said:

Hello castleforte from sw Norway. I was not advocating a spinning ban although I never use the method myself, I find the bit of bent wire whirring arouind on the front of the reel an absolute irritation. I was merely curious about how things were arranged in other river systems. My own local Association on a Tweed tributary is fly only, and a believe that there is an organisation on Tweed dedicated to fetching young anglers into the sport. Best wishes Tweedsider

castelforte said:

Some of the big templedog flies these days with all the flash can actually look like spinners in the water anyway and so the fly can be just as good as a spinner and can definitely score higher in the smaller sizes.

The only thing I have against a spinning ban is the fact that this method actually helps beginners and kids get into salmon fishing. Sometime this is due to the casting skill required for distance but it could be due to having too much water to wade safely.

I hope your river board has the foresight to organise some casting clinics and fly tying schools for the youngsters so that they are included.

CF

Tweedsider,

I hate spinning but I will sometimes use ledgered flies on a spinning rod if conditions dictate. In this land of waterfalls and gorges you sometime have a job getting any kind of fly line down to the correct depth due the the speed of the water. The ledgered fly does the trick though.

I fished in a classical spnning location ealrier in the week. On an 8 rod beat I was the only one using a fly (wet cet with polyleader) and luckily the only one to get a fish (on a fly I made the night before). One of the other rods switched to a fly rod the next day. If only I had caught more then I could have had them all converted over to the real thing

CF

[tweedsider]

Castleforte you@re a man after me own heart. ;D

Regards Tweedsider