Recent comments

Submitted by Rick on

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As a fly fishing novice I am in search of the best fly: wet, dry, tie - to use in cold conditions - air/water temperature?
Many thanks

Submitted by Ken on

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Thanks Kelly. This was my fav of the first three in the series. I'm going to see how the fish like them in two weeks here. My 50th b-day present is a week on Mooselook so I'm pretty excited about that.

Submitted by Conrad Kappel on

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Great pattern Rick. Tied a dozen and fished it behind a Hendrickson Comparadun a couple weeks ago. Caught 14 beauties at Limestone, 11 on the midge and 3 on the dry. Worked great on the Farmington too!!.

Martin,

your answer doesn't confuse me, on the contrary, you gave some answers and/or advices I was hoping to get:
- tie some nice looking flies, go fish and see what happens!
- I have often simply chosen flies that I like and that "seemed right".....

My question intended, that I like the Sunray Shadow style a little bit more - it's only a question of taste for me and I really love shrimp flies on double or single hooks.
So your answer will really help me to fish "my" flies with more faith and so the danger of thinking "did I tie the right ones?" will hopefully be diminished.
Thanks for that.

Jan

Jan,

No question is too basic, and yes there is a difference... but like with all other aspects of fly tying and fly fishing, it's subtle and personal and maybe without real consequence when you fish!

The right fly style is the one that works (duh!).
The Sunrays work well in almost all waters all over the world - Iceland, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Canada.
The smaller flies also work in Iceland. Clear water and sometimes spooky fish call for weapons of a smaller caliber.
In the Danish and Swedish waters, which are often quite peaty and dark, people tend to select bushier and darker, brown, red, burnt orange and black flies while anglers in other places like the UK, Ireland and Scotland often select slimmer and brighter flies while the Norwegian and Russian preference is often larger. Colors are important I think, because the visibility of the fly relies on its color in comparison the the water color. In clear water all flies are easily seen, and people seem to go down in size. At night people select dark flies, often black - and large and bushy.

My personal experience is slightly offbeat, and depends on how limited my number of salmon fishing trips has been. I still have a notion that it's like with most other types of fishing: if the fish are biting, the fly choice isn't really that important.
Getting the fly to fish right is much more critical, fishing in the right depth, the presentation, not spooking the fish, the swing, fishing up- or downstream can have a much larger impact on your success than selecting exactly the right fly. Size can matter, and so can color as already mentioned and to some extent weight, but the exact style - slim, bushy, mobile, stiff - doesn't seem to me to play a really large role. I have often simply chosen flies that I like and that "seemed right" based on my own feeble logic and managed to produce fish, and at other times followed tradition and guide's advice and been skunked.

Unfortunately experience and routine is something that comes with... experience and routine, which equals hours on the water, and those of us that can't get enough hours will either have to listen to the locals or take the long shot and guess our way. The latter has often worked for me. Fish aren't that wise, and a somewhat skilled angler should be able to get them to bite - if they are in the mood.

The basic message is probably: tie some nice looking flies, go fish and see what happens!

Hope this long reply doesn't confuse more than it explains. Other more skilled salmon anglers might be able to chip in with more "reality based" answers.

Martin

Martin,

that's a really fine article, thanks for it!
I have a question about using different tube fly styles: is there a general difference in using tube flies in the style you describe here and the ones like Sunray shadow and the many variants of it (e.g. the very nice flies of Nils Joergensen - Migo NJ....). Could a salmon fisherman 'live' with flies in only one of these styles? Or are there big differences in using the flater winged Sunray shadow derivates against that Danish style tubes?
I hope my questions are not to basic for this comment field.

Best regards

Jan

Clayton,

I reckon that you mean "who" sells mkicrotube? Look for the product online and check out products such as Larva Lace, Flexi-Cord, Jelly Rope or other brands from other manufacturers. Microtube is probably too generic a term to search for.

Martin

Submitted by Alberta Al Gro… on

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Now Joel, That is a nice streamer. I like its looks. I am going to have to tye some up for this summer.

Submitted by Carl Harris on

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I love this shot. Was this taken with a polarized filter?

Norm,

Finding the wavelength for each compound is a lot of work! And I'm not even sure the manufacturers would want to tell us. They would most likely rather sell their own lamps than let us users find alternatives or "cross-product" lamps.

The alcohol in the hand sanitizer acts like pure alcohol and rubs off the sticky resin, but leaves the surface dull as described in the text.

Martin

Submitted by ernesto guevara on

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hahahahahaha!!! tipical european ignorance, brazilian music in argentine lands!!!!!aesthetics and taste its no debatable, but i'm sure that this fisherman think in America latina how the same thing, equal material, music, land and people. I'm sadly for this conception!!!!! snif snif, snif ohhhhh the video is nice!!!!! great fishes! nice spots!!!! great dorados!

Submitted by William Maver on

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I have read your article,which is very interesting,which I itend to try.But can you give me information and advice on"dyeing",I would like to try the fluorescent white,can you tell me where I get this dye,or what to use and how to use it,any information would be greatfully received,thanks. Yours, W M.

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