Salmon Fishing

Fly Fishing for Salmon and Steelhead is what I love to do.  This page will be dedicated to tactics, flies and gear that one would need to become a successful salmon angler.  My area of knowledge pertains to the tributaries of Lake Erie in Pennsylvania and the Salmon River in New York.

Coho Salmon--Salmon River--Pulaski, NY

Salmon Fishing

To start with, I will address the fact that salmon have no urge to feed once they enter the river to spawn.  Their digestive tract shrivels up and their only mission is to SPAWN.  Now, many have argued that since Salmon won't feed--that the only way to catch them is to SNAG them.  That is flat out wrong.  They may not eat, but they will smash a lure, fly or bait just to remove it from their space.  Female King Salmon will eat eggs to eliminate competition with her eggs.  The big thing is to entice the fish to strike.  How do you do that?  Well, you make the fish so mad  that he strikes your fly.  How do you react when there is a fly buzzing around your face?  You don't even think about it--you just react-- you slap at it and try to whack it--to remove it from your space.  Same premise with salmon.  It is just instinct.  That is my approach to salmon fishing in Lake Ontario tributaries.  I fish two ways:  one dead drifting nymphs and egg patterns and two:  swinging buggers, leech patterns or streamer patterns.  Either way is very effective.  One pattern that I came up with, Death Stonefly, is an amazing salmon catcher.  I got tired of losing nice stonefly patterns and concocted a pattern that is effective, yet simple to tie.  I would imagine the salmon feel that the stonefly is a predator to its eggs and tries to remove them from their spawning area.  There have been many articles written about the fish remembering that the stonefly and other aquatic organisms are something they ate when they were smolts planted into the river.  Whatever the reason, you cannot go wrong fishing a large stonefly pattern. When I take friends salmon fishing for the first time, they always ask:  How will I know?  I say, Trust me, you will know.  Your line will stop dead and I mean dead--it can be one of two things:  a snag or a fish.  I assure you that within 5 seconds you will know your answer!!!

Wading--  You do not have to wade into the middle of the river to catch these fish.  The fish will take the path of least resistance and sometimes that means right along the shoreline.  You should always wear wading shoes with felt bottoms, preferrably with studs in them. Nowadays most wading shoe manufacturers are no longer making wading shoes with felt bottoms and are opting for the sticky rubber.  The sticky rubber / studded bottoms are very good at gripping the river's substrate.   

Waders have come a very long way since I started wearing Neoprene Waders many years ago.  Neoprene waders are the way to go if you want the best warmth available.  If you know how to layer your clothes, then go with any of the breathable waders that are out there on the market.  I wear a pair of SIMMS G3 breathable waders while I am in salmon country.  Even if the air temps are in the 30s, I am pretty warm.  Then again, I move around plenty.  Waders are another personal preference item.  Hip boots are out of the question.  Make sure they are chest waders and please wear a wading belt.  If need be, also carry a wading staff.  I will say that you generally get what you pay for when it comes to waders.  Make sure whatever product you choose to purchase comes with a great warranty.    The SIMMS G3 waders were put to rest after roughly 10 years of abuse.  Had another pair of SIMMS cheaper waders and they did not last long.  Went cheap on my last pair.  They still get the job done.

Stealth--  Is it needed?  It sure is.  These fish run a gauntlet of lead, kerplunks and humans as they make their way up the river to spawn.  They are harrassed every inch of their journey.  So, the stealthier you are, the better your chances are of hooking up.  When I fish, I walk away from the crowds.  I try to find secluded water where there are only a few other anglers.  If you are going to fish the big pools--then stealth isn't much of  concern.  But, if you fish the riffles, runs and tail-outs--then a stealthy approach will help.  I mean, these fish are huge and you can see them.  You just want to make sure they don't see you. 

Fishing Tactics--  I don't fish the long-slow pools for salmon.  More often than not, the salmon are in the pool to rest.  I like to fish the riffles that lead into the pool and the tail-outs of a pool, just never the pool.  One reason for not fishing the pools is that the fish has plenty of time to inspect your offering.  Another reason is that I don't like crowds and I especially don't like crowds of people who are blatantly snagging.  I like to fish the broken water--riffles and runs.  The fish are usually more aggressive as they move upriver versus in a pool resting.  They have less time to inspect your offering and  then it comes down to instinct.  To whack something or not to whack something.  Does the fish want your fly in its space?  Most likely the fish will strike your fly to remove it from its space.  It will suck it in, then turn its head to spit it out.  Salmon fishing is a sport where you must treat every cast as if a fish is going to strike.  That is just how it has to be.  The second you relax or get complacent--a fish will rip the rod out of your hand and you might just miss your only strike of the day.  Be persistant, read the water.  Look for any obstruction that might break the current flow and give the fish an area to rest, say a boulder, a downed tree or a grouping of rocks.  These areas provide a resting point for a fish that has been making its way up the river to spawn. A good tactic is to find a female salmon with male salmon around her.  The males will be very agressive as each fish wants to be the one who ensures his bloodline will continue.  Swinging or drifting flies to the males will result in aggressive takes.  Some folks will say they are spawning and it is unethical and shouldn't be done.  I see it as, the only reason the fish are in the river is to spawn--so, by their logic, we shouldn't be fishing for them period.  These fish are stocked fish with very little natural reproduction going on. It is a put and take fishery.  Are there wild fish?  Definately.  Is picking off the males who are around a spawning female going to hurt that population.  Surely not.  The numbers of fish stocked are staggering.  During every trip I make to Pulaski I find the time to visit the Salmon River Fish Hatchery.  I'd like to suggest that you do the same.  It is very interesting and the facility is full of useful knowledge. 

Fly Selection--  I fly fish 99% of the time I am on the Salmon River.  There are plenty of flies that catch fish.  One big thing that helps, is to change your fly color and change it often !!!  Well, that is unless you are hammering them on a certain fly.  Sometimes changing fly size is what will get you into fish.  Sometimes smaller is better, but I prefer to fish bigger flies.  My Death Stonefly is tied on a Generic 3X strong Salmon Hook or my Vin's Bug Shoppe SELECT FLIES are tied on a  Daiichi 2161 or Gamakatsu T10-6H hook.  They are not small hooks.  On the other hand, I have had many days where a size 8 stonefly will do the trick.  Egg patterns come in many colors and sizes.  I like to fish a size 6 halo-egg or nuclear egg tied on a Mustad C67S hook or a generic 3X strong hook that had its merit tested on Western Steelhead waters. My SELECT FLIES are tied on a Daiichi X510 hook.  Sometimes a simple globug or estaz egg will do the trick.  If a survey were to be done along the river--asking what fly are you using?--I'd bet on any given day you would get 100 different answers.  It boils down to personal preference.  Having faith in your fly helps a great deal.  But, if that fly is not placed into the right spot--it really doesn't matter.  Presentation is important.  I have seen salmon swim 2 feet right or 2 feet left to suck in one of my flies.  On the other hand, I have made multiple casts to a fish where he would not budge.  Salmon fishing is about being persistant and not giving up and not giving in.  

*****  Note to this section, Fly Logic closed their doors many years ago.  You will not be able to get parts if something should go wrong with any of your Fly Logic gear.  I am now searching for the next line of gear I'll be using to chase salmon and steelhead.  Most of the gear listed below has been sold--  injury at work, divorce, custody battle (s). (I won custody TWICE)

Rod / Reel Selection--  This one is tricky.  There are so many options and it will mostly come down to personal preference.  Fly rods should be anywhere from 9 feet to 11 feet in length and range from 7 wt to 10 wt.  Spey rods range from 12 feet to 15 feet in length.  I do not spey fish, but it sure looks like a wonderful way to fish the river.  Fly reels should be sturdy and have the capacity to hold your fly line and about 125-150 yards of 30 pound backing.  A great drag system is a must.  My reel of choice for salmon and or steelhead fishing are reels made by FLY LOGIC.  Fly lines do not have to be expensive--these fish are mean and they will tear up your fly line.  Just make sure your fly line matches the weight recommended for your fly rod. I personally have really taken a liking to SWITCH RODS.  They are shorter than spey rods, yet give the angler the choice to use a basic overhead cast or spey cast.  I honestly recommend giving a SWITCH ROD a try.  I own a WINSTON 11 foot 7 wt switch rod and a BEULAH 10.5 foot 9/10 wt switch rod.  If this is your first time salmon fishing, aim for a 9 foot 9 wt fly rod.  This will give you plenty of rod to handle any fish you will come across.  Fishing a 7 wt for salmon takes an understanding of your gear.  Those new to fishing for salmon or someone who is not a seasoned fly fisherman should not start salmon fishing with a 7 wt.

Currently my son fishes a 11 foot 8 weight Skip Storch switch rod.  I also have a 10'10"  Echo 7 wt switch that I use.  Looking to get my hands on a LOOMIS 9 wt switch.  Lining these rods takes patience.  You must get them lined right and dialed in.  It takes time, but once you figure it out; it is a great way to spend the day fishing for salmon or steelhead.   We use Fly Logic reels along with a few LOOP Xact reels.  Drags are great and they hold a tremdous amount of backing and fly line.  Using switch rods or spey rods require a larger reel to hold everything.  

Money is of great consideration when you are purchasing fly fishing gear.  Generally the higher the price, the better the quality.  Anyone can afford a NICE salmon fishing outfit.  All I am saying is that you do not have to break the bank to go salmon fishing and one shouldn't feel like less of an angler because he or she uses "economically priced" fishing gear. My philosophy is to buy the best gear you can afford.  If you need help putting an outfit together or want advice on gear--send me an email vinny@2bonthewater.com and I will gladly help you in your search for fly fishing equipment.       

SNAGGING--  Snagging is very apparent on the Salmon River and there is very little you and or I can do to stop it.  I have seen guides teaching "fishermen" how to line or lift a fish.  Lining or lift fishing is when you make your drift close to the fish--you line up your fly so that it runs on the opposite side of a fishes head.  Then you raise or sweep your rod with hopes of pulling the line through the fishes mouth and placing the fly somewhere near the head of a fish.  Most of the folks up there have this "technique" down to a science. The bottom line on snagging is this:  will you, myself or anybody else snag a fish?  The truthful answer is most definitely.  There are so many fish that it is bound to happen.  It is just up to you on how the situation will be handled.  Will you accidently snag a salmon here or there or will you blatantly snag salmon all day long?  The choice is up to you. The answer will depend on the kind of person you are and the sportsman you claim to be.