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 Landlocked Salmon: Switching, Moving, Reading The Water And Finding The Fish
Posted by nick-c on June 02, 2004
So My friend Chris and I headed for the West Branch of the Delaware River at 4AM Friday morning, When we hit Worcester I called the Delaware River Club to check in and found out that the river was running 1580 cfs.....bad wading, great drifiting but all the boats were booked. We thanked providence that we found out in Mass and without a second thought we banged a U Turn to Greenville Maine to hit the EO.
When we got there reports were grim...the river was only at 640 cfs but we were there to fish so we squared our shoulders and headed to the River. We fished Friday afternoon until 7 and I caught a few salmon, the biggest about 17 inches. It was grey and cold. On Saturday the sun was shining but it was windy and cold. We hit the river at 6AM and I caught a couple 14" skipperjacks on nymphs ... it looked gloomy until around 1 pm. Now I have fished with Jeremy for 3 years but as he knows, I dont fish as hard as I used to (he gets pissed at me) Too many other things going on in my life hobbywise. But I used to fish even harder than him....real hard. Chris gave up around 2pm to catch some R&R as it was real windy. It was his 1st real time FF in freshwater, and he quickly learned its much different than fishing for stripers when the feed is on. I looked at the river and really thought of Jeremy....I was there to fish. So I just started hitting the river, switching flies, moving, reading the water, finding rising fish and catching them on dries when a sparse Hendrickson hatch came out, then going to nymphs in the deeper holes. I also pulled a Jeremy and struck up a conversation with another older guy there who had fished this river for 15 years. I listened to exactly what he said, and hiked upstream by myself to fish a certain hole he told me about. I saw a couple of big heads sipping on the surface in a back eddy right below some class 3 rapids (see pic) I put on a parachute Adams and on my 3rd cast BAMMM A huge
salmon ripped into me. He bored deep at first and I just held on, thinking I had a brookie. I saw him flash about 8 feet down and then he came rocketing to the surface, once twice 3 times the last time he had made it into the fast stuff and I swear he was as high as my head when he bent my hook straight and left me holding a rats nest of line...but it was worth it. I just smiled and kept on hearing Jeremy. I moved back downstream moving, fishing, switching, looking. Finally it was 7:30 and Chris wanted to head out, but he also wanted to catch a fish. I sat on a rock near him and gently tried to help (he doesnt like help) he finally caught his first salmon on a dry fly, and I took that pic of him smiling after he released it. I was so happy for him.
The next day we went back, same sun, 50 degrees and windy. You know where I went....right back to my hole...I had Chris drift a 16 Yellw Humpy thru the hole and another big salmon rocketed up from below but looked at his fly and wouldnt take it. I kept drifting dries thru the hole, but again Jeremy's voice..."read the water, switch flies, improvise" I said to myself enough of this crap and tossed on a wooly bugger, black, and BAMMM I had him this time. He leaped and leaped but I had him. It was a great fight and got him to net....I tried to take a pic of him but Chris couldnt work my digital camera and I didnt want to stress the fish for my ego...A real prize salmon...olive speckled back with block spots and bright silver sides..probably 19" and 2.5 lbs...Chris put it the best way..."Well Nicky you finally got YOUR fish and you earned it".I revived him and released him for another day. Then we hit the pocket water below this pool and had a blast...the salmon would smack the Humpies as they scooted past little pockets near rocks....its hard to land a salmon in that stuff and I heard Chris hootin and hollering as he would have a fish on and them lose him. All in all it was an awesome time because we didnt give up, we fished 14 hours a day (no food breaks for me) and we learned to switch, talked to people with wisdom, and hey...the fish are there and they need to eat even if it is blowing 15 knots. Isnt his what its all about.....I already told my wife I AM GOING BACK SOON FOR THE CADDIS HATCHES !!!!!! Tight Lines everyone !!
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Great Article
by jeremy on June 03, 2004 http://www.ineedasimplesolution.com | | hey nick - awesome article - glad to see that you got into some nice salmon. too bad about the delaware - but seeing how you love the salmon fishing so much - maybe it was better in the end. So, when are we going flyfishing together - the sooner the better?? I can't wait for our fall trip to Salmon River... I am addicted to the steelhead. We are gonna get into them good this year. I got some secret spots for us out in Oswego. Bring Chris along - if he liked fishing for 19 inch salmon - wait till he hooks into a 19 POUND Steelhead! |
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