Ya gotta love it when a plan comes together. Literally. I tied up a bunch of Simplefly patterns. White fronts, black fronts, purple fronts, pink fronts and just as many back ends with corresponding colors. I showed up to the spot where the Salmon were yesterday. I got in position and prepared myself for another epic battle. I was eagerly anticipating my first drift and watching the Simplefly pattern get hammered by a Salmon. I stripped line off my reel, made my first cast and the Simplefly landed in perfect position. I watched as it began to sink. I began to work the fly with the Salmon twitch and zippo happened. I switched colors and front and back ends and nothing happened. I then put the Simplefly away and tied on Mickey Finn’s, Black Ghosts and other classic smelt patterns. Zero. The Salmon were gone. So, I was back in the car in search of Salmon. I showed up to a likely holding spot. Stripped line off my reel and threw the Simplefly into the water. The motion was perfect as the white (front) and pink (back) Simplefly drifted through the hole. I began to twitch it and watched as a long shadow began to track the fly. The Salmon came close, analyzed the Simplefly and refused it. So, I switched it up. I decided to keep things super simple and replaced the pink back section with a white back section. I cast the Simplefly back into the same exact spot and watched as the Salmon darted out and hammered it. Immediately the Salmon was ripping line off my reel and jumping out of the water. I was so excited because this was certainly a true test of the fly. Crystal clear and virtually still water can make things difficult. The Salmon have ample opportunity to analyze a fly and if they don’t like it, they ignore it entirely or refuse it. So, I was excited because it worked, just as planned. The Simplefly tricked its first landlocked Salmon.
i just wanted to make one comment.. in regards to the Landlocked Salmon. Everyone has a favorite species of fish…. and for me (freshwater speaking) I think that Landlocked Salmon are pulling ahead of steelhead and rainbow trout… I just love these fish.. There is something so captivating about them… Their colors.. Their dwelling grounds…and they are guaranteed to jump… HIGH! … They are a fish in a class of their own for sure…. a true predator … how cool is that pointed and well defined dorsal fin.. … and those big black spots .. and the rich colors on the males and dime bright silver females… i could stare at pictures of these fish for a long time… and… i often do..
Landlocked Salmon…..slim, fat, feisty, silver, dark…..you just can’t argue, landlockes are the best.
Thanks for a great weekend and nice work today
Austin
Way to go guys. Those fish are total predatorial carnivores. They remind me of sharks. Always moving and chasing down prey. I’m glad the Simplefly crushed them and held strong. Nice work.
Hey everyone…Jeremy bought those fish freom a fish farm then took the photos in his backyard…that donkey
nick-c – have you stopped taking your meds again? 🙂
— give me a shout – looking forward to a couple northern maine trips with you this season…and …. of course…. albies in the fall.