By some strange stroke of luck I got an email this spring from an Atlantic Salmon Lodge in Canada. I had been in contact with this lodge in the past trying to set up a trip, but it just hadn’t panned out. The email they sent me was to inquire if I was interested in fishing this spring for “black” salmon. By an even crazier stroke of luck, I had no family or work commitments that interfered with the dates they had open. So, I was in! Black salmon? Yes, black salmon or kelts are fish that entered the river the previous season and have over-wintered in the river. During the spring these fish migrate back to the big pond and are HUNGRY! They haven’t eaten since they entered the river, which could have been last July. As a result they typically lose up to 40% of their body mass, and take on a long and lean appearance. Through one of natures amazing designs, their annual migration coincides with a fresh run of smelt. The salmon gorge themselves and prepare for the rigors of life in the North Atlantic. Now these fish can’t be compared to bright Atlantic salmon in terms of fighting stamina or aesthetics. But what the lack in those areas, they more than make up for in numbers. During the bright season, average catch rates are around 1 fish/day. During the spring, anglers can expect to hook 10-20 fish/day! And to be honest, they aren’t slouches. My best fish of the trip jumped 7 times and took 25 min. to land pushing the limits of my 9wt. The day arrived and I was north bound. A relatively short drive had me well into Canada and driving along the banks of the river I was to fish. As my luck would have it, the gods had not been kind and the river rose 3ft by the time I pulled into the lodge. After settling in to very comfortable accommodations and meeting some great people, I inquired about the fishing. They told me that the fishing slowed with the rising water, but everyone hooked up that day. After a hearty dinner and a good night sleep I found myself on the banks of the swollen river meeting my guide. These guys are the real deal. Their families have grown up on the river for generations. During the spring the entire river is open to all, so fishing in boats is the ideal approach. I hopped in my guides boat and speed up river. I was curious as to the methods but had faith in my guide. He slowed the boat near an unsuspecting location along the bank and dropped anchor about 40 ft out. My 9wt was rigged with a sink tip line and he tied on a bright streamer pattern, reminiscent of the patterns I use for Landlocked salmon in Maine. He said to cast into shore and let the fly swing. On my second cast, I was hooked up! I couldn’t believe it. For the next two days, I battled rain, cold, wind and big wild Atlantic salmon. Despite the high water, my catch rate was about average. Now I never hooked any monsters but I did catch some amazing fish. To give you an idea of what I mean by big, while I was there another guy in the lodge landed a 48” salmon! The fish took over an hour to net. Now that I have some atlantics under my belt, I am ready to swing small flies to bright salmon. Stay tuned.
keith – that is sweet! – i know “black” atlantic salmon get no respect in canada and the bright fresh sea runs get all the attention …. but based on your fish-tale – i am absolutely interested in fly fishing for the “black” salmon … first and foremost that thing does not look “black” by any stretch of the imagination … what i see is a monster landlocked salmon .. also – just because it held over in the river for a year … so what. also – atlantic salmon are entirely different than pacific salmon — the pacific salmon are coming up to spawn and die …. for me, that is not all that great of an experience … because fishing for dying fishing .. just leaves a little to be desired .. especially when those pacifics are “black” because when they get “black” they are actually rotting and that is kinda nasty …. on the other hand — the atlantics are hungry! they are eating and they are full of life. i have often asked many of the atlantic salmon fly fisherman that i know “hey how did you do in gaspe? or margaree? or nova scotia?” they sometimes respond ..”terrible .. we just got a bunch of black salmon” — so, i would try to get a straigh answer from them about why a holdover atlantic salmon would be so terrible …but i never really got one .. and i always thought to myself … “geeze, what is the difference between a holdover atlantic and, let’s say, a landlocked salmon?” now i get it… NOTHING … so from now on rather than viewing the holdover atlantic salmon as “black” salmon … i am just gonna put a different spin on it and think of them as “monster landlocks” …. now don’t get me wrong — i too would love a fresh sea run brigh 30 or 40 pound atlantic salmon, who wouldn’t. but seriously – just cuz the fish holds over in the river … it is not necessarily, in my mind, much less of a great fish … so, i am sold on “black” salmon … and hopefully they continue to get bad press .. because that just means that nobody will go fly fishing for them … the rates will be cheap and the numbers will stay up …. 10-20 fish like that or bigger (48″) per day …. hammering streamer flies and fattening up on smelt for their journey back into the ocean … 8 jumps out of some fish …. that doesn’t suck… nice work — where did you go in canada — new brunswick? how was it? it is mandatory to fly fish with a guide in that province right? i think i am going to try nova scotia this year … hopefully i have a terrible time and get nothing but a bunch of black salmon:)
Jeremy,
I would recommend it, I had a blast. Yeah, the kelts get no respect. I think it has to do with all of the tradition associated with salmon fishing, and black salmon fishing doesn’t jive with the tradition. I was in NB and yes, you need a guide by law. Let me know if you are going after the AS, cause I could easily become addicted to these fish!
Good Read keith- It was good to see you this past weekend did you have any luck with those finikie rainbows? I am sure that they wouldn’t fight as hard as those salmon but they would surprise you.
j-