Mark Thompson's first Salmon River Atlantic Salmon
Before I had ever heard of Walt Geryk I had formed a definite idea of how my first steelhead fishing trip to the Salmon River would be….
It would be a two day trip, guided as I did not know the river or the quarry. The guide would meet me the evening before and we would visit the holding pools and study the fish while strategising and planning their capture. After an early dinner I would retire to rest before the morning. The early morning.
My alarm would shatter slumber at 4.15 am and by 4.55am we would be waiting by the pool for the inky black night to give way to the creeping dawn. An occasional splash would betray the presence of our prey.
We would fish unsighted to the likely lies and after thirty minutes. Bang! And then – nothing. I missed it. Five minutes later, at the end of a drift, bang! This time I set the hook and the dance begins, surging run alternates with reluctant retrieval for five minutes before the tippet gives way. Thirty inch steelhead on 4X tippet was hopeful at best considering my lack of experience, and all this before 7am.
At 7am on May 8th I was at the “Wire Pool” in the Upper Fly Zone of the Salmon River living the dream. Over the rest of the two days with Walt every aspect of my preconception was surpassed. The “Wire Pool” was holding two hen fish and up to ten male fish, with one of the males a real monster. We concentrated our time here dead drifting a mixture of nymphs and buggers, using light tippets with no added weight and enjoyed a lot of success.
I had twelve hook ups, drifts had to be drag free and delivered with pin point accuracy. We landed two Atlantic salmon, the biggest a sleek twenty five inches which certainly lived up to his nickname, ‘the leaper’. I also feel sure that I had the forty inch male steelhead hooked up only to lose him under a felled tree, Walt may not agree which fish it was, but we both agree it was a big fish! This kind of angling needs a health warning, “not for those with a weak heart”.
My two days concluded Walt’s spring steelhead season on the Salmon River, he explained that it had been a good season with all clients enjoying 4-6 hook ups per day at least, with most clients landing steelhead and all of the fish were released! Sorry Walt, I’ll get them next time, although I like to think that I was practising catch and release without the catch.
The only disappointing feature of my trip was observing the ‘fly-fishing’ methods in use and the trash and discarded tackle in the Upper Fly Zone. In around two minutes, I was able to collect from the bank of one pool in the Upper Fly Zone approximately 60 yards of monofilament and running line, attached to which were double hooks, treble hooks, lead shot, lead sinkers, ‘slinkies’ and some rigs which reminded me of medieval torture instruments, where this collection fits into fly fishing perplexes me. There appears to be an extremely common and apparently growing misconception that fishing with nymphs and streamers is only effective when coupled with hulking amounts of lead shot or other weight. Some of the techniques I saw employed in the Upper Fly Zone had less in common with fly fishing than with the ledgering techniques used in Europe whilst coarse fishing. Over two days we convincingly out fished all of the anglers we shared pools with, though it was not a competition it highlights effectively the superiority of Walt’s “slack line” and “vertical tipping” methods in providing attractive, natural presentations resulting in more hook ups and hence more fish. The ‘chuck and duck’ heavy weighted version of ‘fly’ fishing encourages the belief that it is the catching of a fish by any means necessary which is all important – it is not, it is the welfare of the fish which is of ultimate importance and any technique which greatly increases the chances of ‘foul hook ups’ should be stopped. Collectively we need to take responsibility for the protection of our fisheries and the welfare of these magnificent creatures that keep us coming back year after year in all types of weather.
However my abiding memories will be of my first Atlantic Salmon and the lurking shadows which transform into freight trains when the fly has been taken. Someone told me Steelhead are addictive, how right they were. So all in all, a successful trip and a successful season using traditional fly fishing methods. Cheers mate and I will see you next fall!
The above article was written by Mark Thompson on his first Salmon River Region Experience
Catch me and my guests on PAX TV, fly fishing the Salmon River Region in New York with Charlie, Juan and our gracious lodging hosts Tom Rodda of Salmon Acres Lodge and Harry Powers of Salmon Heaven Lodge!
To hear more about our shows and others, see "Fly Fishing the Outdoors with Charles Charlesworth" on WQPX PAX 64 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA and their Northeast Affiliates.
While planning your next trip, be sure to plan early because prime dates fill fast, both guiding and lodging.
New York:
Fall Salmon Season is just around the corner,
be sure to reserve now to insure your lodging and guide dates.
Massachusetts:
Fly Fishing is heating up, reserve your Prime Time Dates Now!
Alaska:
If you haven’t gotten you deposits in yet, it’s time to do so! As we currently have 4 spots left. We are also taking reservations for Alaska’s 2006 week and season. If this is not a week that fits your schedule, then give me a call and I’ll do my best to fill your needs just as a few others have chosen other weeks from July to the end of August.
See my Alaska Page for Details!
I’ll be doing seminars with videos and slide presentations at the sites listed below and will be available for questions and friendly conversations before, after and during my stay in:
Orvis Manchester, (VT) 05/28&29/05; Traditional Fly Fishing (NO weights)The Salmon River Region NY, and Fly Fishing the Deerfield and Westfield Rivers in Western Mass. I'll also be available all day Saturday and Sunday to assist you with any of your Fly Fishing Concerns.
Be sure to check with your local Orvis Stores for all weekly seminars for any changes or updates.
I’ll be more than happy to assist you with any of your fly fishing related questions, weather it is on equipment and line choices, tactics and techniques and lodging or my hosted Alaskan trips.
You can also review archived newsletters for more information.
Remember, if it looks fishy,Fish It!
"World Class Waters"
Carry a camera and a cloth measuring tape then use the formula, which is fairly accurate, if you'd like to have the weight, (length X girth X girth / 800 = lb.) and this should give all the info needed for bragging rights without over stressing the fish. Once you land that trophy fish of a lifetime, it's your choice to kill and have mounted and no one should condemn you for your decision to do so. You can also send a good photo and measurements to a professional taxidermist where they can make a reproduction of the fish that you released.