Salmon Fishing Tips

We have been talking to experienced fisherman about how to get ahead of these wily salmon and catch a few more of them. Fishermen are a bit of a shy bunch when it comes to sharing tips on how to land a few more salmon, I am not sure if this is because they don’t want competition on the river bank or the salmon are tricky but here are a couple of bits of advice to help you on your way. Ian Gordon Ian Gordon runs the Spey website which is the the complete information highway to salmon and sea trout fishing in Scotland and river spey in general. Ian is an instructor and has designed a specific range of Ian Gordon fishing rods and spey lines which help the salmon fisher get the best out of their salmon rod, reel and line combination.

I’m now a better caster, but I catch less fish! Why? Discipline! This is one of the lead articles on his website, I am sure that you also need a lot of persistence not to say a bit of patience as well. The question we asked Ian was – “How many more salmon will you catch by having the ability to throw a very long line?” And this was his reply – “This question is one I have been asked many times on the river bank and the answer, based on many years watching people of all abilities fish is always the same; none. Much more important, is thinking about the depth, and position of fish in the pool. In most salmon pools fish will be present between 2 and 20 yards from the bank. Reading the water, working out where fish are lying, then fishing the fly at the correct speed and depth is far more important than throwing a long line. Another golden rule, often forgotten in salmon fishing is - remember you are after a “wild” creature, remain quiet and use stealth!” John Henderson John Henderson is the Sales Manager at Hardy and Greys and has fished for many years, here is John’s fishing tip - “Never underestimate local knowledge, whether you are fishing on a river for salmon or a Stillwater for trout, the fishery manager or Ghillie/Boatman can give you valuable information on what is catching fish at that time. You could find out what lines, flies or even specific spots to fish, which could end up making your day even more special with a fish of a lifetime! Other avenues are local tackle shops in the area where you’re fishing, other anglers who have fished there before or checking on websites that target the rivers or lakes where you intend to go.” Jim Curry Jim Curry runs Halstead and Bolton, international sporting agents who are dedicated to providing the finest sporting experiences at home and abroad, he has given us this tip – “Often experimenting with your casting angles is the key to success when salmon fishing. It's very easy to fall into the trap of continually casting at 45 degrees and putting in the standard upstream mend. If it's not working try casting at different angles. A square cast across the current and a down stream mend will speed up the fly and often produce an aggressive take.” Jim has been passionately involved in the fly fishing industry for over twenty years and is an AAPGAI Master Casting Instructor and is a lead assessor for this world renowned qualification. He has a number of published articles and is a regular contributor for Trout and Salmon magazine as well as being a tackle consultant. We know salmon fishermen are a dedicated group and I am sure that they have lots of tips they can share so if you are a salmon fisherman why not email your salmon fishing tips to flyfishingtips@johnnorris.co.uk so we can then post them on the blog or, alternatively, let us have your thoughts on the tips we’ve posted. If you have any questions call us at John Norris of Penrith on 01768 864211 or email us sales@johnnorris.co.uk.