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Ajcarricktx
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 3:16 am • # 1 |
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Joined: 05/06/15 Posts: 343 Location: Killeen Texas
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I couldn't sleep so I hit the vice to replenish some flys lost while in Michigan. Surprisingly Atlantic Salmon love these in size 16 and 18. also on Caddis pupae.
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GA1dad
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 9:59 am • # 2 |
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Joined: 07/26/16 Posts: 10
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keebranch
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 12:20 pm • # 3 |
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Joined: 11/17/08 Posts: 5497
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PampasPete
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 2:26 pm • # 4 |
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Joined: 09/09/14 Posts: 519 Location: southern Brazil
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Now to ask what should be the obvious questions: what size tippet is used with those little flies for Atlantic Salmon in the Great Lakes, and what is that experience like?
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Ajcarricktx
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 3:05 pm • # 5 |
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Joined: 05/06/15 Posts: 343 Location: Killeen Texas
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For tippet we used 4lb mono. The experience is unexplainable. It's a game of patience and pressure. When they want to run you let them with light pressure. As they stop you use your rod to put steady pressure and gain some line. As they tire and get near the surface is where it gets tricky. They are notorious jumpers. If they break the surface light pressure with the rod tip low to the water to take away any leverage they gain from going airborn and head shakes. There are a lot of lost fish after you think they're done. A good buddy in the boat that knows how to net them and playing the heavy current and using it to help steer them is key. We fish them next to an electrical turbine so using the boat to back slowly away from the turbines and other boats is also key.
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Ajcarricktx
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 3:08 pm • # 6 |
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Sr. Member |
Joined: 05/06/15 Posts: 343 Location: Killeen Texas
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Fighting these silver torpedoes has helped me learn how to land other fish much easier and faster. It's also helped me learn to use my rod angle to help turn and keep wild acting fish on the line better.
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wheezeburnt
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 3:10 pm • # 7 |
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Joined: 12/29/12 Posts: 1835 Location: Rusagonis, New Brunswick, Canada
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Impressive! Here on the Miramichi, a #10 is considered a small fly. What size are the salmon? brent
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Ajcarricktx
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 3:26 pm • # 8 |
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Joined: 05/06/15 Posts: 343 Location: Killeen Texas
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Ajcarricktx
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 3:30 pm • # 9 |
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Joined: 05/06/15 Posts: 343 Location: Killeen Texas
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PampasPete
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 2:58 pm • # 10 |
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Hero Member |
Joined: 09/09/14 Posts: 519 Location: southern Brazil
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Thanks for the info and the pictures! When I left Michigan (1995) the Atlantic Salmon were in the Great Lakes but the fishery for them had not yet been really established; just for the Pacific species. When you mentioned using #16 and #18 flies for them, that brought to my mind the use of 5x or 6x tippet, and that is around 4 lb test. It also brought to mind the use of very light fly rods, like #3 or #4 , to protect those light tippets. So what rods were you all using? It also brings to mind the light line / noodle rod movements in steelhead (excuse me, lake-run rainbow) fishing during the 1970s and 1980s. Also, the St. Marys river is famous for strong currents and big fish. It's really encouraging to know that is all still happening.
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wheezeburnt
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 3:53 pm • # 11 |
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Hero Member |
Joined: 12/29/12 Posts: 1835 Location: Rusagonis, New Brunswick, Canada
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Wow! That is amazing. Hereabouts, most salmon anglers would be incredulous at that info (re hook size). Now, our salmon, being true searun, are not eating when they enter the rivers, so their interest in a nymph would be minimal, but even so, to think you could hook and play 'the jumper' on those tiny offerings is amazing. brent
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Ajcarricktx
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 4:31 pm • # 12 |
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Sr. Member |
Joined: 05/06/15 Posts: 343 Location: Killeen Texas
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I love the St Mary's river. You never know what you will catch. We were using long slow action 6-8 weight rods. Not ultralight by forum standards but for these fish it's truly ultralight. To much resistance usually resulted in a pulled hook or a snapped tippet. I was running an 11ft 8weight rod. Plenty of flex but still some spine to steer them in the current. I contemplated stringing up my 3 weight for them but my love for the rod stopped me.
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Ajcarricktx
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 4:35 pm • # 13 |
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Sr. Member |
Joined: 05/06/15 Posts: 343 Location: Killeen Texas
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Most of the fishermen there were using spoons and plastic chucked with spinning gear. The few fly fishermen there out performed them exponentially. The stirred water from the turbines caused hatches if Caddis and midges like I had never seen before. Smaller rainbows and Atlantis were steadily keeping out of the water taking emerger and adults. The bigger fish were a few feet down gorging on the stirring pupae.
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