Keith Herselman ensures he plans well ahead of a salmon fishing trip
What should be such a simple task, climb in the vehicle and head down to the river, tie on a fly and make a cast is often completely overshadowed by the reality, what do you need to take in to account when you are preparing for a day salmon fishing?
Below are a few ideas and thoughts gathered by two relatively new salmon fishers to think through from the time you get up to casting your first fly of the day:
In this day and age we would be foolish not to use the technology available at our fingertips, check the weather forecast for the next 24 hours or for the week ahead, this will help you to dress accordingly and comfortably. It could also alert you to any adverse weather conditions, heavy rain may make the fishing much harder or even unsafe. Sodden ground in the catchment you are fishing can lead to very quick rises in water height. Different rivers also respond differently to spates, they can hold their height or colour for longer.
The weather forecast can help you to make a pre-determined plan for your line and flies, i.e. if it is glaring sunlight it might be worth putting on a sink tip and heavier flies to try and get the fly down in the river. Don't forget fish don't have eyelids, this is an important factor to keep in mind. If you catch a fish and are planning on releasing it, try not to keep it out of the water or in the bright light for too long. These things are both proved to adversely affect a fish's survival rate. The weather forecast may also help you alter your plans, if there are a few cloudy days later in the week these may be better fishing days and the brighter days better for other family activities.
Another gift from the internet gods is the ability to check the river water level in advance. Different beats will fish well at certain heights and some pools at time will be rendered unfishable (usually at peak summer lows). All of this information will allow you to plan your week's fishing or at least have a rough idea of where to start. The height gauges can show you the current height and trend of a river at various locations along its length, whether it is falling or rising. Some of the websites have live feeds to webcams.
One key factor to think about is the technical skill set and mobility of your fellow anglers. Some beats or rivers can be rather precarious to wade or a fair old hike to get to so might not be a good idea to assign the beat to someone with mobility restrictions. It is possible with a little thought to ensure everybody gets to cover a likely pool or stretch of water. Can all of the anglers in your party cast effectively? Do the newer, younger or older members of your party need assistance tying on flies? Landing fish? Wading?? Do some pools suit beginners with easy wading or shorter casts required to cover them effectively? There is also a safety element to consider, if you are even a pool away it is very hard to hear a muffled cry for help. Some pools are big or long enough to share, one angler starting half way down and the other at the head and fishing down a pool after one another, this is a great way of covering water and also being close enough to help each other, or share in any successes.
If the beat or river you are fishing has a ghillie it is always worth asking their advice, they hopefully have a good knowledge of the lies and pools where is safe to wade or not? Which pools are the most likely to fish well at what river heights . They can also offer encouragement and advice on casting and fly choice. Having said this, never be afraid to try a different fly or technique, the best salmon anglers are willing to experiment and try new ideas, techniques and flies.
More than one fishing trip has been completely blown out by the highland midge, this is enough to put a dampener on proceedings, always pack a midge net and some repellant, or a tube of Avon Skin So Soft does a great job.
Arrange a meeting point or just to make communication at a particular time to ensure all anglers are safe and if nothing else to make sure no one else is catching just like yourself. It can really lift your spirts to hear of a fish hooked and landed, or any fish seen moving, any takes, or fish hooked and missed. It can be great fun comparing notes and suggesting ideas, swapping flies or sink tactics. It can almost be a team game, the hooking of a salmon is a momentous occasion for most of us or it should be anyway, if you can share the experience, the exhilaration of the fight and hopefully successful landing and release of a fish you both have a memory to treasure.
A well organised fishing day will make a more enjoyable and safe experience for all involved which at the end of the day is the reason we chase these elusive silver beasts.
