The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

You really need to live locally to the water as you can keep an eye on conditions. Also high tides can increase the numbers of running fish.

On the waters I fish in the south I can fly fish, spin when allowed (after 15th May) & use the prawn (after 16th June) if you are allowed! Not allowed on some northern rivers.

Have caught 5 in a day - all small - had 2 in a day both doubles and fished one river for 10 years where 20s are caught and only ever hooked one, a very big fish and then lost it!

Now it is return all fish and barbless hooks on most the waters.

I get up to fish the Scottish Borders every couple of seasons, Wear, Till & Coquet and the Ettrick a couple of times. Yet to try the Tweed - can be very expensive.

Absolutely valid ponits regarding trebles, conservation, time, water knowledge, etc, and point taken. It may be the fly instead of the metal...the last thing I want to do is to contribute to the decline of a threatened species (however vague the chances of catching one)!

Certainly not vague - choose your river - look up the best months (Migratory fish Licenses in EA records) - and then try! Some are Spring rivers - some Summer or Autumn. Some like the Tweed have a run almost every month!

Look at "FishPal" - loads of info, rivers, prices - the more you pay the more likely fish are running! You can also book a day or two!

Tube flies and small Summer flies can have trebles - I prefer a compromise - doubles.

See this:-
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... ch-returns


Some rivers have no or very few salmon running up them!

The specifically designed replacement singles like Mustad Kaiju pattern are the way to go in my book. Crush the barbs to leave just a slight lump. Remember that salmon most often hit the middle of a plug like a Rapala or Vision 110 so have a look at the fuse wire/light mono rigging methods. It's not as much of a poor gamble as some would have you believe. Modern fly tackle and flies have allowed the use of flyfishing techniques to supersede the old spinning methods which, like the worm, were often frowned apon as being too effective and therefore unsportingly easy! Get the fish and a touch of water and salmon are catchable. Drop me a PM if you're likely to be heading north. It would be my pleasure to ghillie for you

I nearly caught one once whilst fishing the Clare near Galway in Ireland. I was spinning with a black and yellow striped rapala plug, not really expecting anything. Then on one retrieve I saw two salmon as the plug jiggled past them. The bigger one moved towards the plug, its mouth within an inch, before it circled and swam back to its mate. Caught a few salmon parr though, on a fly spoon meant for trout.