Dry Fly for Salmon Today: A Call for Revival

We wish to further the details on salmon bugs and give you some first-hand usage tips based on my experiences with them.

Shallow holding pool. Find Wally! I see at least eight salmon. See if you can spot them.

Hiding in slow pools

Salmon hiding out in a slow pool like those fish seen in the image above is not an uncommon site for anglers fishing for Atlantic salmon. They are typically uninterested fish, but if new salmon enter the pool or weather conditions change, some fish may wake up and grab your fly.

Retrieving the fly

A spot like this demands that you put some movement into your fly, and I think bugs are some of the best flies you can use in such a place. Tiny flies with deer hair bodies seem to have the right balance in the water column, allowing you to make a good stop-and-go presentation and letting the bug hang in the water column for a short while in between pulls.

Most airlines do not allow you to bring your flies with hooks on board, so you must keep your favourite hook tied flies well packed inside your check-in luggage. But If your luggage doesn’t arrive at your destination, you will be without your precious flies ….Yiiiiiikes

Do instead as we do; use tube flies and bring them on board in your hand luggage alongside your favourite fly reels this way, you won’t be without flies and fly reels when you arrive at your fishing destination.

Bring your tube flies on board in your hand luggage (alongside your favourite fly reels); this way, you won’t be without flies anf fly reels when you arrive at your fishing destination.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says this

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the United States and similar security agencies worldwide have guidelines regarding what items are allowed in carry-on luggage. As of my last knowledge update in January 2022, fishing hooks are generally permitted in carry-on bags, but there are some important considerations and hands down…I have been asked to go back to luggage check-in and…check my fly boxes in as luggage.

So here are some Airline facts and a smart trick from Fishmadman

1. Size and Type: Small fishing hooks are usually allowed, but large or particularly sharp ones  (the words they use) may be subject to additional scrutiny. If your hooks are huge or have barbs, they might be considered dangerous and prohibited.
2. Packaging: To avoid any issues at the security checkpoints, it’s advisable to keep fishing hooks in original packaging and/or in your fly boxes. This would help security personnel identify them (when looking at scanners) and reduce the risk of accidental injury when security people rake through your bags.
3. Local Regulations: Regulations may vary between countries and airlines, so it’s essential to check the specific rules of the airline you are flying with and the security regulations of the country you are departing from or arriving in.
4. Bring your favourite tube flies (without hooks) and precious fly reels + fly lines in your hand luggage. This way, you will still have some essential fishing equipment when you arrive at your destination, and the airline people have lost your checked-in luggage.

Regulations may change, so checking with the relevant authorities or your airline for the most up-to-date information before you travel is good. You can also visit the official website of the TSA or the aviation security agency in your country for detailed and current guidelines.

Believe it or not…some airlines may recommend bringing Barbless Hooks

Packing hooks in your check-in luggage and some airline companies only allow barbles hooks

The transportation of fishing hooks such as flies on an aeroplane is generally allowed. Still, again, there are specific regulations and guidelines you should be aware of to ensure a smooth and hassle-free experience. 

Always double-check with the airline and relevant authorities to ensure you comply with their rules and regulations. It’s also a good idea to arrive at the airport with some extra time in case of any questions or concerns during the security screening process.

Here are some tips:

1. Check with the Airline: It’s essential to check with the specific airline you are flying with, as policies can vary. You can find this information on the airline’s official website or by contacting customer service.
2. Pack in Checked Luggage: While small fishing hooks are often allowed in carry-on luggage, it’s a good practice to pack them in your checked baggage. This can help avoid any potential issues during the security screening process.
3. Use fly boxes and original packing: If you have multiple fishing hooks for fly tying and tube flies, consider using a tackle box to organize and contain them. Keep all flies in your fly boxes (pick those loose ones out of your fly fishing west or fishing hat and store them in fly boxes or put such garment with flies in an appropriate container. This can prevent accidental injuries and make the security screening process smoother.
4. Barbless Hooks: Believe it or not…some airlines may recommend only bringing Barbless Hooks. Check with the airline to see if they have specific requirements regarding the type of fishing hooks allowed.
5. Local Regulations: Besides airline policies, be aware of any local regulations regarding the transportation of fishing gear at your destination. Certain countries or regions may have specific rules regarding the importation of fishing equipment.

There is quite a lot of regulatory text to be found on airline homepages (: 

My experience is that security staff in the airport rarely let my fly boxes pass by unnoticed, and I have also been asked to go back and check them in as luggage. 

I am often asked questions about my fly reels, but never have I been sent back to check those in – Shortly after 9/11, my fishing friend and I were reverted to luggage check-in from security to check-in a fixed spool reel with braided line on, as the braided line (100 # Powerpro) could be used by someone to tie up people. We kindly reverted to luggage check-in with the reel in question (: 

Fun facts about crocked fly fishermen employed at Murmansk Airport

When fishing for Atlantic salmon in Russian Rivers was available to a broader audience, we would advise people going to Russia to bring their flies, reels and rods in their hand luggage (Tube Bombers, Sunray Shadow and Hitch tube flies). Security people would not take the hookless tube flies, and other airport employees at Murmansk Airport could not steal their fishing tackle.
You who have been to Russia know that lost flies and fishing gear were occurring regularly.
Maybe there were a few keen and crocked fly fishermen employed at Murmansk Airport (:

Fresh from the sea, caught on a hitched fly in shallow water in early July. Salmon fly fishermen must adapt to the new challenges and fishing methods to be effective throughout the season.

The climate is changing, and so is fishing for salmon. The last decade has been unusual with radical weather changes, and dry and hot summer weather has been dominant in large parts of the north – 2022 was no exception. Rivers in the north saw weeks without rain, and again, the season brought new challenges – or opportunities.

There is no doubt that the salmon like tiny flies, and throughout the season, many salmon are caught on small flies, and the proportion of Nordic salmon caught on small flies and flies made for surface fishing will likely increase as salmon anglers learn to fish with new equipment and with new techniques.

You have to lose fish on small hooks!

When you fish for bigger fish with smaller flies and small hooks, you move on the edge of the art of the possible. You must accept that you will lose more fish than you might have been used to. Losing salmon is a natural part of fishing with smaller hooks, and the sooner you as a fly fisherman realize this, the better you will be at fishing with the small flies/hooks.

See the small Frances tube fly in our shop.

Use soft leaders, tippet material, and super hooks.

Of course, you must choose quality hooks and good tippet material – but you should also develop your skills to fight the fish so that you do not strain your equipment unnecessarily. I prefer tippet material that is soft and can give way when the fish jumps and shakes its head. Soft nylon is also better when presenting hitch and small flies; stiff leaders and tippet material can kill even the best micro-salmon fly.

Adjust the brake

Choose a fly reel with a lightweight brake or a brake that can be adjusted down, so you can quickly control the amount of line the fish pulls from your reel. Remember, plenty of backing.

Read more about tackle and technique for salmon on small hooks.

Fishing for salmon in the warm low summer river with a conventional wet fly – is some of the most challenging fly fishing you will ever encounter, and even the best local angler has to work hard to get a positive result. To fish the same river with surface flies is oddly more straightforward; it is as if the fish is easier deceived at the surface.

Fish for salmon as you fish for trout

In the shallow warm river, the salmon will congregate in pools where it feels safe and where it finds oxygen and shade; seek out these places and fish them when they fall into the shade, early or late in the day.

As the summer goes on, the salmon will see the insect life found in, and along the river, and as the trout angler, you must learn to present tiny flies so that they drift towards the salmon, either close to or on the surface. Other times you may need to use a small heavy fly like a nymph that can rise from the bottom to imitate a caddis pupa heading for the surface.

See how you drift a heavy nymph-like fly towards salmon.

Image: the hot river (21 degrees Celsius = 69,8 Farenheight) in Northern Norway (2011) … 24 hours of light and a clear cold night will bring the river temperature down several degrees and make fishing excellent at night.
Many river owners wisely close rivers for fishing when temperatures exceed 18 degrees as fishing catch & release in too hot a river can be a wrong choice as salmon can have a hard time recovering from stress in warm water; undoubtedly, we will see more restrictions on fishing in summer-warm rivers.

Teach yourself to fish with riffling hitch flies.

Riffling hitch is an effective sport in cold and warm water, and the riffling hitch fly work excellently in shallow rivers where the water depth is 0.25 – 1.5 meters. Rivers in Finmark (region of Northern Norway), such as Repparfjords River, Staburs River and Vestre Jakobs River, are just a few fine examples of Nordic rivers where riffling hitches work exceptionally well. The best flies are often tiny, and it pays to experiment with colour and size if fish show interest but don’t bite – often, it is pretty simple variations that can be decisive.

Learn more about the riffling hitch technique and the tackle to use

The jewel in the crown – Salmon on the dry fly

Seeing a big fish rise from the depths towards your dry fly is the ultimate dream for many fly anglers – but often, this will only be a dream. 

Fishing with a dry fly for salmon is a sport within a sport. Many people only become familiar with this form of fishing when the fishing situation by the river has become entirely impossible, and that’s a bit sad because dry fly fishing is at its best when the salmon is fresh and really on the bite – so if you want to try the ultimate fly-fishing challenge then tie a dry fly on your leader when the silver, willing-to-bite salmon is on their way up the river.

When the river runs low, salmon will still arrive daily. Often they will find rest in places unsuitable for conventional wet fly fishing – here and in the areas where you usually would target the salmon, you should fish with a dry fly instead of spending your fishing day trying to catch the same salmon on a wet fly.

The ultimate fly fishing dream – large salmon on a dry fly – Here, a June salmon has taken a Repparfjord-green Tube Bomber. The hook is an Owner ST # 14 treble hook – The tippet material is Maxima Chameleon 0.25mm.

Read more about how to dead-drift dry flies for Atlantic salmon.

Fishing in the low and warm summer river is a form of fishing that is all about details; often, it is pretty tiny details that can change your fishing day in a positive direction – once you have found these new forms of fishing and techniques, maybe like me you will be looking forward to the days with difficult conditions by the river

Norwegian rivers are great dry-fly rivers.

Norway has some of the best dry fly fishing for salmon on the planet; it might not be the first thing you think of when tying flies for summer fishing, but maybe you should start.

Clear-water rivers from the south to the far north offer great opportunities throughout the season – and we, as anglers, often set limitations in our fishing. I usually explain this by discussing specific salmon I have caught in impossible dry fly conditions.

I caught a salmon several years ago in Orkla. It was raining, the river was high, and only 5 degrees Celsius. I still caught a silver salmon on a smaller white Bomber. There was a snowstorm on another trip to the Repparfjord River in August. The surrounding lowland was white with snow; still, I had a salmon biting after my Repparfjord Green Bomber 4 time.

Don’t forget your dry flies when you leave for Norway.

it is often us as anglers who set limitations in our fishing, and I usually explain this by talking about specific salmon I have caught in the most impossible dry fly conditions.

The material quickly became immensely popular among big-game and commercial fishermen mainly because of the light refractive index of fluorocarbon line so close to that of water making it less visible underwater, something quite significant, e.g. fishing for giant bluefin tuna with 200 lb mono – The fluorocarbon line also has other noteworthy features a.o lack of water absorbency, abrasion resistance and knot strength last but not least the speed fluorocarbon sinks through the water (it sinks faster than nylon) * something Ron Gray benefits from in his fishing with trailing micro flies.

Fluorocarbon is becoming more and more popular among fly fishermen.

Fluorocarbon has become distinctly popular over the last couple of decades. Many anglers I know do not think twice when buying a spool of fluorocarbon tippet material  6 – 7 times more expensive than a spool of quality nylon tippet material.

Fluorocarbon for trout and Atlantic salmon

As an avid trout and salmon angler, I would say no… save your money and buy nylon for your fly attachment – doing so, I will probably have fellow anglers raising their eyebrows – but my experience with fluorocarbon has shown me that the material has few properties that would help me get more bites, saying so I acknowledge that fluorocarbon has so many abilities that could aid anglers in specific and special ways not know to me, making my advise a bit bias.

Fluorocarbon is stiffer than conventional nylon.

Generally speaking, fluorocarbon is stiffer than conventional tippet material, and it is also a lesser elastic material than nylon, which is not something I would benefit greatly from in my fishing for trout and salmon; on the contrary, I try to avoid stiff tippet material as I find that rigid leaders take away some of the life that small and medium fly patterns need to perform well.

I do also prefer a cushy and elastic nylon tippet to a stiff and less so flexible tippet material. Since I often fish for bigger fish with small hooks and light tackle in a sport where elastic tippet material comes in handy ….Read more on this hard fighting topic on our blog at Fishmadman (You have to lose salmon and steelhead on small flies)

Local insight

Spending each day by the river throughout the fishing season grants a depth of understanding regarding the varied moods and subtle shifts in behavior of Atlantic salmon and trout that few anglers ever attain. Advice from a seasoned local angler or ghillie can often provide invaluable insights to visiting day ticket anglers.

Micro flies … the  essential requirement

During periods of low water and warm temperatures, or when the fish seem unresponsive, you’ll frequently discover that the flies required to entice such wary fish are among the smallest in your fly box. In slow-moving water, a sparsely dressed fly might be necessary to ensure precise presentation at the rear of a pool. Alternatively, the daily emergence of local insects like stoneflies, caddisflies, or mayflies may have conditioned the fish to respond only to patterns that closely resemble these familiar sights.

A sneak peek into Ron´s box of micro flies – The tiny Micro treble hook flies # 16 – 20 are seen in the top part of the box.

See small outpoint silver trebles # 16 for your micro fly tying here 

Keep it simple

Trailing flies – what is it all about?

The missing link – Bugs made for dry and wet

No, advice on riffling hitch technique goes without mentioning the salmon Bugs so popular with North American anglers. Salmon Bug patterns have their practices and special details worth spending time and effort into learning and putting the bug´s family of flies into a short frame on riffling hitch fishing know-how is, in fact, a bit sketchy… but bugs are, to some extent, the fly patterns that I find to be very well connected with the riffling hitch technique.

My observations over the years have led me to conclude that there is a fishable layer… just below the surface, where a well-presented deer hair bug can do wonders just before the riffling hitch season picks up.

there is a fishable layer… just below the surface, where a well-presented deer hair bug can do wonders just before the riffling hitch season picks up

I fish the bugs wet and close to the surface as possible. I like to add a tiny amount of flotant to the flies. As you can see from the images, these salmon were hooked close to the snout, a familiar spot to hook Atlantic salmon on small bugs – Why is it so?  I don’t know…but make sure to tie your bugs on solid hooks, as hooking salmon in this spot often leads to hard-fighting fish.

At Fishmadman, you will find the perfect collection of small bugs to catch finicky salmon and trout in warm water, some designed by us – Others classic bug´s from around the world – Don´t leave without them… the angler that thinks trout…when he goes salmon fishing… is often the most successful.

We have chosen a small selection of heavy-duty bugs tied on heavier hooks than we do our normal bugs.

Glitter Bug Green and Orange # 10 A Bug explicitly made to be fished both wet and dry. A slightly stronger salmon hook enables this fly to be fished just below the surface in fast glides – A missing link pattern in our fabulous collection of small dry flies for steelhead and Atlantic salmon, generally termed bugs.

 

Fighting big fish on small hooks doesn’t have to be so dramatic – it can be – but if you are careful and take it easy, the fish will often be compliant and finally come to you. You will need to prepare a bit for this kind of fishing, and here are some things you can do to make things work.

Use a fly reel that has a light ratchet or an adjustable brake that will allow you to control a decisive run where you have to admit line out quickly.

Use (as we do) a soft tippet material on your leader…We prefer soft nylon-like: Maxima Chameleon or Original Streen. These nylon brands will stretch when under strain…something quite valuable when the fish jumps or shakes its head.

To read much more about bugs…go to this blog page.

If you use shooting lines like SlickShooter from Rio or Ken Sawada Flat Beam… then you’re surely going to like this knot that I had used since 2000 when my friend and topwater specialist; Mr Eric le Guyader taught me how to tie it.

The knot is called something like le noeud du vieux pêcheur in French or:  The Old Fisherman’s knot. Eric did not know its origin but had successfully used it in his fishing.

It’s a simple and easy knot to learn, and it gives you a solution that is slick and easy to pass through your rod guides; at the same time, the knot forms a loop that is dead-centre on the shooting line …something that will balance your outfit better than other common loop knots…Try it and add an excellent new knot to your shooting head system.

If you have any questions in regards to this knot or shooting heads in general …I will be ready to answer any questions at jesper@fishmadman.com 

A substantial percentage of the food Atlantic salmon and steelhead eat at high seas is fish, often small silverfish like capelin and sand-eel, as seen in the photo below. These and many other baitfish and various sea worms have some form of iridescent colour structure in their colouration and iridescence as colour may very well play a part in the way prey and bait play hide and seek in the ocean –
In this highly advanced hide-and-seek game, we may assume that the predators have abilities and detecting skills to get them close to the prey. Glimpses of light shimmering on an iridescent surface could be a critical element that brings the predators closer to the baitfish they are looking for.

What do salmon eat at sea? Read more and see the great images of the food they eat in this article

The recent season I have developed a series of riffling hitch flies where I have incorporated the iridescent properties in the form of iridescent pixel flakes attached to the head of the fly a method I also have used on sub-surface flies. The series of flies is called the Hitchman flies and is available through our fly store.

A tiny shimmering Green Hitchman fly – The perfect fly for Atlantic salmon in fast low water

Over the years I have used the properties of shimmering iridescent material on my coastal sea trout lures and flies and have never looked back sins then.
The green iridescent colouration is effective stuff when you’re targeting fish near the surface (0 – 3 meters down) in clear waters.

Here are two coastal sea trout lures (1/2 – 1 Oz.). I designed it back in the ’90s

Iridescent pixel flakes also used on this homemade, highly efficient APEX lure from the ’90s

We wanted to make our flies easier to find out on the rough water or in low light conditions and added foam with iridescent properties to the flies – little did we think that the iridescent material would increase the actual catch returns – but it did make the flies more attractive. Consequently, we incorporate the iridescent EVA foam in several fly patterns.
It may be a tiny glimpse of the green iridescent material that spurs the fish to make the tour to the surface…

Here is the Flashback Bug, a favoured Steelhead fly… If you like to try it, see it in our shop here

If you read Danish (Scandinavian) below you will find an article I made in the ’90s about my initial experiments with iridescent material and low water fishing.

Sinking poly leaders are the best for wake, dry fly and riffling hitch fishing…

We know that recommending sinking leaders for surface fishing is a somewhat controversial and bold statement – never the less that is what we believe. We readily use poly leaders in our fishing… with great success.

Go to our poly leaders for riffling hitch

POWER IN CASTING

The density of the polymer leaders will aid you in turning over big wake and dry flies in windy conditions. The greater density of the polymer leader will also help you to cast straight and precisely when using a long line.

AVOID SHADOWS AND DISTURBANCE WITH SINKING LEADERS… 

Our favoured polymer leaders are all slow sinking – We prefer these leaders to those leaders that float because the submerged leader casts less of a shadow that may frighten the fish – The submerged leader also causes less disturbance on the surface (drag) and won’t sink too far down to make the fly drown.

POLYMER LEADERS WILL ATTRACT MORE FISH…

This is obviously an expression of views/facts that we have little solid verification of – in fact, it is not the polymer leader in itself that would attract the fish – but the delicate and quite  dynamic polymer leader will be able to transform some of the many fine swirls and curls of the river surface to micro-movements * in your leader and finally your fly – something quite useful when you target fish with micro flies such as riffling hitch and other such miniature flies

Longer lasting when kept cold

99% of chemical reactions go slower if they are cold, and as a guide, for artificial age testing of polymers, the rule of thumb is 10 degrees Celsius = doubling of the time. This is a readily used formula in polymer (nylon) product lifespan validation.

Mr. Crawford Little used the analogy between ottering a rowing boat in a river and how one could build a tube fly that would pull to the surface. Ottering is best described as how one can force an object to cut away from you by pulling from the side of the object. Here it is trolling anglers using a so-called: Sideplaner or plasterboard to pull plugs and bait away from the boat.