Dry fly pioneers – Mr. George M. La Branche and Colonel Ambrose Monell was pioneers in the world of dry fly for salmon – Their fishing was done with bushy palmer-hackle flies, fished at dead drift over known salmon lies.
George M. La Branche wrote in his book: The Salmon And The Dry Fly about their experiences with salmon in the clear Upsalquitch River in New Brunswick . La Branche was convinced that their initial success with salmon on the dry fly was down to very prescience presentations of the dry fly. The fly was to drift in special paths or feeding lanes, as La Branche would call them. The overall theory was that; adult salmon would find spots in the river much resembling the places the salmon parr would occupy… In these holding-spots the salmon would then expect and intercept drifting insects – if they came to them the natural way...
Mr. George M. La Branche and Colonel Ambrose Monell – All dressed up for sport 1920 style – ready to goThey would put the many lost fish down to the fact that “fish was the stupid things they where”
The rivers La Branche and Monell, where fishing in New Brunswick, were teeming with fish. They would often rise many fish to the fly, but also lose plenty of fish. However, they never gave much thought to this matter as they still enjoyed good sport with stacks of fish on the bank. They caught them using their bushy palmer flies. They attributed the many lost fish to the notion that “fish were the stupid things they were.”
This perception was soon to change when La Branche crossed the Atlantic to meet Mr. A. H. Wood, the designer of “Salmon Fishing with the Floating Line.”
La Branche’s Adventure on the Dee
In the summer of 1925, George M. La Branche embarked on a journey to the UK to test his dry fly techniques on British salmon. His visit garnered significant attention from the media, with spectators gathering wherever he fished to witness his attempts with his diminutive dry fly rod.
Unfortunately, La Branche’s fishing endeavors did not yield the desired results, a fact revealed in the correspondence between him and the esteemed angler, Mr. A.H.E Wood. Wood had graciously invited La Branche to fish his beat on the Dee River in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
The overall conditions for dry fly fishing were not favorable during La Branche’s time on the Dee. The river suffered from drought, and there were few fish running. Although some pools at the Carinton beat held fish, they were stale, and despite salmon showing interest in his flies, La Branche struggled to hook them. The fish would strike at the flies with open jaws but failed to take them fully.
Mr. A.H.E Wood, the innovator behind floating line fishing for salmon, guided La Branche through the waters of the Dee. Had La Branche encountered better conditions during that fateful week in 1925, salmon fishing in Europe might have taken on a vastly different form today. One thing is certain: there would have been a surge in anglers pursuing salmon with the dry fly.
Dry fly pioneers
Mr. Wood observed that the large hackles on La Branche’s dry flies hindered the hooks from properly engaging with the jaws of the fish. Additionally, he speculated that the sheer bulkiness of the flies may have caused the fish to quickly eject them.
On the Dee, around 20 fish rose to the dry fly.
In total, La Branche managed to entice approximately 20 fish to his dry fly, hooking two of them but ultimately losing them. Although he might have had greater success using sub-surface flies, La Branche remained committed to dry fly fishing. Despite contending with strong winds and fishing in a river lacking fresh water and fish, he persisted with his dry fly rod. Nevertheless, La Branche couldn’t shake the feeling of defeat in the face of Scottish salmon. He was perplexed by his inability to hook the fish on his meticulously crafted dry flies.
Reevaluation of George La Branche’s Dry Fly Mission in England
The adoption of salmon dry fly fishing never quite caught on among the British angling community. Perhaps La Branche’s lack of success with his dry fly technique played a role, or it could be attributed to the British anglers’ preoccupation with transitioning from traditional sunken line methods to the innovative greased line technique pioneered by A.H.W Wood. Alternatively, the concept of dry fly fishing might have seemed too sophisticated for the salmon anglers of 1920s UK.
One can only speculate on how different the fishing landscape would have been if the conditions on the Dee had been more favorable during that ill-fated week in 1925, with an abundance of fresh water and fish.
Dry Fly for Salmon Today: A Call for Revival
While there are anglers who currently pursue salmon with dry flies on rivers like the Dee, it remains a rare sight in Scotland, England, and across Europe. This is unfortunate because dry fly fishing offers unparalleled excitement and challenge.
Based on extensive experience fishing in rivers throughout Scotland and Scandinavia, I understand that dry fly fishing isn’t suitable for every river. However, it can be a viable option on many rivers, providing an alternative approach for anglers seeking new challenges.
At Fishmadman, we aim to inspire anglers across Europe, particularly in Britain, to reignite the pursuit of salmon with dry flies. By identifying rivers where dry fly fishing is feasible and developing specific fly patterns tailored to each location, we can unlock the thrilling potential of targeting salmon on the surface. Let’s work together to bring this tradition back to life and experience the thrill of salmon rising to the top.
The trip to Scotland was a fishing mystery to La Branche who put many thoughts into why he did not succeed – he never came to any conclusion, but made further trips to Scotland to fish with Mr. Wood, spending most of his time studying and learning Wood´s Greased line technique – On one of his trips to Carinton beat in Scotland he eventually succeeded in catching a Dee fish on one of his Palmer dry flies