Three classic flies for chasing early season silver!
The Atlantic Salmon is regarded as the king of fish among many anglers. These magnificent fish are found in many Scottish rivers which makes Scotland a very popular destination for fly fishers from around the world. Probably the most prized fish are the salmon caught during the early part of the season. These fish are known as springers and can enter the river anytime from early January through until the end of May. Springers are usually hard fighting and big in size which makes catching one of these fish such a challenge. Spring salmon in Scotland are not as common as they once were, so early in the season, it is not large numbers of fish that are targeted but instead one or two big fish. Catching one of these magnificent creatures on the fly has to be the ultimate pinnacle of the sport. So which flies work best during the early part of the season in Scotland when chasing spring salmon? In this article we take a look at three of the main contenders.
Catching a spring salmon is the ultimate prize!
The fresh spring salmon (a fish that has been in the river for no more than forty-eight hours) is usually quite an aggressive creature and quite receptive to taking a fly. Therefore it is often not a difficult fish to catch but a hard fish to find. When it comes to selecting a fly, there is no need to be subtle in your choice. You want the fly to be highly visible in the water column, so it shows up well, so any fish in the pool have no problem spotting it. Bright bold colours usually work well. Of course, much as always depends on the water height and temperature. If the water is high and cold which it often is during the early spring months in Scotland, the tube fly style of fly can work well. These flies vary in length and also in the material the body is made from. When the water temperature is low often the fish lie close to the riverbed and so tube flies made from copper or brass sink quickly, getting well down in the water column to the depths where the fish may be lying.
The famous Willie Gunn
One of the most famous salmon flies originating from Scotland is the Willie Gunn. The Willie Gunn works well at all times of the year but especially during the spring months. The traditional fly has a black body with silver ribbing and the wings are made from mixed orange, black and yellow bucktail. There are a number of modern day versions of the fly which have gold bodies or jungle cock cheeks and they all seem to work well. The fly can be tied in both the dressed style (on double or treble hooks) as well as in the tube fly style. The Willie Gunn is a fly that is definitely worth keeping in your box during the early part of the season.
A Cascade variant
The Cascade is a more modern-day pattern compared to the Willie Gunn and has become very popular among salmon anglers in Scotland in recent years. The Cascade is another bright fly which shows up well in water column and has similar colours to that of the Willie Gunn. The wing of the Cascade is usually orange, black and yellow. Some tiers also incorporate a few strands of flash. The fly has jungle cock cheeks for added attraction. The major difference between the Cascade and the Willie Gunn is that the Cascade is tied with a tail. The tail can often make the fly appear more lifelike and give it added movement which can be very important. The Cascade usually fishes better when tied in the dressed style of fly and so often works well later in the spring when the water is a bit warmer and lower.
The Posh Tosh works well during the early part of the season
The Posh Tosh is a fly which was originally devised in the Scottish Borders. The fly is a very simple pattern and principally has only two colours, yellow and black. The Posh Tosh has a proven track record of producing spring salmon and can work well in clear water. The black wing of the fly shows up well as a silhouette above any salmon lying in the pool. Again the Posh Tosh is highly visible, so is perfect when searching for fish which is often what you are doing early in the season. The Posh Tosh can be tied in both the dressed and tube fly styles and has jungle cock cheeks.The fly is a firm favourite on some of the northern rivers in Scotland like the Spey and Dee and many anglers will use nothing else during the early part of the season. The simplicity of the fly is one of its strengths and the two-tone colour of the wing seems to have an appeal to early season spring salmon.
Nothing beats catching an early season spring salmon!
Nothing beats catching a spring salmon on the fly and often it can be just a matter of finding the fish. If a fresh springer sees the fly more often than not it will have a go at taking it. It is therefore important to be bold in your fly selection and use flies which are highly visible in the water column. If you have a few Willie Gunns, Cascades and the odd Posh Tosh of various sizes and styles in your fly box, you won’t go far wrong!