Re-align Your Salmon Fly Fishing Thoughts

By Jock Monteith 9th March 2023

The biggest area where the vast majority of salmon anglers could improve there salmon 'hit' rate is through fly control. Tune your focal point into your salmon fly via the pace and angle of the front end of your fly line to a point where you can sense the fly's movement in the stream even though you won't be able to see it. Bin any useless thoughts of what's going on with the aerial performance of your fly line as even a poorer cast will self straighten in the stream or can be straightened via an immediate line mend.

Focus On The Riverbed Terrain

If you want consistent success in this intriguing business focus on your salmon fly and get its movement pace 'across' and 'down' the river just right. Most salmon are smart & tough to catch on a fly so unless your presentation is up to scratch you're likely heading for an inevitable blank! Out smarting salmon should become an obsession and placing that fly in their 'attack zone' is a truly fascinating element of this fine pursuit. Sometimes the salmon holding area in the water column may be high but more often than not you'll need to swim your fly right down in amongst them for one to lose its 'fly avoidance' mind set! Study the 'suspected' sub surface salmon pool terrain and let the surface movement of the river be your 'mirror' for signs of what lies below and where salmon could be holding in the pool.

Full Control Of Your Salmon Fly Is Important

The two most important areas of your fly's flight path are the first third and last third of its swing. The middle third normally takes care of itself as the stream will naturally add control to the fly by the time your line has swung round one third from its initial delivery angle. 'Taking command' of your fly early at the start of the first third of the swing is important as most anglers mend their line angle too late or are unable to mend to the fly at all with their shooting heads at range even though they've impressed the hell out of themselves with the distance they've achieved! A longer Speyline and Spey rod has a massive advantage for making that first third of the swing 'deadly' when covering long range salmon lies that require a normal paced & carefully 'controlled' salmon fly. An immediate 'to the fly' mend at touch down paired with instant fly control thoughts is often the tactic that avoids a blank day.

Fish Your Salmon Fly 'Through' The Dangle

When you think your salmon fly has reached the end of the final third of its swing be very cautious and stop yourself from thinking only about the 'relaunch' process! Treat every swing of the fly with suspicion in case a big brute of a fish is 'shadowing' your fly as it finally swings in downstream of you. Salmon are great at 'silently & invisibly' coming for a look so maintain movement in your fly by carefully drawing in line smoothly & consistency as you are hand lining in your running line. If you just whip the running line in too quickly or let the fly sag you may well be missing great hooking opportunities from fish that are following your fly. If a tiny camera was able to be fitted to your salmon fly your heart would be in your mouth on numerous occasions throughout the course of a fishing day so it's important while salmon fishing you pay attention to what you're seeing and also to what you may not be seeing!