Atlantic Salmon

Atlantic Salmon By Harvey Hilary-Taylor, Australia

I have many up and down fishing memories, the highs and the lows of the sport, , for instance the last time I went fly fishing in Tasmania has some very happy memories and I will share these with the reader.

I had heard about some large Atlantic salmon which ran wild in a water in the south of the State. The informant told me that these fish were up to 5 kilo plus and I decided I must follow up this one as the challenge to hook one of these fighters was too strong to try and forget!

I thought that I would fish with light tackle as I knew the lake only had a few snags and if I was fortunate enough to hook one of these beauties I felt that I could manage to land and release it without too much trouble or stress for the fish.

I arrived at the lake at 10am on Friday 13th February, not superstitious but a Friday dated 13th always reminded me of black cats!

I proceeded to the waters edge, had a few preliminary casts to test things out – was using my five weight rod with a six pound tippet on a six weight double taper line. Of course I had the ever popular hare and copper as my fly for the occasion.

After about an hour no action, either by a slow retrieve, fast, or jerky, nothing seemed to attract the fish, that is if they were even there?

I was getting little bored with the lack of action when suddenly something pulled my line under and started to strip off the reel at a great rate of knots.

Nothing broke the surface so I did not know what I had hooked, although from the pull on the rod I knew it was well over ten pounds, it drove relentlessly on, down deep and I had to let it have it’s head until it eventually slowed down.

I was down to the backing when I managed to turn the fish, and ever so gradually it came to the net, it was right at my feet before I could see, a lovely Atlantic salmon, but big!.

Landed and weighed, it came in at fifteen and a half pounds, a lovely healthy hen fish. Duly photographed it was returned to the water where it swam away, healthy and alive.
Wow, what a battle, bigger than any fish I had ever taken on a fly in my life, my hands were shaking at the event, and a cup of coffee calmed me down.

I still had some time to fill in before I had to leave so decided to enjoy the fishing and keep at it until the last minute. I started to cast again when, as my mind was thinking of the big one I had just caught, the line screamed off again and I could feel this was an even bigger fish.

I knew what this one was just after it took the hook, as it leapt from the water in a series of high jumps, a magnificent Atlantic salmon again, a lot larger, and probably a jack fish as they tend to leap whereas the females just hug the bottom when caught.

Well, as you can guess, my heart was in my mouth again. I was shaking, what a monster, would the tippet hold, how good are my knots, all these terrible thoughts crossed my mind as the fish leapt and fell in great splashes of water.

After quite a battle I managed to steer it towards the bank, and what a fish it was, a big brightly coloured male Atlantic salmon of twenty and a quarter pounds, just a little over the twenty pound mark – a figure I thought I would never achieve with a fly rod.

It was also duly photographed and released. What a fishing morning, two monsters taken within twenty minutes of each other, and two of the biggest fish I had ever caught on a fly – a fly I had tied myself which made it that bit more magical.

All up – quite a memorable day and a great way to leave the State.