Sound Strategy

Sound Strategy - By Jamie Christie 

Although a trout angler of some 30 years I like to go salmon fly fishing once a year…every April…for 6 consecutive days…on the Spey.  It’s usually tough when we’re on:  dry spell, summer levels, bright sunshine, cold winds, and no sign of fresh run salmon!  Yet every day, 12 am on the dot, the sea-gulls come swooping up-stream telling us the hatch has begun…and it’s the Spey trout that break their cover.  And in between the various splashy/slashy rises there will be good trout…serious trout.

“But I’m not tempted, no sir!  I can fish for trout any time of the year, any where.  I came to fish for salmon and that’s what I will do!  Time spent fishing for trout could be the time that elusive bar of silver strikes.”   I think this every year and do you know what?  It never does.

So it’s Saturday, the last day of a long, dogged and determined week.  My arms are hanging off from wielding a 15 footer for what has seemed like 24/7 each day since last Monday.  My casting, at best mediocre, is breaking down.  I’m verging on exhaustion and long for the tug of a salmon…a fish…any fish!

No!  It’s “last chance saloon” for a salmon…but I can’t blank out the brownies rising opposite from where I’m wading any longer.  Even if I don’t look I hear them!  There’s been a serious plop just downstream 3 times in the last 10 minutes.

Another swing of the Cascade across the run proves fruitless and as I glance at the bank behind me I see my trout rod.  Why did I bring that?  It’s not set up though…couldn’t have been that serious…or was I?  It’s the last day so why not?  Get it out of your system man!  Alright!!!

10 minutes later I’m finally pulling in to release my personal best wild brown trout of some 3 pounds plus!  It has a mouth the size of a jack pike and my pheasant tail nymph firmly in the scissors.  A quick picture by the rod handle and off it goes as strong as you like.  What an ending to the week!

What a feeling when your pre-planned strategy of putting down the salmon rod to take advantage of the trout rise pays off.  At least that’s what I told my fellow anglers back at the bothy!!!