S1. The Blue Charm Hairwing Salmon Single Hook Fly
SALMON AND STEELHEAD SINGLE HOOK FLY PATTERNS. Hook size 6 8 - $US each
BLUE CHARM SALMON FLY PATTERN
The Blue Charm is one of the old classic salmon flies that has retained its popularity because it gets results.
It also catches Steelhead and has a good record as a seatrout fly. Originally it
was strongly associated with the river Dee in Scotland, but it crossed the
Atlantic and has had incredible success on the North Eastern costal areas of
North America. Now tired using
modern materials it is widely used as a summer fly pattern on all rivers.
Theoretically, blue flies appear more attractive in the blue light of the early
morning. This fly was one of the first hair-wing patterns
(known as the Hairy Mary in Britain). Originally tied in the 1950's by
John Reidpath of Inverness, Scotland
as a hairwing version of the traditional Blue Charm featherwing salmon fly. It
is one of the earliest, simplest and most enduring of the hairwing patterns. We have it as a double and a tube fly as well as the single hook.
How do you catch a salmon using a Blue Charm single hook fly? When observing the River you may be lucky to catch a glimpse of the shadowy form of a salmon as it lies motionless in the water eroded River channel by a deep slab of rock. The only thing that seems to move are the regular breathing rhythms of its mouth and gills that betray presence whilst it holds position in the current. It seems to be asleep. It may have lain in in this location for a week or more. Since returning from the sea. It has long since ceased to eat. It's mind is on egg laying and reproduction. Its brain doesn't seem to register what is passing in front of it. On the face of it the task of catching one of these resting Salmons seems slightly unrealistic. How can you tempt a non-feeding fish to take your artificial salmon fly?
The answer is that you have to work your fishing fly in such a way as to trigger an instinctive attack response. Observe the River or obtain local knowledge as to where the best salmon lies on that particular stretch of water are located. Now you have to work your fly across those locations. Hopefully the salmon will soon notice your fly which it takes to be a small creature, upstream swimming across the current in a long, leisurely arc. This creature appears to swim away. After a few moments it appears again but this time closer. The salmon follows it with its eyes. It disappears again. Suddenly the same creature appears much nearer this time and swims into the salmon's vision just above its head. To the salmon this thing is invading its space. It is getting too close. The salmon leaves its safe resting place and follows the intruder. the last moment. It turns away without attacking.
A keen observant salmon fishermen, may have seen a boil near the fly, with the salmon showing it back or snout. That is the time to present fly again over the same location. Having already got the salmon's attention, this time, hopefully it will rise for an attack. To many fishermen do not pay attention to what is happening in the water around their fly. They have to train themselves to look out for subtle indicators that there are salmon investigating what is on the end of their fishing line. If your mind is on other things will miss those small tell-tale signs.
There is no formal proof method of taking a salmon in this situation. What you have is a set of options. Some or none may work, this depends on the mood of the salmon and the skill or luck of the flyfisherman. A slightly different style of presentation, may be all that is needed to get a hook up. Try retrieving more slowly and then try a faster retrieve. Another option is a dead drift over the holding location. If these tactics still do not bring success, I would suggest that a change of fly the good option. Try a smaller one of the same pattern. If you have been using a dark coloured fly then try one with a silver body.
I was fishing a Blue Charm hair wing salmon fly on my last Scottish fishing trip when I felt a nibble. I could see where my prey and retired to stop. I cast again and again with no luck. I tied on smaller hook size, but again no joy. I did not have any silver body flies left in my tackle box so I tied on an orange Ally's shrimp pattern. On my first cast there was a large splash as the salmon took my offering with gusto.
STEELHEADS
Steelheads are simply migratory rainbow trout. (A Sea Trout is the migratory form of the brown trout). They spawn in freshwater rivers and lakes, remain there for about two years, then migrate to the open sea where they will stay for another two to three years before they begin returning to their native rivers. Steelheads returning to their home rivers, will be fully mature and weigh between seven and ten pounds. Fish that have stayed in the ocean longer can reaching impressive sizes of 12 to 20 pounds or more. Unlike the migratory salmon, not all sea-run steelhead die immediately after spawning. About twenty percent of each steelhead generation that returns to freshwater to spawn make their way back down the rivers and into the sea again. Not many will be strong enough to make a second spawning run. Steelheads in the sea look very much like river trout until they begin their migration when they change to a bright silver, their backs a darker grey. Anglers call these trout "chrome bright," or "chromers." After they have been in freshwater for a time, however, steelhead slowly begin to take on the color patterns of true rainbow trout, with various patterns of black spots sprinkled across their backs, complete with smears of red on the cheeks, with distinctive red stripes marking their flanks. These red stripes can range in color from soft coral pink to a deeper blood-red color. The males fish are more colorful.
Migrations continue throughout the year, although the most active steelhead months are December, January, and March for winter steelhead; and June through August for the summer runs. Most steelhead rivers have only a summer or a winter run; some have both, and some experience no spring or summer steelhead runs at all hosting an autumn/fall and winter-run trout. It is mostly the big rivers, that have steelhead runs year-round. Winter-run steelhead become very single minded. It is the greatest run of trout in terms of numbers. All their energy is devoted to spawning. For the most part, when they do feed, or strike a fly, they seem to do so out of habit and instinct rather than true hunger. It is this instinct - the steelhead's curiosity that can work to the angler's advantage. They will still strike at a well-presented artificial fly. They are also exceptionally wary, nervous, and incredibly difficult to catch. Winter steelhead seem to be, by far, the spookiest of the migratory steelhead. In shallow, clear water. Even the hint of a shadow moving across the water startles them, sending them scurrying.
The spring and summer trout runs produce the highest quality of steelheads, in looks and sport. They are still sexually immature when they enter the rivers. They will spend more time in freshwater before they begin spawning. Most winter-run steelhead will spawn quickly and then return to the ocean, some do linger in the rivers throughout the winter and into the spring. Spring and summer-run trout will often remain in the rivers through the summer months. When these steelheads strike, they do so with a great deal more ferocity than winter-run trout. They fight like big saltwater fish and are one of the great game fish of the world.
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