S8. The Silver Wilkinson Salmon Single Hook Fly
SALMON AND STEELHEAD SINGLE HOOK FLY PATTERNS. Hook size 6 8 - $US each
THE SILVER WILKINSON SALMON FLY
The original creator of the Silver Wilkinson is in dispute. In 1843 Mr William Henderson commissioned the salmon
fly tier James Wright to tie a fly of similar description. Canon William Greenwell of Greenwell's Glory fame also tied a similar fly but it is Mr P.S.Wilkinson whose name has been attached to this now popular modern salmon fly. Try our
Silver Wilkinson Double Hook Salmon fly and Silver Wilkinson Treble Hook Salmon fly.
A very good smoalt pattern. I have had great success with a Silver Wilkinson when fishing
for Salmon in Canada, Scotland and in Sweden. Bait fish have to move quickly in
order to survive and your fly must do the same. Ensure you maintain your
retrieve until you feel your line stop Salmon do not slam into the fly like
trout or bass usually do. With Coho especially you will sometimes see a wake
following your fly. Although it is exciting and can be unnerving it is important
that you keep the fly moving. Do not be tempted to slow up and let the Salmon
catch up. This is unnatural behavior for a bait fish and may spook your target
fish into rejecting your fly. I have found Dead-drifting around the edges of swirling
eddies also brings takes with this fly.
FLY FISHING IN ALPINE MOUNTAIN LAKES
I know this sounds strange but this summer I used a Silver Wilkinson single
hook salmon fly to fly fish for monster size trout in the Austrian and German Alpine Lakes with amazing success. My
daughter was feeding the ducks with bread and I noticed a feeding frenzy on the
surface and underneath the webbed feet of the ducks. The water is crystal
clear and I could see the young juvenile baitfish. They were feeding on the
bread that the ducks had missed. Many had brown backs with white tummies and
others had blue backs. Silver Wilkinson was a spot on imitation. These lakes get deep very quickly
and the juveniles defence mechanism was not to swim in the same direction or
depth for more than a second. I mimicked their behaviour by retrieving and
pausing. The heavy salmon hook of the Silver Wilkinson instantly sent the fly
downwards on the pause. It was so easy to mimic the real fish's actions.
Lurking near the bottom, eyeing the darting movement of the baitfish near the
surface, were the dark shapes of the large predatory trout. Sight fishing like
this was a real joy. I let my fly fall towards one of the dark shadowy shapes.
Just as it got close I would suddenly retrieve in a jerking motion to imitate a
small fish trying to get away from danger. It was a fantastic day. The sun was
out, The scenery was amazing and the great beer was cheap. What more can a fly
fishing enthusiast want?
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