Miramichi River · fly box
The most famous Atlantic salmon river in North America, fished with a dry fly in July.
| Pattern | Imitates | Size | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bomber, green | Salmon surface attractor | #4-6 | Cast across and let it skate in the surface film; do not strike on the first show. |
| Undertaker | Salmon wet fly | #2-6 | Classic wet-fly swing on a floating line, sunk 30 cm with a small sink tip. |
| Mickey Finn | Brook trout attractor | #8 | Spring brook trout in the tributaries, stripped fast through the pools. |
| Green Machine | Salmon wet fly | #4 | When salmon are holding deep in the pool and refusing the surface. |
The dressing plate
On this river
Dry-fly salmon
North American salmon fishing is done on the surface far more than in Scotland or Norway. Fish a #4 bomber or a Wulff on a floating line, cast across and slightly down, and let the fly skate on a tight line with the rod tip low. Salmon show with a bow wave and often miss the first time; keep the fly moving and let it come back for a second attempt.
Fishing a holding pool
Salmon in low water sit in the same pools for weeks. A productive pool is worked from the head down, covering it in a fan with one or two metres between casts, and it is worth spending two hours on a pool that visibly holds fish rather than rushing to cover three pools.
The safe release of a big fish
Use barbless hooks, keep the fish in the water, and do not lift a salmon by the tail for a photograph — the internal damage is real. A large salmon that has been played for ten minutes needs the same again in the current before it swims off, so hold it head-upstream until it stops leaning on your hand.