Atlantic Salmon Fly Patterns?

[paul taylor]

at the last minute, i have come across an opportunity to go to the gaspe peninsula, quebec to fish for atlantic salmon with spey rods.

[riptide]

Hey Paul,

I fish Atlantics all the time, so hopefully I can help a bit.  When will you be going to the Gaspe, and which rivers?

The water in the Gaspe is crystal clear, you can see a dime 15 feet down and tell if it’s head or tails.  So to start with you’ll want flies in blacks, and for colours purples and greens are good choices, with orange and reds as change ups.  The guides will most likely be very picky about the flies you bring, but be persistant if you want to fish you own.  But don’t forget to try their suggestions because it sometimes means the difference between landing some and going fishless.

Dry flies are quite popular, and it’s pretty exciting to see salmon (especially 30-40 pounders) coming to take a dry fly of the top.

For Drys you’ll be looking at:
-Deer hair bombers: natural brown, green, white and orange deer hair #2, 4, and
-large Royal and White Wulfs #4, 6, and 8

Regular wets: #4, 6, 8, and 10
-Black Bear green butt
-Undertaker
-Blue charm
-Cosseboom
-Rusty Rat
-Silver Rat
-Butterfly
-Thunder and Lightning
-Silver Gray

Spey Flies: Sizes 1/0 to 1’s and 2’s
-The Gold Reeach
-The Silver Reeach
-Black Heron
-Lady Caroline
-Purple King
-Black Riach
-Orange Heron
-Black Heron
-Deep Purple Spey

There is a lot of overlap now in spey and Dee flies between Steelhead and Atlantic salmon flies.  Flies designed for one will catch the other.  The only thing to keep in mind about Atlantic salmon flies is that unlike steelhead flies they can not be weighted.  So no lead eyes, chain eyes, beads, cones, lead wire, lead tape, etc… on the shank.  Some of the Gaspe rivers do allow aluminum and copper tube, but most don’t, so you’ll want to check with the river you’ll fish if you plan to use tube flies

If you want a pattern for any particular pattern I listed or others you’re thinkin of just let me know and I’ll post it.  

I don’t know if you’ve ever fished for Atlantics before but they are a blast and addictive in the biggest way.  Kinda like steelhead, bone fish, or stripers.  Some of the Gaspe rivers produce absolute monsters (20, 30, and 40 pounders) quite regularily with the average size multi-sea winter fish being 10-18 pounds.  Grilse (one sea winter fish) range from about 3 to 7 pounds.  My biggest to date is a 41″ female (30-33lbs).  The salmon in my Avatar was probably around 16 pounds.

Good luck, and let me know if I can be more specific on flies, patterns etc…

Danny

[paul taylor]

RipTide: Thanks for all the great information!

[Author]

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