What Makes a Salmon Take a Fly? Part One

So, I’m sitting here thinking, what is the best lure I know to catch salmon? After thinking about this, I come to the conclusion – It must be a prawn or shrimp, two lures which we would assume they are drawn to via scent. But having never had any experience of either of those I cannot categorically say this is true. So based on what I personally have seen and learned, I ask myself the same question again. After all, I want to increase the chances of my clients catching a fish. So surely I should use the best and most deadly lure!?
Ask yourself this question, if your life depended on you catching a salmon legally with a rod and line, what would you use to entice Salmo Salar? Personally, based on my own experience, I would choose a Blair Spoon! Now, I know this would not be best in every scenario, but if I could choose only one thing, and going to the river blind, I would choose this. Mind You, I don’t even possess a spinning rod! However, I do know for a fact that salmon and most other fish, via neuromasts in their “lateral Line”, detect vibration caused by movement of pray species, as well as predators, or, as it happens, “man made” obstacles in the water. They are highly sensitive and at all times aware of those things, but here’s the fantastic part; they don’t always react to them in the same manner. There is no doubt however, because of the vibration caused by this lure in the water, fish will very quickly become aware of its presence.
What we must remember however, is, like us, Salmo has more than one sense, and in all probability will use those other senses accordingly, to home in on, investigate further, or steer well clear of my spoon.
My real passion is Sea Trout fishing, a type of fishing which on both the Spey and Deveron, is best when it is pitch dark. But, if I cannot see my hand in front of my face, how can they see the fly? To begin to answer this, I will offer the following –
One very dark evening back in the mid 1980s, I happened to be guiding a party of fishers who, being new to Sea Trout fishing were not accustomed to fishing in the dark. One woman in particular, was very new to fly-fishing in general, so could not understand why, from more than 80 yards away and in the pitch dark, I told her she had lost her fly. After checking the line to find the fly had disappeared she exclaimed “What fantastic eyesight you ghillies must have”! Naturally I milked this one, by saying - Yes madam; we eat lots of carrots up here during the winter! Most of the Scots found this far north are the same, incredible eyesight! This is why, during Napoleonic times we were always picked to go to the “Crow’s Nest“of a ship! That really is amazing she said, how interesting!!
Obviously I could not see, but the crack of the line told me it was gone. I did tell her this, but only after a while. For those who have fished all night, you will recognise that, as the light fades, our eyes become less effective and so less important, our bodies become much more reliant on our other senses. Again, this is why we hear and smell much more at night. The same can be said for fish. Having initially detected the lure through vibration and displacement of water, the next part of the attack, in all probability, will be driven by whichever sense is most suited to that particular scenario.
So what is the best lure? Well, it depends; each particular pool/scenario is different. But GENERALLY SPEAKING, fish like movement in a lure, a static fly will seldom catch a salmon. Some form of movement is good, and the more like a prey species the better.