I couldn't miss fishing in the first REAL day of spring. It's been more than 3 painful months since I had the last fish fighting at the end of the line. Hopes were up for today, as the temperatures climbed up to 64F (approx 18 degrees Celsius). Snow is still melting and the little brook coming off Chance Pond in Franklin looked huge. I'm surprised Pemi was not as high as I thought, and the water was pretty clear. But coooold!!!!!
I attacked the water with a couple of nymphs that worked pretty well last year. I usually combine a natural color with a flashy one. This time was an orange caddis with a hare's ear. I started to use a slighter longer leader, so the fly line doesn't even come out at all, which improves the contact with the nymphs and makes it easier to feel the strikes. First 2 casts I only hooked a branch on the bottom and then I had a surprise: someone was there today.
The piece of night crawler was still fresh and the hook was in perfect state. On top of that, there was a lead sinker hangin' in there (for the people that don't know this, using lead sinkers with a weight under an ounce is prohibited in NH waters since 2005). I'm not surprised anymore that someone is fishing with live worms in a salmon water where natural bait is strictly prohibited. Last year I fished there quite often and I've seen a lot of people breaking the law on that section of the Pemi in Franklin, fishing either with natural bait or with treble hook lures. What I haven't seen yet is a fish cop in the area. In my opinion, especially after the salmon is stocked, law enforcement should be really tough.
The next hook-up brought me a piece of wood from an underwater log. There was an entire sunken world on that piece of wood. I wasn't thinking that hydropsychidae larvaes are so active already.
As a result, the hare's ear gave its place to another BH nymph that imitates this bug closer. Good pick!!!! Just a few minutes later I feel the smooth take, I set the hook in a reflex and the game begins. I found myself playing my first fish of 2009, which happened to be an Atlantic salmon. Here is a little movie, with fragments of the fight and release.
The fish was in excellent shape, strong, and surprise: didn't have a tag!!!!! I don't think this makes it a wild one, but if it ever had a tag, it was gone and the skin healed without a trace.
I took a few pictures but I tried to limit the time this fish was handled as much as possible. However, the water is very oxygenated right now, especially right below the dam and the fish was quite fat, so I think it had a very good chance to survive. Once I put it back in the water it took off slowly.
I returned to fishing with a big smile on my face. No more strikes, so I switched to a streamer, with no further success. I didn't matter. Now I can declare the 2009 fishing season is officially open for me!!! Not too long ago I was still thinking that I will have to wait until I go to Romania in May to catch some fish.
I attacked the water with a couple of nymphs that worked pretty well last year. I usually combine a natural color with a flashy one. This time was an orange caddis with a hare's ear. I started to use a slighter longer leader, so the fly line doesn't even come out at all, which improves the contact with the nymphs and makes it easier to feel the strikes. First 2 casts I only hooked a branch on the bottom and then I had a surprise: someone was there today.
The piece of night crawler was still fresh and the hook was in perfect state. On top of that, there was a lead sinker hangin' in there (for the people that don't know this, using lead sinkers with a weight under an ounce is prohibited in NH waters since 2005). I'm not surprised anymore that someone is fishing with live worms in a salmon water where natural bait is strictly prohibited. Last year I fished there quite often and I've seen a lot of people breaking the law on that section of the Pemi in Franklin, fishing either with natural bait or with treble hook lures. What I haven't seen yet is a fish cop in the area. In my opinion, especially after the salmon is stocked, law enforcement should be really tough.
The next hook-up brought me a piece of wood from an underwater log. There was an entire sunken world on that piece of wood. I wasn't thinking that hydropsychidae larvaes are so active already.
As a result, the hare's ear gave its place to another BH nymph that imitates this bug closer. Good pick!!!! Just a few minutes later I feel the smooth take, I set the hook in a reflex and the game begins. I found myself playing my first fish of 2009, which happened to be an Atlantic salmon. Here is a little movie, with fragments of the fight and release.
The fish was in excellent shape, strong, and surprise: didn't have a tag!!!!! I don't think this makes it a wild one, but if it ever had a tag, it was gone and the skin healed without a trace.
I took a few pictures but I tried to limit the time this fish was handled as much as possible. However, the water is very oxygenated right now, especially right below the dam and the fish was quite fat, so I think it had a very good chance to survive. Once I put it back in the water it took off slowly.
I returned to fishing with a big smile on my face. No more strikes, so I switched to a streamer, with no further success. I didn't matter. Now I can declare the 2009 fishing season is officially open for me!!! Not too long ago I was still thinking that I will have to wait until I go to Romania in May to catch some fish.
2 comments:
felicitari pt somon!!dar is curios de ce nu dai cu streamere?ma gandesc ca ai lua si mai mari.oricum super tare....somonoiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!
in momentul asta nu cred ca sunt mai mari pentru ca e in functie de cu ce populeaza. motivul pt care nu dau acuma la streamer dupa ei ei ca nu am o linie sink inca si pestii inca-s pe fund, apa fiind f rece. cand apa se incalzeste un pic, ies baietzii mai la suprafatza si atunci prind mai mult la streamer. in octombrie am prins predominant la streamer, dar pe sfarsitul lui noiembrie si in decembrie au intrat la nimfa, cei care dadeau la streamer langa mine nu prea au avut noroc iar eu prindeam 2-3 aproape la fiecare iesire.
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