A guide to successful catching

Press, 11 February 1981, Page 21

A guide to successful catching

By

Dave Bashford

Experienced salmon anglers would be the first to admit that salmon fishing is a very chancy business and this is perhaps the mainspring that makes even the most ardent of t fishermen tick. For me the thrill is the moment when the rod ’ips and for a second or two resistance is felt, “am I in business or is it another river boulder that seems to leap :'if the bottom hell bent to relieve me of yet another spinner?”

Having fished for a number of seasons for quinnat salmon with reasonable success, the following advice for people intending to take up the sport and also for those who have fished for just a season or two, is in regard to river fishing and by this 1 mean anywhere upstream from the river mouth or other than fishing in surf conditions. Rods: For consistently good results the fisherman needs to fish consistently and for this reason heavy rods are unnecessary, as well as being tiring on the arms and shoulders. Telephone poles are best reserved for surf conditions. Salmon, no matter how' big and angry they may be can usually be handled by very light gear and surely this is one of the joys of the sport. I recommend a light rod, preferably of about 2.13 m with medium to firm action. If it must have a ferrule, ensure that it is a good solid one and preferably, fitted nearer to tire butt than the middle of the rod. Rings are a matter of choice but with constant fishing, cheap steel rings quickly become grooved with disastrous results 'or the line. Metal rings or guides and especially the tip ring should be examined for wear regularly no matter what the reputed quality is claimed to be. Some very fine ceramic guides are now available, these hav-

ing a composition outer band to help minimise the chance of breakage on impact with hard objects such as river stones. With care, guides such as these should last for years and are fairly reasonably priced. Reels: For the tyro. I recommend a reel of the fixed spool type, left or right hand wind to suit the individual, preferably with a ball bearing head and similar type bearings for the handle winding main shaft. Remember that with constant casting, a mile or so of line can be cast and retrieved during a day’s fishing and this can be hard on any reel. It is always good practice to remove the side plate of a newly purchased reel and lubricate the interior with a good reef oil and a light grease thereafter at regular intervals. A good solid quality reel will pay dividends in the long term. A line capacity of 180 to 270 m with eight kilograms breaking strain will be ample.

Line: The choice of a good supple monofilament line of about eight kilograms breaking strain could be regarded as ideal. A good move is to' purchase a bulk spool pack which usually contains about 530 metres and just snip off what you require. I often see folk belting away with line of 14 kilogram breaking strain and even heavier. The line comes off the reel like a coil of wire, choking the line guides and resulting in a short uncomfortable cast made at great effort. Heavy line, like this, if it must be used, is better handled by a reel of the revolving spool type. Revolving spool reels require considerable manual dexterity and for certain types of fishing cannot be beaten, however, as mentioned earlier novice casters should start with a fixed spool reel. Some of my experienced fishing

associates use monofilament with a B.S. of four to six kilograms. Occasionally they suffer a broken line but the ease of casting tiny spinners when conditions require more strikes make it worthwhile. The answer of course is to carry two spools- with different line weights but the beginner should stick to the eight kilogram B.S. line. Lures: Over the last few years the reliable Z spinner has taken over from the ticer and Colorado spoon, although this latter is still used to some extent. Two sizes of Z spinner commonly used are

those of 40mm and 50mm in length. Both can be used with or without a small lead weight attached to the line depending on river depth. Although spinners and spoons are generally silver plated, colours and sizes range from about the size of a five cent piece through to a miniature hub cap. When the river is very clear and the fish are perhaps a little line shy, it could pay dividends to try an assortment of various lures. Copper, brass, chrome or stainless steel finishes, will often pick up a fish when the usual hardware fails particularly

if using a lighter than usual line. The time: Although no hard and fast rule can be set in regard to the most productive fishing times of the day, I have found the most rewarding period to be from first light until about 11.30 a.m. Late afternoon to almost dark can also be productive. Much depends on the type of water the fish have to negotiate to reach a suitable resting place. The lee of boulders or deep holes where the current slackens are favourite-, lies. The name of the game is positive thinking — and a ton of patience.