Salmon

A cold, clear river, lake or stream, not far from the seashore, in the Northern Hemisphere, in places such as Scotland, Norway, Alaska, Kamchatka, British Columbia, Nova Scotia or another of Canada’s Atlantic provinces, is where most people look for salmon. The shore near the estuaries of such rivers offer an opportunity for saltwater salmon fishing. However, this fish can be found in certain lakes, including the Great Lakes, and some rivers far removed from the shores, too. The fishing seasons for salmon usually may run from March to November, but sometimes open as late as July. You might have to travel more or less far from civilization to catch most species. Which only adds to the attraction - but also implies some risks: many a salmon river, especially in Alaska and Kamchatka, runs through bear country, and salmon fishing there often involves close encounters with the bruins.

Salmon are closely related to trout, char, greyling and whitefish. There are two distinct families of salmon: Atlantic and Pacific. Most species of salmon spawn in freshwater, spend some time growing there, then drop to the sea, reach full maturity in saltwater, return to their home river, spawn and die. Some populations, however, spend all their lifetime in freshwater, usually lakes, while others may spend only a very short time at sea. Different species of salmon range from 3-5 pounds to over 100 pounds. Salmon usually have a streamlined body, big mouth, small scales, and are often colored with orange or red spots or dots. Some species acquire extra bright colors, as well as humps and crooked jaws, as they return to their home rivers for spawning. Salmon are capable of amazing burst speed, and feed on insects, plankton, and other fish. The flesh of the salmon, often red or orange-colored, with few bones but a lot of valuable nutrients, is a big attraction for many fishermen.

Salmon fishing is believed to be one of the most challenging kinds of fishing. With salmon’s breeding habits, most populations of most species hardly ever mix or interbreed - sometimes, odd-year and even-year populations in the same river differ from each other - which makes salmon in each river or lake perfectly unique, with special behaviours and fishing habits. Therefore, you will need to study not only the best fishing methods for the species you’re after, but also those that work in the specific locality. A variety of methods can be used to land a salmon. Spearfishing used to be the traditional occupation of most peoples that lived near the salmon run rivers. Ice fishing for certain species is also possible, as well as trolling from boats on the bigger lakes. Spinning is perhaps the most efficient of salmon fishing methods, especially for a beginner. But the method that is now believed to be the highest art of salmon fishing, promoted by the British kings and noblemen by their exploits in Scotland, is fly fishing.