User talk:Mike Cline/Articles Under Contemplation/Atlantic salmon angling

Broken Away - Atlantic Salmon on the fly

Recreational angling for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) has a long history in North America, the North Atlantic, Northern Europe and Northwestern Russia. Atlantic salmon, an anadromous species of Salmonidae, is most often fished for in rivers and estuaries during spawning migrations. It the 21st century, angling opportunities exist for both native wild stocks and introduced hatchery stocks. Angling methods include spinning and casting with bait and lures where regulations permit although fly fishing remains the most historic and popular method employed by anglers. Atlantic salmon have long been considered the "King of Gamefish" because it is difficult to catch and executes fast, hard runs and leaps when caught. Classic Atlantic salmon flies are considered an art form and have a long and storied history. Spey casting, a unique method of fly casting was developed on the River Spey in the 19th century in Scotland specifically for Atlantic salmon fishing on large, wide rivers such as the Spey. Although wild Atlantic salmon stocks have declined significantly over the last century, many rivers, especially in the most northern and eastern reaches of its range still provide world class salmon angling. Salmon angling is highly regulated in most countries and access to salmon rivers is often restricted to fee or privately owned fisheries and most often requires the services of a ghillie or guide.

Famous salmon rivers

"Her first 40 pounder"-Grand Cascapedia

Although there are hundreds of rivers within the native range of the Atlantic salmon that provide angling opportunities, a few of these rivers have played a significant role in the history of Atlantic salmon angling.

• River Spey–Scottish river historically important for development of the Spey casting techniques for large rivers.
• River Tweed–One of the premier salmon rivers in Scotland that produced 14,794 angler caught salmon in 2013.
• Miramichi River–New Brunswick, Canada river with the largest wild Atlantic salmon runs in North America
• Grand Cascapedia–Largest of 20 salmon rivers in Quebec known for its exceptionally large salmon. 20 to 40 pounds (9.1 to 18.1 kg) salmon are common catches. Source of the 1886 North American record fish at 55 pounds (25 kg).
• Margaree River–Nova Scotia river where Lee Wulff, noted Atlantic salmon angler and conservationist landed his first fly caught Atlantic salmon on a bi-visible dry fly in 1933.
• Alta River–Norwegian river known for large salmon up to 33 kilograms (73 lb). Produced a 24 kilograms (53 lb) salmon in 2011.
• Tana River–Norwegian river that boasts the largest salmon runs in Norway and produced the world record Atlantic salmon 35.89 kilograms (79.1 lb) in 1928.
• Umba and Varzuga Rivers–The first Russian rivers on the Kola Peninsula to be opened to foreigners for salmon fishing.
• River Moy–Ireland's premier salmon river on the northwest coast near Ballina, County Mayo. The famous Ridge Pool in Ballina has produced up to 2,660 Salmon in a single season.

Salmon angling methods

A ghille nets an angler's salmon

In England and Scotland, prior to about 1840, most salmon were harvested with nets. At this time, the rise of recreational angling gave land and riparian rights owners along salmon rivers a new source of income. Anglers would pay a fee to fish a "beat" on the river under the guiding advice of a ghillie, derived from the Scottish "gillicasfliuch" (gillie-wet-foot). This was a derogatory lowland Scot term for servants who carried highland Scot chiefs across rivers and swampy ground to keep their feet dry. The term "ghillie" is still used today on most salmon rivers for the guides.

Fly fishing

Classic Atlantic salmon flies

The Jock Scott, a classic Atlantic salmon pattern

Plate 2 from Salmon Fishing, John James Hardy (1906)

Classic Atlantic salmon flies are considered works of fly tying art.

Notable Atlantic salmon angling literature

See also: Bibliography of fly fishing and Bibliography of fly fishing (species related)

• Scrope, William (1843). Days and Nights of Salmon Fishing in the Tweed; with a short Account (PDF). London: John Murray., Entertaining anecdotes abound, and useful information relating to making flies and the fine art of salmon fishing is masterfully recounted.
• Fitzgibbon, Edward (1850). The Book of Salmon (PDF). London: Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans.
• Alexander, Sir Hames Edwards, Colonel (1860). Salmon Fishing in Canada (PDF). London: Longman, Green, Longman & Roberts.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Younger, John (1864). River Angling for Salmon and Trout (PDF). Edinburgh, Scotland: William Blackwood & Sons.
• Peard, W. MD (1867). A Year of Liberty; or Salmon Angling in Ireland (PDF). London: Horace Cox.
• Knox, A.E. (1876). Autumns on the Spey (PDF). London: John Van Noorst.
• Dawson, George (1876). Pleasures of Angling with Rod and Reel for Salmon and Trout (PDF). New York: Sheldon and Company.
• Hallock, Charles (1890). The Salmon Fisher. New York: The Harris Publishing Co.
• Hamilton, Edward MD (1895). Recollections of Fly-Fishing Salmon, Trout, & Grayling. New York: Orange Judd Company.
• Gedney, C. W. (1896). Angling Holidays in Pursuit of Salmon, Trout and Pike (PDF). Bromley, Kent: Telegraph Printing Works.
• Gathorn-Hardy, A. E. (1898). The Salmon (PDF). London: Longmans, Green and Co.
• Sage, Dean; Townsend, C. H.; Harris, William C.; Smith, H. M. (1904). Salmon and Trout (PDF). New York: MacMillan Company.
• Hardy, John James (1906). Salmon Fishing (PDF). London: Country Life.
• Claytor, A. H. (1910). Letters to a Salmon Fisher's Son (PDF). Boston: Houghton Miflin.
• Hodgson, William Earl (1920). Salmon Fishing (PDF). London: A. C. Black Ltd.
• Hewitt, Edward Ringwood (1922). Secrets of the Salmon (PDF). New York: Charles Scribner's Son.
• Wulff, Lee (1958). The Atlantic Salmon. New York: A.S. Barnes and Company.
• Bates, Joseph D. (1970). Atlantic Salmon Flies and Fishing. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-0180-8., A comprehensive look at all aspects of Atlantic Salmon fishing and dressing Atlantic Salmon flies. Eight color plates of Flies.
• Bates, Joseph D. Jr., ed. (1975). The Atlantic salmon treasury:an anthology of selections from the first quarter-century of the Atlantic salmon journal. Montreal: Atlantic Salmon Association.
• Wulff, Lee (1992). Merwin, John (ed.). Salmon on a Fly: the Essential Wisdom and Lore from a Lifetime of Salmon Fishing. Riverside, New Jersey: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0671760653.
• Bates, Joseph D. Jr. (1996). Fishing Atlantic Salmon. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0811706362.
• Montaigne, Fen (1998). "Waiting for Mikhail'ich". Reeling in Russia. New York: St. Martins Press. pp. 41–81. ISBN 0-312-18595-2.

Atlantic salmon flies

• Hale, John Henry (1892). How To Tie Salmon Flies (PDF). London: Sampson, Low, Marston & Company Ltd.
• Kelson, George M. (1895). The Salmon Fly and How to Dress It (PDF). London: Wyman & Sons.
  • Main article: The Salmon Fly
• Tannant, Thomas E. (1914). How to dress salmon flies: a handbook for amateurs (PDF). London: Adam and Charles Black. Retrieved 2014-12-08.
• Dunham, Judith (1991). The Atlantic Salmon Fly - The Tyers and their Art. Chronicle Books. ISBN 0877018006.
• Frodin, Mikael (1991). Classic Salmon Flies. Bonanza Books. ISBN 051705888X.
• Radencich, Michael D. (1997). Tying the Classic Salmon Fly: A Modern Approach to Traditional Techniques. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0811703312.
• Talleur, Dick (1999). Pretty & Practical Salmon Flies. Globe Pequot Press. ISBN 0963838814.
• Alcott, Ron (2004). Building Classic Salmon Flies. Portland, OR: Frank Amato Publishing. ISBN 1571883398.
• Radencich, Michael D. (2006). Classic Salmon Fly Materials: The Reference to All Materials Used in Constructing Classic Salmon Flies from Start to Finish. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0811701972.
• Radencich, Michael D. (2012). Classic Salmon Fly Patterns: Over 1700 Patterns from the Golden Age of Tying. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0811708527.