Too much to like in this post. If I never see another "what are the conditions and what are they hitting" FB post, I will die happy. Love the Atlantic Salmon, I've been fortunate to fish for them a number of times. All in the US and CA, dreaming of an Iceland trip when I retire.
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- Thread starter Eric Patterson
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Rick Pierce
Well-known member
Eric,
No idea, other than that 1999-2000 season was a barn burner....I mean, one of the best seasons in a lot of people's hunting history. I think there was a record flight, and the weather worked out to provide one of those glory years.
After that, the numbers just started climbing. And duck hunting started becoming a "thing" again for people to do...with more disposable income, more reliable vehicles, gps, cell phones, and tech, it was easier than ever to find places. I can remember buying USGS quads to look at areas, or the maps put out by the refuges.
Plus, you have to add in social media...Facebook showing where people had killed limits a few hours ago, YouTube showing homegrown videos of limits of ducks.
Where people used to come here for a week or so on vacation to hunt, now they would leave South Carolina on a Friday night, drive all night to launch Saturday morning, hunt, sleep Saturday afternoon, hunt Sunday morning, and drive back to SC to be at work on Monday. And as I've said, the locals used to hunt "their" spots - the guys from LIttle Rock hunted Bayou Meto, Dagmar, etc. Jonesboro hunted Rainey, Black River, and so on.
Now, the guys who live in SW Arkansas will leave at 10 pm to drive to NE Arkansas to hunt if the ducks are there. And I thought I was nuts for driving 2-1/2, leaving at 2:30 in the morning from my house to go hunt the Cache.
Rick Pierce
Well-known member
Iceland? Wow. I've seen some of the footage from Iceland and it looks amazing. Crazy tiny flies, too....stuff more for stream trout than you would think big salmon.
I went with my Dad. He's been to Newfoundland and up into Canada above Sault Ste. Marie chasing them.
I'd love to to to the Gaspe' peninsula just for the history of it...
One thing I'm careful to do is shut off my phone GPS if I want to take a photo in a "secret" spot. Otherwise, internet scouts can sometimes harvest the metadata.
The rivers I've been to are several in Maine, the Margaree, Cheticamp and North Rivers in Nova Scotia, Restigouche in NB/QU and one I can't remember the name of on the north shore of the St Lawrence. I have not been in close to 20 years however. I had an open invite from a young friend doing his PhD in fisheries in Newfoundland in the 2012-2016 timeframe and blew it. Big regret.
Interesting you mention the small flies common in Iceland. The peculiar thing they do is put a hitch on the fly, so it skids on the surface.
Rick Pierce
Well-known member
Yes...a riffle hitch. It's done elsewhere, but Iceland it seems to be almost an art form bordering on religion.
I'd love to go fish the Margaree! My understanding about Nova Scotia is that the rivers have a good deal of public access, unlike other countries which require a guide and/or you having access to private beats.
My father fished the St. Mary's, and then fished Pacifics a little further into Canada on some tribal lands that an outfitter had worked out with the tribe. I think the tribe and outfitter parted ways so it isn't available anymore, but sounded like a great time catching chinooks and pinks....they were actually starting to get a run of Atlantics, too, I think, but when Covid hit and everything fell apart, it became immaterial.
His trip to Newfoundland almost didn't happen. At the airport, TSA asked what was in his rod case because the x-ray was coming back odd...he said, "it's a custom built bamboo flyrod for salmon." The lady pulled it out, said, "oh"...and then started shoving it back in the tube like a muzzleloader ramrod when it wouldn't go back in. Dad went over the counter, and there was a pretty heated discussion with all involved about what would happen if she broke that rod. My mother was trying to keep things on an even keel, and they finally allowed him to put it back in the case and hand it to them.
Of course, the last leg into Newfoundland was horribly turbulent; I don't remember if the masks dropped, but I think they dropped 500 feet almost instantly at one point, people were praying out loud, and Mom said, "great...we are going to die before we even get to a river...." They did land, and promptly discovered their luggage didn't make it with them. I think it got there a day later; the guide let them borrow rods in the meantime and it was basically, "we might as well fish...your luggage will get here or not..."
Dad tells the story better since he lived it, but it sounded like a heck of an adventure...
I really enjoyed learning a basic Spey cast; the guide probably didn't since I'm a lefty and everything is backwards, but once you get into a rhythm, it's surprisingly relaxing.
To be honest, Atlantics are the only thing I would consider giving up duck hunting for...I was really taken with them. My goal for our return trip is to ask the guide to let us fish our flies for one day, win or lose. I don't mind using his knowledge, but I'm not the type that wants a catered trip...I want to learn and struggle around with it a bit on my own....and if I hook one up, then the victory is even better.
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Total thread hijack, but I can't resist!
So I stumbled on the riffle hitch as a teenager. I knew nothing of Iceland or what a riffle hitch is. I had a fly tangle, stripped it in quickly, and BAM! I tried it from time to time in ME rivers, and it worked for bright salmon. Dark fish, not so much. I just tied a granny knot behind the head, that's all I knew.
The Margaree is in NS, the river is mostly Crown water where you can fish without a guide. At least it was 20 years ago. NB requires a guide for everything up to and including wiping your butt. Most of my fishing was in or below the Forks Pool, the salmon are mostly bright there. I had good success on Blue Charms, a ME favorite. I fished as far up as the Little MacDaniels Pool (I think is the name???). The Kid (my PhD friend) clued me in years later about how the salmons eyes change in the river, from seeing blue to red. Eh, screw the science. I'll throw what I want at them, and they'll eat it.
I have never played with a spey rod. Learning the spey cast was on the itinerary if I had gone to Newfoundland, well, crap. Now he's a biologist in Idaho F&W, Atlantic Salmon are apparently on the most hated list in the Columbia River system so no Atlantic Salmon spey casting for me.
If you want to use your own patterns when you return to your salmon lodge, do it. The guides get really stuck on tradition and fish count, but it's your money. My only suggestion is to use blue-ish patterns for bright fish and red/orange-ish patterns for dark fish. I do think smaller is better, as a rule. But then, they are Atlantic Salmon. They play by their own rules.
1999-2000 was the best year, hands down, no questions asked, I had in my 22 years duck hunting Coastal Alabama.
Numbers and variety of ducks was amazing that year.
A strong cold front every 4-6 days.
New birds coming in every week.
Limits were the norm.
First time I ever saw a duck (gadwall) tornado trying to get into my spot.
I remember a conversation with my hunting buddy going like this on a Saturday afternoon back at the ramp: "I really don't want to shoot 6 gadwalls again tomorrow, lets go up river to one of the potholes and find some teal or hunt the open water for divers".
"The good ole days".
Mark W
Well-known member
I guess I have a different take.
When I was younger my Dad, his best buddy and his son would hunt a very popular place on the Mississippi backwaters down near Wabasha MN. Opening day at the ramp was exciting and filled with adrenaline. The ramp was small and the line long. Everyone, for the most part, were respectful. Once off the trailer the fun began. The first couple of channels weren't even 15' wide and this went for a mile or so and then you came to a bigger channel for a mile and then back to small channels. Then from the small channels to pushing through weeds to get to cover.
There were literally hundreds of boats in this very large area. That morning always reminded me what it must have been like when like storming Normandy.
As shooting time approached you could hear the sounds of the hunters doing last minute adjustments to their boats and decoys. When shooting time came, the swamp became alive. One could see for miles and watch the ducks come in. Hundreds of shots being fired. Depending upon your spot, it was mostly pass shooting with some ducks decoying in.
After the hunt the trip back began. This was when it was really fun watching all the returning duck hunters and the gear they were running.
Back at the ramp, there was always either a Fed or Local CO there to check things out. The camaraderie after the hunt was something to be seen. Tailgating and cook outs right there. Ducks stories of the hunt rehashes many times.
I wouldn't trade this experience for anything and miss hunting this particular hunting. Not my style anymore but hope everyone gets a chance to experience something like this in their lifetime.