[Sandy Nelson]

I'm off for a couple of weeks again in a wee while and i've a fancy for tying some salmon flies

So I'm looking for suggestions for what type of hooks and sizes to take.
Not having caught salmon on anything but small dryflies i dont know where to start
I've played for years with tubes and trebles,doubles and singles, great fun tying the flies even if i dont use them However Having played with the styles of hooks i like the way a double swims, it seems very stable and lends itself nicely to the tying of flies, Are they still legal? The gold and silver ones look nice, Partridge Salars?

I'm likely to be fishing the Don, poss the Spey or Dee (you can but hope) i might even try salmon fly fishing proper again (Hamish ), but for now i just want to tie some nice flies.
I've got some cracking hen capes in Sunburst, Chartreuse, ultra hot orange and Hot pink to tie some hot spiders but they just scream small salmon flies to me.

So any suggestions for Hooks? or even patterns, styles are most welcome Sizes and when they are likely to fished and how heavy to dress the flies for different hooks, any and all help is appreciated as ever. This months FF&FT had a neat little table for sizes of the fly for temperatures and times of the year, is this pertinent to most rivers?

Cheers

Sandy

[Hamish Young]

I'm off for a couple of weeks again in a wee while and i've a fancy for tying some salmon flies

So I'm looking for suggestions for what type of hooks and sizes to take.

Ken Sawada spey hooks, Daiichi Alec Jackson spey fly hooks and the Partridge Salar hooks are the finest single hooks on the market at the moment, all great quality and lovely to tie on. The Partridge Salar doubles, if you fancy doubles, are as good as you get IMHO. The older Partridge series salmon hooks still have thier place but if I were buying then the above would be my choice (it's what's you'll find in my fly tying boxes of hooks.....).

Not having caught salmon on anything but small dryflies i dont know where to start
I've played for years with tubes and trebles,doubles and singles, great fun tying the flies even if i dont use them However Having played with the styles of hooks i like the way a double swims, it seems very stable and lends itself nicely to the tying of flies, Are they still legal? The gold and silver ones look nice, Partridge Salars?

Doubles are fine, the treble hoooks are falling out of favour in these days of C&R although I'd argue there's nowt wrong with a barbless ED treble. Ofcourse, you might like to consider tying some of the newer tube designs..... now that is a challenge 

I'm likely to be fishing the Don, poss the Spey or Dee (you can but hope) i might even try salmon fly fishing proper again (Hamish ), but for now i just want to tie some nice flies.

Pas de problem  Got a couple of outfits here somewhere.... I think 

I've got some cracking hen capes in Sunburst, Chartreuse, ultra hot orange and Hot pink to tie some hot spiders but they just scream small salmon flies to me.

Good oh 

So any suggestions for Hooks? or even patterns, styles are most welcome Sizes and when they are likely to fished and how heavy to dress the flies for different hooks, any and all help is appreciated as ever. This months FF&FT had a neat little table for sizes of the fly for temperatures and times of the year, is this pertinent to most rivers?

See above for hook choices
Haven't seent his months FF&FT yet - but it'll be spot on, some might argue but I've not seen a bum steer from them yet.
If you tie some tubes on 1/2 to 3/4 inch copper tubes you're covered for spring and autumn. Patterns Gold Bodied Willie Gunn, Silver Stoats Tail, Allys, Tosh, Munro Killer etc will serve you well.
These patterns can be mirrored in singles and doubles along with old favourites like Hairy Mary, Black Shrimp, Cascades etc etc etc Not forgetting flies like the Collie Dog and the Sunray Shadow.

Essentially think like this - spring and autumn flies reasonably heavily dressed, summer/low water a wee bit thinner and more mobile. Material choice is relatively key....but that's more to catch the fly tier than the fish. Although it's a gross generalisation, if they're in and want it they'll take it 

Suggest a wee visit to Dinnet might be in order before you go - there's plenty here for you to see and discuss
Also worth having a squint here http://www.salmonfishingforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=3f54a3a2dde21e1e69560499c7322040&f=14

[Rob Brownfield]

I have to say I LOVE the shape of the Salar singles, but why oh why don't they do proper sizes!!! Biggest I have been able to find is a size 5, which bears no resemblance to any other hook size I have seen!

If these were available in 6/0's they would make fantastic Pike fly hooks

When you dress a hairwing Salmon fly on one they just look "right" and I like the fact you get silver (great of sea trout flies, teal blue and silver!!) and gold for the Munro killers etc

Banchory Orvis shop has some doubles tied up on Salars and they also look very very good!

[Sandy Nelson]

So if for now i stick to my 7wt single hander (although i feel another blank beckoning )

Then i reckon flies from an 8 down to 16 would be about right for casting, probably more late spring till autumn for actually getting near the river this year

So would cascade style spiders and nice lightly dressed hairwings on salar gold and silver in 9,11's doubles,be along the right lines? i've got small LW 14 and 16's too in my stock which might make neat wee flies
My understanding of hairwings is for fast water use bucktail cos its stiffer and arctic fox for slower water as it has more movement, how important is this when fishing? I have both in a range of colours

I found some alloy tubes, bottles and waddingtons in my hook box( all sizes), a collection from the various stages in my life when i've taken a fancy to tying salmon flies, problem is i've never fished them enough to make qualified descisions about their effectivity, i've quite a few bits for Spey flies too, great to tie never yet fished them (Schlappen etc)

You never know i might actually get around to trying them this year

Sandy

[Hamish Young]

So if for now i stick to my 7wt single hander (although i feel another blank beckoning )

I use a 10ft #7/8wt through much of the summer with various polyleaders off the end of a floating WF#8 floater and it copes with flies up to a 4 single with no problem at all - even small tubes. A nice #9/10wt double hander sounds like your cup o' tea and would open up the possibilities a smidgen for you hugely 

Then i reckon flies from an 8 down to 16 would be about right for casting, probably more late spring till autumn for actually getting near the river this year

Just tickity boo 

So would cascade style spiders and nice lightly dressed hairwings on salar gold and silver in 9,11's doubles,be along the right lines? i've got small LW 14 and 16's too in my stock which might make neat wee flies

Just tickity boo 

My understanding of hairwings is for fast water use bucktail cos its stiffer and arctic fox for slower water as it has more movement, how important is this when fishing? I have both in a range of colours

I use a combination of both in most of my patterns as a compromise as it saves carrying hundreds of flies with different materials in them and, IMHO, they look nice and fish perfectly well

I found some alloy tubes, bottles and waddingtons in my hook box( all sizes), a collection from the various stages in my life when i've taken a fancy to tying salmon flies, problem is i've never fished them enough to make qualified descisions about their effectivity, i've quite a few bits for Spey flies too, great to tie never yet fished them (Schlappen etc)

You never know i might actually get around to trying them this year

All just grand - when Mike gets Chateau Haddo finished perhaps we should have a salmon & sea trout fly tying day for exchange patterns/methods/materials/ideas 

[Hamish Young]

Should have said - on smaller rivers I use the single hander...... otherwise it's a#9wt 14footer 

[duncanm]

I am not sure but I seem to remember reading on another forum about problems with the gold salars breaking....never been a problem for me though (Unfortunately!)

[Sandy Nelson]

I've posted a few of my flies (in the gallery/virtual flybox)i tied whilst away
I found some cool stuff in norway, like the two tone fox hair (dyed silver fox and blue fox)
so came up with a few flies to while away the hours.

Hope they look ok

Sandy

[Mike Barrio]

Hi Sandy

They all look rather fishy ........... nice

Cheers
Mike

[Iain Goolager]

Just beat me to it Mike,

Yes, very nice Spidey, are they commercialy available yet? 

Iain

[Irvine Ross]

Sandy

Very nice looking flies, I can see the Scandinavian influence. Now you will have to go salmon fishing to see if the salmon like the look of them too.

Cheers

Irvine

[Sandy Nelson]

Thanks for the comments guys.

I've a rod in progress, so hopefully i'll get to see if they work

All i have to figure out now is what line to get

Sandy

[Hamish Young]

Have a couple of lines I use for you to try out when I get back Sandy  Should be well matched to what you're developing I think 

[clark]

partridge salar doubles about a size 8 to 12 is the only kind of doubles i use and tye a cascade!!!