Russia Bound!

Destination: Kola River

Well, today I booked my flight to Moscow for my first European salmon fishing trip! I'm going with my buddy John, who travels to the Kola peninsula every other year. We'll be fishing the Kola river, primarily. We're headed there the very beginning of June, which I hear is prime time for very large salmon. Even though the trip is just a few short months away, the reality has yet to sink in for me (despite tying tons of flies for the trip during the past week or two). I'm sure time will tick faster once spring is officially here. I'm in no hurry, however. I still have plenty more flies to tie and I need to spend plenty of time on the water, practice casting sinking Scandi heads and large tube flies on a 15' rod. Considering the preparation I'll need in order to fish close to my "top form," this might be a short trout fishing season for me, at least in the beginning. I'm looking forward to a future blog post loaded with torpedoes!

Ted Williams and the Atlantic Salmon

Ted Williams and the Atlantic Salmon from Martin Pitts on Vimeo.

Ally's Shrimps

Ally's Shrimps on copper/aluminum tubes and doubles

In my experience, Ally's Shrimp is a great fly early and late in the season. My first salmon of last season was caught on a #1 Ally's Shrimp, tied on a single hook. This is my first attempt at tying it on a tube. I subbed natural Finn Raccoon tail for the normally prescribed grey squirrel tail on the tube versions. I've also had great success swinging this fly for trout all season long, particularly rainbow trout. I tie it on a stonefly hook in sizes #10-#12. 

Ally's Shrimp for trout

Gaula the Movie

This looks like one to see...

Gaula - River of Silver & Gold from tapamthemovie on Vimeo.

More Cascades

A Cascade Parade

This should be enough...on to Snaeldas and Willie Gunns...

Cascade Tubes

These two will turn my luck around!

The Cascade is one of Ally Gowans' most famous and effective patterns. Tied in all sizes, and on both hooks and tubes, it is considered a modern classic. It's probably the most effective pattern with which I have yet to move a fish. I keep fishing it because I know thousands of angler and fish can't be wrong. As a devoted streamer fisherman for trout, the same is true of John Barr's Slumpbuster which, ironically for me, only seems to further any slump I happen to find myself in. I don't know about the Slumpbuster, but these Cascades are finally going to work for me this season. Tied at a total length of about 2.75", they should be just right for June on the Kola River. If they don't work there, I'm going to take the whole lot of them and throw them into the river, where they will all promptly hook salmon, I'm sure...