My Salmon Hookers

 This year, 2025, marks my 28th year of chasing Atlantic salmon on the Miramichi and its tributaries.  Since many of us are deep into the winter fly tying season, I thought I'd do a little post on the flies that I've hooked salmon on in the course of the first 27 seasons.

My very first salmon trip to the Miramichi was in July, 1998 (still have the 3-day license!).  The trip was at the, dare I say it, the insistence of my now long time friend, Pam Bates Richards and the late Bob Warren.  I had a job at a fly fishing museum then where I got to know some pretty good salmon anglers; the late Gardner Grant (a trustee, along with Pam at that museum) gave me a little box of flies tied by none other than Keith Fulsher (who has also, sadly, passed away) to use on my trip.

We fished at was then Vin Swazey's Tuckaway camp; I swung my first salmon fly, a Black Bear Green Butt tied by Keith.  As luck would have it, I hooked and landed a grilse on my third-ever cast.  I wish I still had that fly (I do still have the little box it came in),  but alas, I do not.  But....with the help of Keith, Charlie Krom and Bob, I learned to tie my own:

As I've said many times, it was all downhill, salmon-wise, from there.

A fly that I've had great success with is the Glitter Bear, the Black Bear Green Butt's blingy cousin.  I can still remember years ago, guide and good friend Dan Bullock suggested, as the light was getting flat in the evening, switching to a Glitter Bear...it was a good suggestion.  Many of my fish have come to the Glitter Bear:

This is the fish that resulted from Dan's suggestion about changing to the Glitter Bear:

Bob Warren became a very good friend over the years, salmon fishing and otherwise.  I think he was one of the finest fly tyers on the planet; he could make any feather bend to his will.  Beyond being such an accomplished technician at the craft of fly tying, he was also a very creative tyer.  Two of his designs have brought Atlantic salmon to the net for me.  First and foremost has been the Cutty Sark, a fly my friend Rob Feeney calls the fly you love to hate (tying).

The Cutty probably doesn't get fished much other than the Boiestown-area pools, where it was pretty much born, although I do know a couple steelheaders that have used it to great effect in their rivers.  With its blended floss underwing and tough to tie teal overwing, I'm pretty sure you won't find it in any fly shop.   If you're feeling adventurous and want to give tying it a try, here's my "how to":

https://theriverscourse.blogspot.com/2016/12/tying-bob-warrens-cutty-sark.html  and here: https://theriverscourse.blogspot.com/2011/04/cutty-sark.html.  The greatest compliment in my tying life was when Bob, unable to tie due to cancer's effects but still able to fish, asked me to tie him two dozen Cuttys.  I do still have a poor photo of a low-water version tied by Bob:

The Cutty Sark can fool some pretty big fish into striking, even in the Fall (that's Bob's wife Linda.  She was fishing in very high water in a spot that's not your standard salmon pool(!

The other of Bob's creations that has been so good to me is his Golden Pheasant Spey.  While not really a Spey fly in the truest sense of the word, I figure when you're a tyer of Bob's stature, you can call your fly anything you want!   It is a great Summer and Autumn fly; I tie it in sizes from #8 (a good summer size) to 2's and 4's for fishing in the Fall.   It's another that you're unlikely to find much outside of Boiestown or in a fly shop; all that Golden Pheasant hackle and especially that tapered copper tinsel front body makes it sort of expensive and sort of a pain to tie...but the end result is so satisfying...and effective!   

BTW, the tail can be either bucktail or white bear; I prefer the white bear dyed hot orange.  It is capped with a Golden Pheasant crest.  More about it and recipe here:  https://theriverscourse.blogspot.com/2011/04/golden-pheasant-spey.html

I've come up with a couple fly designs for Atlantic salmon myself over the years.  Back in 2011, I couldn't fish due to a hip going south on my, but I could sit and tie flies.  I was also getting into dyeing my own materials, had dyed up several colors and had them sitting in a bunch on one of my workbenches.  My very Irish partner Bridget said that those were some fine Celtic colors.

So I began playing around with developing a hair wing fly that would entice salmon to strike at it.  I came up with a final design and tied up a bunch of them.  But I couldn't fish and it was Summer season on the Miramichi already!  So I sent a batch of the fly (as yet un-named; I'm one of those guys that won't name a fly until it hooks a fish) to Renate up in Boiestown.  She passed a few out to several anglers fishing her Home Pool one day.  Another long story short:  between the three anglers they hooked 17 salmon on the fly that day.  Granted it was one of the best years in memory for salmon, but still...!!  Anyway, based on Bridget's comments, it became the Celtic Beauty.

It is often the first fly I tie on and the last I clip off.  Landed my first 20 pound salmon on it. 

Not the 20 pounder, but a good hen taken on the Celtic Beauty:

 If it strikes your fancy and you'd like to tie it and try it, here's the deal:  https://theriverscourse.blogspot.com/2013/02/tying-celtic-beauty.html and https://theriverscourse.blogspot.com/2011/07/celtic-beauty-new-atlantic-salmon-fly.html

The second of my little contributions to the world of Atlantic salmon flies was named by guide and good friend Renate Bullock.  We were fishing her Home Pool in as high a water as I care to fish in and it was cold both in the river and out.  Renate was on my shoulder chatting when I hooked into something that actually scared me.  It was just on for a few moments when it jumped and crashed down on the leader and was off.  I showed her another of the until-then un-named fish and she proclaimed it GT's Highwater Shrimp.  So that was it, and it continues to hook big fish in the biggest waters of Autumn.

A little more about it, and the recipe here:  https://theriverscourse.blogspot.com/2020/09/gts-low-water-shrimp.html

Actually the first of my excursions (the wags among my friends would likely say incursions) into creating a viable salmon fly belongs to the world of featherwing flies.  I've always admired and occasionally tied what some call the Carrie Stevens style of trolling fly; AKA Rangely style, New England style, etc.).  My Deep Green Beauty owes its origin to Mrs. Stevens Green Beauty trolling fly.  It was, when I first fished it about 25 years ago (and where did those years all go???!!!!) almost what I'd call a game changer for me in my Spring fishing efforts on the Miramichi.  It was a very successful Spring fly.  But wait!  There's more!!  On June 3, 2024 I was prospecting for sea-run brook trout with a casting-style Deep Green Beauty in front of our camp, using a 10 foot 8wt switch rod I bought for Bridget (shhhhh, don't tell her) with an Orvis disc drag Spey reel mounted on it.  Out of nowhere, the fly got smashed, and I mean smashed by a huge salmon,   I have always wanted to hook a June salmon; they are purported to be the fightingest of Maritime Atlantic salmon.   Well, between the huge fish and my inability to remember how to use a non-palm drag reel, the fish was lost straight out in front of me, all the way across the river, in one big leap and landing on the tippet.   I almost (almost) hope that fish is still sporting the Beauty.

When wet, she's some streamlined:

This Spring fish liked the trolling version:

A little bit more about the Deep Green Beauty and Spring fishing here:  https://theriverscourse.blogspot.com/2011/05/few-days-in-may-on-miramichi.html

Marc LeBlanc is a well-known (and I think recently retired) salmon guide from Quebec, as well as a very well known Atlantic salmon fly creator.   One of my fav's of his flies is the Picasse, which, I believe, translates from the French to English as "anchor."    I tied up a green version of the fly, and hooked several salmon on it in high summer water.

The vinyl D-rib body is what helps, apparently, the fly to sink better than your average salmon fly.  Marc took the fly through several iterations; my tie that is pictured is the last I've seen.

I don't seem to do a lot of dry fly fishing for Atlantic salmon (note to self: do it more), but when I do, I'm inclined to use a little #10 natural color deer hair color body fly that Renate calls "the Locator."  It's been a great little fly for me...and others.  Once upon a time, my pal Jamie and I were fishing the home side of Renate's home pool; he was fishing behind me and Dan Bullock was guiding us.  I was having quite a time with grilse on the little Bomber...Jamie was not.  Dan came up and asked me if I had any more of it, which of course I did, and he had Jamie put it on.  In short order, Jamie was into a fish.

I have occasionally been privileged to fish the private pools of, especially, other board members of the Miramichi Salmon Association.   One such occasion, I was lucky to fish at Square Forks, where the North and South Sevogle rivers meet.   My host's son suggested that the fly to try that day was the smallest Shady Lady I had, and to use it in the fastest of the runs there.  I did and this little gem did the job:

It's a size 12.   A little more about Shady Ladies here:  https://theriverscourse.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-lady-becomes-bug.html

Renate Bullock was not only the first licensed female guide on the Miramichi, but she is also a great friend, casting instructor, and fly tyer/creator.   Her RBM (Renate Bullock's Muddler) has been a very successful fly that is amazing to watch swim.  Back in 1993, it hooked 5 salmon its first day in the river.  I'll never forget watching two grilse chasing it in very skinny water; one ate it and the other just kept racing around with the hooked fish.

Renate ties it in a variety of colors, usually with either a black or blue-dyed spun deer hair head.  My tie doesn't do justice to how cool the fly really is:

A little more about Renate and the RBM here:  https://theriverscourse.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-rbm-salmon-fly.html

Surely not least of the flies that I have hooked Atlantic salmon on is the little Sneaky.  Typically tied on #10 or even #12 hooks, it was designed by creator Mike Boudreau for low, slow water conditions, especially in the fall.

It has fooled some pretty big fish for me!

The only little modification I've made to the fly, and I think it helps (based upon nothing but "I hope"):

in place of the little orange hackle throat in the original, I use a tiny little bit of UV minnow splash instead.

I tie a reduced General Practioner as developed by a fellow from New Jersey that used to fish the Miramichi (name escapes me).  It is WAY easier to tie than a classic GP, and likely it is at least as effective.  I used it a lot on the Little Southwest River when I fished with my friends Howie and Paul for several Octobers.

I tie it with a Jorgensen SLF fiery blood red dubbed body.  That stuff really stands out.  Big fish like it:

Well, that's it.  That's all the flies I can remember hooking - but not necessarily landing - Atlantic salmon on since I started fishing for them.    Let's hope that 2025 is not a repeat of 2024's salmon numbers, and that maybe the Department of Fisheries and Oceans will wake up and smell the striped bass problem.

Cheers, and counting the days,

Gary