Here are some tips to equip yourself well and use all possible techniques to try salmo salar in Brittany to increase your chances of capture.
Which material to use in Brittany ?
The summer salmon or castillon weighs between 1 and 3 kg with an average weight of about 2 kg for 65 cm. You need a specific equipment, but the one you use in lake or reservoir will do the trick. A 22° to 25° tip will be perfect. Do not go below this level as it could break or tire the fish too much if you put it back in the water.
Brittany's rivers are often small and people are surprised to discover that they are run by salmon that can weigh up to 10 kg!
They are generally between 7 and 15 meters wide. In the summer, the water is lower and therefore a one-handed rod of 9 to 10 feet for a 6 or 7 line is generally used in small rivers, in order to slip through the river vegetation, and a Switch rod (two hands) of 11 to 12 feet for a 5 or 6 line on larger rivers (Ellé, Léguer, Blavet, Aulne). Medium fast actions are recommended to load the rod quickly and to cast at short and medium distance. WF lines (front weight) for one-handed rods or shooting heads (without connection) for switch rods are to be expected.
The reels are mounted with floating lines to which polyleads (sinkers) of different densities and lengths are sometimes added in order to adapt to the water conditions and thus to present the fly at different levels.
A technical fishing, of patience, but exciting!
The fishing is mainly done with drowned flies using salmon flies mounted on single, double or triple hooks according to the regulations of each river or preference, in size 8 to 14 for the summer. The use of tube-fly is also possible.
The choice of the fly must be made according to the levels and flows, but also to its beliefs. Some say according to the color of the water. But as the great fisherman and writer Hugues Falkus would say, "It doesn't matter what the fly is as long as it's black!"
The importance lies rather in the size and choice of materials, as well as the color. The flies mounted with mobile and flexible materials (marabou, rabbit skin, arctic fox,âeuros¦) are to be recommended for the rather slow rivers of Brittany.
Shrimp imitations such as Ally's shrimp and Cascade, Green Highlander, yellowish banana fly, Green Butt, Stoat Tail, and traditional Breton flies such as Yann Lefevre are to be preferred.
You should prospect the pools or stations where the salmon are holding by fishing downstream (often ¾). Try at different water heights and different flies. Look for the tougher spots, under trees, in less crowded pools. Sometimes small details make big differences.
In summer, you must think about animating your flies to make them live, because the currents are slow in the absence of precipitation and therefore your imitations are less attractive. Short and dry shots or longer and slower shots can sometimes trigger a hit!
It is characterized by a more or less dry shot, to which you should not respond by tying. In this case the fish is often missed or badly hooked, unless it does not turn on the fly. In this case, a light tying is necessary. It is generally necessary to wait for the end of the shot and simply lift the rod.
Sometimes, it is possible to fish with small dry flies to try to get the salmon to come up, but this is rare. In clear water, a small nymph on a strong iron hook can interest the salmon which see very well the very small flies. A small streamer in marabou can also vibrate better and interest the castillon who appreciate the movement.
However, it will be necessary to be patient, because the salmon, like all the migratory fish, do not feed in fresh water. They are therefore not very biting and it is necessary to devote time to hope to have the long awaited shot!
