Have you ever ate something out of the freezer that hours later you wish you hadn’t? Ok, so the hot wings I had at eight o’clock last night are the reason I am up at 4 something AM! With the pups it was not such a bad idea to get them out and about a little earlier than normal. Had to look for that silver lining. UGH.
So since I am up, thought I would put out one of the last issues on river salmon fishing. The use of spawn is one of the most effective methods of fishing for salmon, and brown trout as well. Just as in a recent lesson learned, fresh is always better.
Spawn, which is also referred to as roe, does work best when fresh. Second best is preserved at home. Third best is from a jar. I would suggest leaving the plastics at home, but once in a while the stuff just plain works.
Best way to get fresh is from a recent catch, and lots of anglers look to get their first fish with a spoon, take the roe and start using it right away. Most will fish with the spawn inside a small mesh bag, this is available at most sporting good shops and even your local Meijer’s. Atlas Mike’s is a name brand most commonly seen on the shelves. The mesh material will come in pink, orange or red. You can either purchase these in pre-cut squares, or in small rolls. They also have kits available, as well as little foam dots (will get to this later). Place four or five eggs in each bag, take the corners tight, give a small twist, and finish off by tieing the end with like colored thread.
There are actually hooks out there from most of the big brands like Mustad, Gamakatsu, and Eagle Claw already labeled “salmon hook, or egg” on the package. Some people swear by the gold hook, others have started using red, or you can stick the black nickel. All will catch fish. Place the hook inside the mesh bag, I prefer not to break an egg, so place the hook in through one spot in the bag, and lightly out another. You can also leave the hook inside. You will know when one of these monsters is on the other end, and the hook comes through the mesh easily on the hookset.
Presentation is simple, cast up river, and allow the spawn to come down current at a natural speed. There are variations on this, that work best in certain situations. Low water conditions, try using a float (bobber). Thill makes some designed specifically for this. There are also the Wing-It casting bobbers. I strongly suggest you dispose of the spring, and treat it like a slip bobber. Have lost too many of these to trust the spring to hold the line in place.
High water or fast moving current require weight, this method will allow the roe sack to bounce along the bottom where the fish hang out. A simple method to accomplish this is to tie a barrel swivel from your main line from the reel, to your clear leader line. In the eye where you tied the main line, use some 4 or 6 lb test mono and create a short dropper about five or six inches in length. On the dropper place a number of split shot on to keep the rig down. How many is determined by speed of current and depth of the river. Nice thing about this rig is that if you get snagged up, the shot will peel away, freeing your line. If for some reason that doesnt occur, the light test line will break before your main or leader line does. If you want to get the baits down deeper, but still want to have roe sack slightly off the bottom, there is a way. Take those small foam dots I mentioned from Atlas Mike’s, and place them in the sack before you tie the spawn into place.
Your leader line should be made with fluorocarbon, at least 10 lb test would be reccomended, not exceeding 17 lb. Length of leader from the swivel to spawn, roughly five foot. You will be using a long rod in most circumstances, so don’t be afraid to make it slightly longer if you are confident in your casting ability.
There you go, cast up river, allow the current to take it downstream, and repeat the process. Somewhere in your drift, try to have the baits go around bends or holes in the river bed. Salmon will use these areas as breaks or rest areas, before making their final push upstream to spawn.