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What Fly Rod Should I Use for Salmon?

The question asked so often, but is there more to making your choice of rod than just best performance?

I have lost count of the number of articles written about what rod should be used when salmon fishing and much of it is sound advice, but are there other considerations you should review before selecting a rod?

The general advice is that the bigger the water the bigger the rod. Makes sense really. On the Tay or Tweed a big rod of 16 to 18 feet will chuck a long heavy line, just what you need in high spring water. On smaller rivers the need to lift a lot of line with heavy flies or cast long distances is not an issue. On rivers like the Deveron, Upper Spey, Don or Dee a 15 foot rod would suffice in most conditions.

Smaller rivers like those in the West Highland  will easily fish with a 12 foot rod in a spate and a 10 foot single hander in lower water.

A simple rule of thumb is that the rod you use is directly related to the amount of water you need to cover, the distance you need to cast, the depth you will be fishing, the power of the water flow, the size and weight of the fly you are using.

If you are thinking of buying a rod there are two good general purpose rods to go for;

• A 15 foot, 10 rated rod with a 10/11 rated line.
• A 12 foot, 7/8 rated rod with an 8 rated line.

I always go for a line slightly heavier line than the rating given by the manufacturer as it makes the rod work better and suites my Spey casting style of casting better. It's a personal choice that might not work for you, if in doubt buy a line to match the exact rating of the rod.

In low water or on smaller rivers a 10 foot rod might be recommended as any double hander is deemed to be like taking a shot gun to hunt sparrows.

Other pundits recommend using light tackle to be 'sporting'. In the USA they take salmon fishing to the limit by using brook rods 8 foot and less with fine tippets when fishing for salmon. In deep sea game fishing they do something similar, using light rods and lines to take on deep sea leviathans. Of course such tactics prolong the fight adding excitement to the encounter.

I have always been reluctant to set aside my 15 footer because it gives me considerable control over a lively fish, but I have done so, accepting the received wisdom that lighter tackle would be more practical

Last season I had my concerns confirmed when I decided to set aside my double hander on the grounds that the it was too big for my local club water. Against all of my senses I changed to a 10 foot rod and was pleasantly surprised after a summer spate to land a nice 12lb fish, with much difficulty. My first of the season I decided it was for the pot but I also decided one in the bag was enough and any other fish caught that season would be returned.

A couple of weeks later I hooked into an ICBM (Incredibly Big Monster), well it was most certainly bigger than the last fish I'd taken a earlier ('scuse my exaggeration but I am an angler), a real a fighter. The river was very big but clearing after one of the highest spates in years. My 10 foot Hex was bent double and the fight went on and on and on. I was calling out in exasperation words along these lines 'for ***** SAKE your going back, give in'. As the fight went on run after run and my concern for the fish grew. I had in fact lost my enthusiasm for catching the fish which changed to a desire to land the fish as soon as possible, unhook it and let it go giving it a better chance of survival?

As the fight went on I knew the rod was not up to it, I just couldn't hold the fish. The rod was in fact doing a competent job of not letting me break clean. Fortunately the fish decided to take matters in hand and shot into a bunch of submerged alders branches. Game over, 20 plus minutes and it was all over. I don't know about the fish but I was knackered, and there is the rub, was the fish knackered too?

Had I been fishing with my 15 footer the the fish would have been under control even in the high water and would have been brought in to be unhooked while it was still fighting fit. Some might say this is unsporting, I say it shows consideration for the fish. Today we live in world where conservation is a necessity, many rivers advocate that all springers should be returned, hens should be returned as well as coloured fish, kelts and baggots. Under these circumstances the old 'sporting' ideals using light tackle to give the fish a sporting chance of escape while prolonging the fight for the anglers pleasure must be set aside.

When choosing a rod to fish with, think about the welfare of the fish first. Is it not better to be over gunned and bring a fish quickly to the release than to prolong the fight with a fish who's survival prospects are diminished by every minute the fight is extended?