SILVER RAT (RED-TAILED) & my first Atlantic Salmon
The smile on my face says it all. Only thing I'd change about that moment would've been releasing that fish You never forget catching your first atlantic salmon! The memory of my first is as vivid as if it were yesterday! First time fishing for atlantics, first few casts, in the first minutes of daylight when a silver grilse took my number 8, double hooked Silver Rat! It made my rod and me tremble like no trout I ever caught could! It finally took the fly after my 5 failed attempts at setting the hook! One would be so lucky to have a second chance, but I got 5 chances on the first salmon I ever encountered!!! Luckily, I had a very experienced salmon fishing friend, Joe, that walked me through what to do after such a scenario. He definitely had a lot to do with me hooking and landing that fish! What made it even more special was the fact that I tied the Silver Rat that got him. One of the first salmon flies I ever tied. Size 10 Rat on a Partridge code P and size 6 on an old P...