A good read, but until you've seen a salmon engulf a 2" long stonefly
(adult) the attraction of the Bomber will forever remain a mystery to
you---not, however, to me. Several times I've watched Atlantic salmon
rise repeatedly, just like trout, to a hatch of size 10 mayflies; seen
them engulf stonefly adults as well as cigarette butts and seed balls;
chase a riffle-hitched fly that's moving across the surface like a
caddis adult; grab surface stonefly imitations as they skate across the
pool; and on and on.
Atlantic salmon take flies (and worms, and spinners, and spoons) on the
basis of an imprinted feeding response. The problem for the salmon
angler is that the strength of that response seems to ebb and flow with
a variety of conditions. Just what characteristic of a fly triggers that
response under any given set of circumstances remains a mystery and the
reason we keep fishing for them. And why we keep tying flies!!!!
Cheers,
Paul
--
Paul Marriner
Outdoor Writing & Photography. Member OWAA & OWC. Author of Stillwater
Fly Fishing - Tools & Tactics (CD), Modern Atlantic Salmon Flies,
Miramichi River Journal, Ausable River Journal, and Atlantic Salmon.
