rock salmon on fly

**ulquiorra** · 30-05-09

can anyone give tips and tricks on how to rock salmon e.g tackle, flies etc any help will be appreciated.

**Kevin James** · 31-05-09

Yes mate.....they are traditionally ambush feeders living around snags and mangrove roots etc.

We used to catch heaps of them as a kid living in 'Toti fishing the Illovo river mouth and some of the south coast lagoons. Most common method we used was a little live mullet under a bung, and once we had caught a few like this we went to flyrods.

I preferred an intermediate line whilst my mate fished a floater.

You need to get the fly close into the snags without hanging up, so after losing a squillion flies started tying some up with weedguards to stop them getting caught. Just a piece of 25lb mon tied underneath worked well.

Flies were generally deceiver patterns-
White and brown seemed to be the go to fly.....probably mimicking the mullet fry around.

They are incrdibly strong fish and given half a chance will bury you and your leader.
They do have very strong canine like teeth, but you don't need wire - instead go for a mono shock leader.

They taste excellent, so if you do get some, happy days for the table!

Good luck and post a picture if you get one.

**ulquiorra** · 31-05-09

cool dude but is 9 wt alright

**Kevin James** · 01-06-09

Originally Posted by ulquiorra

cool dude but is 9 wt alright

Absolutely.....

We fished 6 weights as it was all we had then and still managed to get some stonkers out of the jungle country.

Nine weight is a weapon in the right hands.

Go hard in the beginning to turn them and after that they pretty much just slug it out.

Just thinking about this post, another really good spot where we used to find some really big Rock Salmon was where the storm water drains used to flow into the lagoons or rivers that were open to the sea. Obviously it wasn't like flood waters rushing down, but rather a nice gentle flow. The salmon used to live in the drains in the brackish water. Always lots of bait fish that used to congregate around these areas as well. Bridge pylons were another favourite place......as was 'Toti River Gardens bar afterwards.

My all time favourite(ist) places to fish was the Msimbazi River near Karridene and further south the Umzinto River near Sezela. Fished best when the mouth was open. These were wild places with big fish.
Bit of a trek in those days to get to some of the places

Definitely go the brown over white clousers or deceiver patterns and get your casts in tight to structure.

Fond memories of a wonderful childhood.

**Bruce** · 09-06-09

Any deep hole with some structure nearby... Kind of like bass...

**Kevin James** · 10-06-09

Jeez Bruce....that's a thumper mate!

Very well done.

**Scythe** · 10-06-09

I saw an old toppie tangling with these things on a Scarborough and a jigging stick with a diameter of two broomstick handles from a boat in Mosambique.

These things don't f$ck around, if you get a hit, hold on, don't give a foot or you will be hanging onto a fish nestled tightly into a crevasse from which there is no release.

**Bruce** · 10-06-09

Needed all of a 12 wt to land that thing. Pulled me, the anchor, the boat etc into the reeds. Ate a 6/0 siliclone. Used 60lb tippet. Snapped off / straightened hooks on some bigger specimens..