I'm about to start tying bombers for Kola, and have all the right ingredients, but want to know what hooks to use? Any particular recommendations? I've been tying them on low water singles, but have been told that big Russian Osenkas will make a low water single look like a knitting needle! What do you guys tie your bombers on?
Secondly, in terms of nymphs for up stream nymphing for Salmon in the Kola, what hooks? Also any particular patterns? I've heard that it's mainly stonefly nymphs used?
Finally, has anyone heard of a fly called the 'Mutt's Nutts'? (!) It has apparently been doing really well on certain Kola rivers, and I'm trying to get my hands on the recipe and picture of the fly. Can anyone help?
I use Partridge MW Bomber CS42 Salmon Fly Steelhead Dry Fly Hooks. Strong enough for me, ... a tad brittle, so check your hook often if you're prone to tagging rocks on the back cast.
2,4 and 6's I use em for Bombers and bugs as well as mice and frogs.
I really like the CS42 for bombers but about a year ago a friend noticed that the hook changed. The new ones are shaped a bit different and have a more squarish wire and a deep gouged barb. They break very easily. If I am not mistaken Partridge was bought by Mustad. Might have something to do with it. It's a shame because the hook was great. Try to find older packages if you can.
i agree with greg these are not your fathers cs42's. i have tied on hundreds of the old dull silver ones and then they went to the "bronze" brown colored presentation ones and now to these (portugese?) made hooks. i didn't buy the new ones but maybe i should have to take photos of them side by side.
anyway a lot of guys like up eyes for putting a hitch on, but it depends if you are dead drifting or waking. in that case the daiichi alec jackson or 2421 in the larger sizes has a decent wire. that new tiemco bartleet style would probably be ok too, but the 7998 is pretty light.
I would look for a round bend, wide gaped hook in at least a 4XL. I bought hundreds of them 15 years ago from VMC. You can tie quite a nice bomber on them. There is plenty of space left between the bottom of the fly and the hook point, so they set very easily and they hold on to the fish. They came with straight eyes, which I prefer. I did have a 16 pound atlantic I landed on the Matapedia break one on the beach, but that was the only failure I remeber.
I also like the older bronze CS42s, but they do not have as wide a gape as the VMC hooks mentioned above. I have looked at the new Tiemco spey-type hook and while it has a beautiful shape, the wire seems a bit soft. I would pick a Daiichi over the Tiemco.
Marcus just to save you a little bit of time when tying bombers don't bother with the spiral hackle as all the guides at Rynda cut it off so that the fly sits in the surface layer of the water rather than on it. I think this is so it makes more of a wake and it doesn't get pushed out of the way when the fish rise due to the resistance of the surface film.
Some of the hooks used in carp fishing are very good for tying nymphs and shrimps, just have a look next time you are in a shop that has some carp fishing tackle in stock.
Nice observation, ... I looked in a bag of "new" hooks and saw exactly what you meant.
All the flies currently in by boxes are made on the "older" hooks. I'll have to see this season if the new ones are even MORE brittle than the old stock :whoa:
I've had sucess on black stonefly nymphs, there was an article in the Trout & Salmon a few years ago. When we meet up on the Avon I'll bring a couple along. Most of the guides at Rynda have a really good selection of their own flies, especially Gena's creations!
Re "Mutt's Nut's", don't quote me but I think it was oringially tied by a welshman fishing at Kharlovka/E.Litsa. I think you'll find something in the archive fishing reports.
Thanks. I did read about the 'mutt's nutts' on the Kharlovka website under the archive pages. You are right, it was invented by some Welshman. I can't however find out anything about the fly. My brother and I have ordered a stock of hooks and new fly tying materials so that we can get stuck into our fly tying. We're now trying to get the recipes for as many successful Russian/Kola patterns as possible!
I'm fishing the Spey next week- it'll be my first time on any salmon water this season- I'm very excited. You don't fish Upper Arndilly at all do you?
There's a coincidence for you......I'm hoping to fish Upper Arndilly/Easter Elchies on Monday. I'll bring a good selection of Rynda flies for you, they work on the Spey too!
Mutts Nuts, is as you say a fly that was "invented" by a welshman, he intends to launch it sometime in the Autumn with articles etc.
I have discovered it is basicly a variation on a sunray shadow.
The dressing appeared to be, a guinea fowl hackle( as in a Garry Dog) a brown fox under wing and a black, goat/ artic fox overwing tied long.
Hype.............just tie on a collie dog the salmon will not notice the difference.
If you want some tied contact Ronald Sutherland in Helmsdale, he has some in his shop.
Just got back from fishing the Kola river June 4-10th, and the water was very high but dropped 6 inches a day, finally allowing some good fishing the last 3 days. I caught 4 fish and lost 3 more( all fish 25-30 pounds).
I have not fished in the summer over there, is it pretty productive?
I use bombers a lot, depending on how I want them to look, with a variety of dry fly hooks :
Mustad streamer hooks 6x long 3665A or 9575, Orvis 4x long 8088 or Tiemco 6x long 300, or WW Doak's bronze long shank hooks are pretty good. I have also tied them on long shank low water hooks. I don't think it makes too much difference as long as you get them to look the way you want.
I also have a theory as to why a salmon will look at these when nothing on the river is so big. When the fish is young, many of the flies are quite large in relation to the size of the young fish, so when they go back to the river, they remeber large flies in relation to the size of themselves. It is like going back to you grade school desk, it is so tiny but when you were young it was large. A desk would have to be huge to be the same relative size.
This sort of magical thinking is what makes salmon fishing fun, everyone has a theory or idea, and no one will ever know if it is true.
Tight Lines,
Jim Y.
Next up for me is the lower section of the Petite Cascapedia in July
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