The right Salmon rod!

13.2.2006

What are you going to do with that small trout rod – how often haven’t I heard this phrase from other Salmon anglers - meaning that my small single handled rod are not really for a solemn Salmon anglers – A committed Salmon angler have to use a long and heavy rod that indicate clearly how experience he is – Well Well boys – I have another view!

Since I first time picked up a double handled rod many year ago I never in fact understood why you needed one of these – I mean - of cause there is periods where a double handled rods have some advantage when we are talking spring fishing with heavy grains lines and brass tubes big as logs - but for the rest of the season where most of the fishing take place with floating lines and smaller flies, I have never found any use for those big poles – in the contrary I like to fish for Salmon like it was for Trout – delicate, smooth and with a high percentage of challenge, action and good sport.

A argument I hear very often for the long rod is that with a big rod you can put more pressure on the fighting fish – that is truly nonsense according to my experience – with a modern singled handled rod for a line 7 to 9 line you pull the same pounds as with a heavier double handled rods – why do you think that fly-fishing Blue water for huge Bill fish and Tuna all use singled handled rods? – Because you can pull harder and more efficiently with a short rod that has some backbone muscle – a long rod will be to clumsy and without the necessary lifting power.

My big mentor Lee Wulff mention in his Bible “Atlantic Salmon”  the famous sentence  “one minute per pound” – with this he means that as a thumb rule it should not take more than one minute per pound to land a Salmon on a light rods – and Mr. Wulff was strictly using light rods – 6 to 7 feet rods was Mr. Wulff´s standard rods for all his Salmon fishing – and he manage to land more than 5000 Salmon on his “knitting-needles” during his fantastic fishing life.

I have during the last many years used my small rods in length between 8 to 9 feet designed for line # 6 to 8.

 I have landed salmon up to 39 ½ lbs and several Salmon between 30 and 35 lbs. – the trick is the side pressure you put on the fish – constantly to force the salmon to move and swim – than you will be able to beach a 25 lbs Ponoi Salmon in just under a half hour.

So Ladies and Gentlemen – please consider you singled handled rod next time you are going for Salmon fishing – destination like Russia are truly a great place to get some knowledge and action with your favourite trout rod, because of the massive number of Salmon – experience a new chapter in you Salmon fishing – go light!

You are wellcome to join the club

Cheers

Steffen

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Steffen Juhl

steffen@lax-a.is

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