Buck's Bug Atlantic Salmon Fly

You know all the fishing trips you dream of going. For years you plan and think about those places..saving, wishing and dreaming... One of those such places for me is the Miramichi River to fish for the mighty Atlantic Salmon and this September, Marty and I will check it off our bucket list.

Its not just about catching a salmon but the process and the history of fishing for these incredible fish.  It's about standing in new water, fishing pools that anglers such as George Routledge and Ted Williams have fished. It's about floating lines and dead drifting dry flies with new friends. 

One of the top priority preparing for the trip is having the right flies. Recently, Marty and I where at the North Idaho Fly Tying Expo and, one of the fly tyers there was Dave Clark. When I was outbid on his box of bomber's I had to ask him if he didn't mind tying a couple for me in exchange for a few of my flies. Dave kindly accepted in exchange for a box of Alec Jackson hooks instead.

When the fly's arrived I was ecstatic to hold a box of all variations of the Buck's Bug Atlantic Salmon Fly. The trip was starting to come alive.  Dave wrote, "There are two expert steel headers I know that do not use anything else for the fall summer runs we get here.  One of them hooked 10 steelhead in one morning at the confluence of the Grand Ronde and the Snake.  If you get on line and google in Buck's Bug, you will see this fly is and has been a big producer for years.  The most popular version by far is the black one.  Some people use the fly as a locator- others just fish it hard.  The one tip is that they do not treat it with a floatant.  Often the takes happen just under the surface and wow! what a tremendous sight.  I had a small fish hit one of these and knock it up in the air and catch it before it hit the water." Thank you Dave, can't wait to fish'em.