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The most
interesting thing in the autumn season of salmon fishing - the appearance of
fresh salmon in the rivers. It involves primarily the fish of excellent
condition. Autumn fish differs from the spring with their weight and strength.
Therefore, autumn fishing is extremely interesting. Conventionally,
the autumn season can be called the period from late August to mid-October.
October 15 licensed salmon fishing on the rivers of the White Sea ends.
This time
interval consists of 3 periods ( 3 groups of salmon), which, depending on the weather or other
factors moves away in time.
The first period is
determined by the activity prespawning salmon, which rose into the river, since
the autumn of last year. These fish are prepared for spawning, different dark
color and show increased activity until the beginning of spawning. With the
decline in water temperature to 8-7 degrees and the start of spawning fish, this
group disappeared from the catches. The composition
of this group is very heterogeneous, along with small specimens caught
especially large salmon, which does not manifest itself in the rivers
throughout the season. Since the beginning of spawning, these fish leave their
hiding and face the broad shallow reaches, easy to spawn, but not interesting
for fishing.
The
second period is determined by the activity of the fish that enter in the river
in late August or early September. This is also a heterogeneous group of salmon,
and among them there are very large specimens weighing about 8-9 kg. Most
often, these fish already have a light purple hue. They retain activity at 8-10
degrees, but upon further lowering of water temperature to 7- 6 and 5 degrees,
their activity gradually drops. At 4 degrees chance to catch these fish is
small. They occupy the deepest places on the main course of the river, and to
provoke their bite is technically difficult. Renewal of the activity of this
group can be observed when the water level in the river goes up after the rains. These fish are raised high on
the river and evenly spaced on its territory.
The third
group of salmon - it's completely fresh fish that went into the river from the
sea and rises upstream. This is the most interesting group of salmon, which
stand out for their physique, silver body and often the presence of sea lice on
the body. The weight of these fish can vary from 3 to 6-7 kg, but their speed
and power is exceptional. The appearance of this group of fish in the river to be
expected, but its unpredictable. Most often they appear in the river since mid-September,
and continue to go to the river to severe frosts in late November or even
December.
Often there
is a mass occurrence of fish in the river, sometimes the movement of fish is
stretched in time and unbeknownst to the angler. Usually we associate the
activation of fish movement with the best combination of water level in the
river and its temperature. A certain increase in the water level after the
rains, with a gradual decrease in temperature from 8 to 6 degrees causes the
activation of the movement of salmon. Further lowering the temperature to 4 or
2 degrees leads to reduced activity of all groups of fish.
It is
important to understand that the change of state of water has a different
effect on the behavior of these groups of salmon in the river, and their
reaction to the artificial fly.
Periods of
activity of these 3 groups of salmon are shifted in time. Sometimes they
successfully superimposed on each other, and sometimes they break away and we
have empty days and weeks, when there is absolutely no bites. So to plan ahead a successful week of fishing is
hard enough.
I would like
to mention a few factors that affect fishing results for the third group of
salmon. I always repeat to our fishermen that every good spot or pool on the
river has a salmon. They are staying, they are moving, but they have always
been. Any good pool, no matter the season, has 3-4 or 6-7-…. fish. The true
number, we can not know, but we can judge it or as a result of fishing or the sign
that fish leaves on the surface.
Best fishing
period can be considered stable, constant for several days, the water
temperature of 6 degrees. The lowering from 6 to 5 - 3 degrees results in reduced
activity of salmon. Further reduction in temperature to 2 degrees does catch problematic.
A certain
increase in temperature from 4 to 6 degrees again leads to increased salmon
activity and increase in the number of
bites. The colder the water gets, the salmon less wants to climb up the river, accumulating at the first convenient parking on the lower parts of the river.
The water
level also has a significant impact on the behavior of fish. A moderate level increase
(temperature is stable) leads more
frequent bites. The sharp rise of water in the river after heavy rains can
improve the bite in the first days. But later may follow a similar dramatic
reduction in activity because of change of transparency and often excessive
rise in temperature.
Normalization
of water clarity after the recent rains and the stabilization of the
temperature also lead fish activity. The
successful combination of the dynamics of the water level and temperature, it
is not often, but still we are trying in this way to explain the movement of
salmon in the river and the effectiveness of our fishing.
In practice
it would be necessary to take into account the sea factors that affect the
appearance of the salmon in the river. But we know very little about it.
