Fly Fishing Trips: Fly Fishing Salmon in Canada

Angling, or the method of catching fish using a rod, line and hook, is the oldest fishing method, even as old as the ancient method of hunting by means of a spear, which was the method used by early civilisations for hunting fish as well as other animals. There is evidence of hooks made of bone being used with a spear as a rod as early as 2000 BC. It is clear, however, that these early anglers were not fly fishermen.

The art of fishing became more technically advanced as time went on, and records show that by the second century AD fly fishing had developed. Claudius Aelian, the Roman rhetorician, records the use of artificial bait by anglers in Macedonia. He describes the fish they caught in this manner as having a ‘spotted exterior', so we presume this meant trout.

Today, fly fishing trips for salmon in Canada is very popular as an outdoor sport, in fact for many Canadians and inhabitants of North America as a whole it is their favorite form of fishing. Large numbers of visitors too frequently enjoy this pastime. Keen anglers enjoy fly fishing more than regular angling because it is a more challenging method. The fly is an artificial form of bait which is less hassle to prepare than regular bait, but its use provides a challenge of a different kind.

Frequently, it is not people who live near salmon fishing grounds who make up the majority of anglers there, but visitors, both independently and with tour groups. Keen anglers will travel many miles by car or plane to visit the best spawning grounds and see if they can catch themselves one of those renowned worthy opponents the Coho Silver or perhaps a Chinook. These types of salmon are very big, some even around a hundred pounds, and provide plenty of excitement for the angler whose rod is ripped from his hands and whose tackle is broken by the animal's strength and determination to escape. Even if the fish wins, the fisherman enjoys the battle.

Fly fishing trips for salmon in Canada is a very popular pastime, and the most highly prized game salmon is the Chinook, also known as the King Salmon, which lives in British Columbia. An adult Chinook can weigh up to 130 pounds, though they are more usually between 10 and 50 pounds, and can measure up to 58 inches, with the average length 33 to 36 inches. This length is not great compared to the weight of the fish, which is a result of its mass. News of record sized fish being caught in both Canada and Alaska spread around the world, so that now fly fishing salmon in Canada and Alaska has become a major form of fishing and a highly competitive sport.