23 August 2024
Fishing the Worm For Salmon
Where the rules allow fishing the worm and the lure are effective,
skilful methods for salmon. You shouldn’t be a one trick pony and there are
many salmon rivers throughout Scotland that quite simply aren’t conducive to
fly fishing. Rivers with sluggish slow current that won’t give life to a fly,
big water pushing through that makes your pattern ineffective and those small
rivers with overhanging trees where casting is nigh on impossible. These places
may have excellent runs of salmon, but they call for a different approach and
skills to fish them properly.
Worming is a versatile method that’s particularly suitable for flooded, coloured rivers, you can use a variety of worms but a lobworm is probably the best choice from the tackle shops. If you can put your back into it you could dig up some precious bristly Blackheads. Make sure you toughen them up by keeping them in some moss overnight and they’re a superb hookbait that Salmon can’t resist.
RIGGING: Fish a few of worms on the hook but don’t obscure the hook point, use a bouncing betty, a snake lead or some split shot tied on a weak link to a swivel with a 24in hooklink below. This means if the weight gets snagged you shouldn’t lose the fish as the weight will come loose in the snag and the fish stays attached to your line.
Worming Setup
Rig Setup List Click Here to view all.
Mustad Rolling SwivelDinsmore Split ShotKamasan K60 Hooks
Kamasasn B980 HooksKamasan B982 HooksMaxima MonoBouncing BettiesTube Weight
The
beauty of a Bouncing
Betty is that it travels over the boulders and rocks – actually tip-toeing its way along
the bottom, much the same way a rubber ball does. It’s a great way to
avoid snagging and creates a very steady rhythmic drift down the stream.
Be careful in choosing the size of your weight to suit the river conditions you might need to lighten
the rig by replacing the betty with a couple of split shot or even free lining
the worm. We recommend a softer actioned rod so that you can
flick out light baits a decent distance, combined with a sensitive tip for bite detection and
enough power in the butt to deal with big fish properly.
Realistically any 9/10/11 foot spinning rod with a casting weight under 35g will do, there are also numerous avon/specimen rods and Scandinavian Seatrout specials.
It is very important to keep the bait moving when worming and to explore
as much water as you can. Read the water and fish all the likely lies. Avoid anchoring your bait on the spot – always keep it moving with the current and think of where a Salmon might be holding up before the next leg of their journey.
Behind
bouldersGroynes, eddies and channels in the streamIn close to the bank where the fish can rest up Pay attention to the necks of pools and in deep runs where the current is
fast and well-oxygenated
Takes when worming are usually a series of short sharp taps. If you hold the line by the reel with a
finger you can feel what’s going on through the rod tip. Takes can be timid, don’t wait too long though – to save deep hooking – and set the hook with a firm strike.