Fly fishing for Atlantic salmon
Complete guide — gear, lures, season and tips.
Gear
- Rod
- Two-handed 8- to 10-weight rod, 13–14 ft
- Reel
- Large fly reel with a strong drag
- Mainline
- Skagit or Scandi shooting head + sink tip
- Leader
- Tapered leader + 0.40–0.50 mm tippet
- Hook
- Single #4–#1, tube flies
Sage X Spey
Loop Cross S1
Vision Catapult
Hardy Marquis Salmon
Loop Evotec G4
Vision XLV
Lures / bait
- Classic salmon flies (Sunray Shadow, Cascade, Willie Gunn, Frances, Munro Killer)
- Tube flies in various sizes depending on water level
- Snake flies
Season
June–September (main run), with occasional fish earlier/later
Time of day
Morning and evening
Pro tip
Spey cast on bigger rivers, swing the fly across the current and let it drift. Match fly size to water level: high water calls for big flies, low water calls for small, subtle ones. Classic Swedish salmon rivers: Mörrum, Emån, Lagan, Byske, Vindelälven.