Salmon Fishing at the Dam Fishery April 16th 2013.

The weather was really nice with some lovely warm sunshine, something that we haven't seen in a few weeks. I put my hand into the water to check the temperature and found it to be tepid maybe about eight degrees celsius  and that must be the warmest it has been for a few weeks, looking good, we might get some action as it is close to the magical ten degrees. I fished a size four flying "c" down the run and hadn't moved anything and just as i was about to move further upstream a small salmon just head and tailed above me. I quickly covered the fish and took bottom with a few casts and hadn't touched the fish or even moved it so i extended the casting area around the salmon and kept touching bottom with every cast but no pull or touch. The salmon showed once more and i could see that it was a very shallow head and tail so i reckoned that the fish was staying high in the water column so i changed over to a smaller size three flying "c" and met the fish on my second cast. The salmon came in to fight close to the bank and kept rolling on itself and jarring the line this made me quite nervous  and when i looked i could see that there was only one hook in it's mouth and that was ideal for a quick release. Having tailed the salmon i could see that it was very fresh but it hadn't any sea lice on it and it was a hatchery salmon of about six pounds, letting the salmon rest up for a few moments i released it back in to the river. If only all spring fishing days could be so perfect, nice warm sunshine and an obliging salmon.