The Munro Killer salmon and steelhead Tube Fly. The Munro Killer is in a strong position of winning the title Best Scottish Salmon Fly. It is regarded as a good summer and late season pattern, but I have had good results in the spring

SALTWATER, SALMON & STEELHEAD TUBE FLY
$US each. Price does not include hooks.

A great fly which many would regard as indispensable. It is a modern variation on the traditional Thunder and Lightning. I have had great success with a Munro Killer when fishing for Salmon in Canada, Scotland and in Sweden. Bait fish have to move quickly in order to survive and your fly must do the same. Ensure you maintain your retrieve until you feel your line stop Salmon do not slam into the fly like trout or bass usually do. With Coho especially you will sometimes see a wake following your fly. Although it is exciting and can be unnerving it is important that you keep the fly moving. Do not be tempted to slow up and let the Salmon catch up. This is unnatural behavior for a bait fish and may spook your target fish into rejecting your fly. I have found Dead-drifting around the edges of swirling eddies also brings takes with this fly.

After a reasonable days fishing on the River Spey, I was sitting in the pub and started talking to one of the locals. He had been fishing for salmon on the River his whole life and took many tourists out on different fishing beats. I asked him about his choice of flies. He said, "I find it makes sense to carry just a small number of patterns in different hook sizes. It's silly to carry too many. This is the question I always get asked. What patterns and what types of flies. In my own fly box, I carry the tried and tested traditional flies like Munro's Killer, Yellow Torrish, Stoats Tail, Silver Doctor and the General Practitioner" .

Now as to the style of flies, I always say that you will need small lighter flies of war water and large heavier ones the colder weather when the salmon are lurking lower in the depths of the river. I use a floating line to fish the smaller flies and the sinking line for the larger flies. Now when do you use which fly and why? I find that a bright orange fly like the general practitioner is visible in coloured water and the dark black drab fly like the stoats tail performs better in crystal clear water. If you have bright sunshine, I would normally tie on a Silver Doctor as the tinsel used on the body of the hook reflects some of the light and catches the attention of any nearby salmon. The Yellow Torrish works well in the early and later parts of the salmon fishing year.

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