Salmon Fishing in Northumberland |
So, you may ask, what are the rest of the non-fly taking salmon doing? They are no doubt focused on their pre-programmed goal of reaching suitable spawning grounds and passing on their genes to the next generation. Evolution is a powerful force, one so powerful, that in my short experience, not even an expensive (borrowed of course) Sage spey rod and reel combo with an eloquently tied £3Willy Gunn can stop. How arrogant am I to think that a salmon would actually even consider taking one of my relatively poorly swung flies?
However, I think, I hope, the relative rarity of catching a salmon is where my salvation lies. You see, when it happens, and it will happen, it will no doubt be a surprise, an adrenaline rush and confirmation that it is actually possible to catch a salmon. But I think it will be something more than that. It will be a moment where I come close to an amazing beast that began its life in the river that I now fish, has beaten the odds and survived the harrowing trip back to the ocean. While in the ocean it has again beaten the odds and survived countless attacks from predators of all sorts, not least of all man. Only to return to where it was born some years later. A truly astonishing feat. Of course I will release it after a quick photo with a big toothy grin, so that it can go on to complete its amazing journey.
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