Source: Frontiers
As we get closer to the end of our season temperatures are dropping and the flood of fall-run salmon continues to rise on the Ponoi.
The fishing follows suit and keeps on improving at a steady pace, and last week guides and guests enjoyed great fishing, prime conditions and a truly festive atmosphere.
Catches averaged around nine fish per boat per day and every other fish was a bright, fall-run salmon. Many fish surpassed 15lb and more than a few topped the 20lb mark. As is commonly the case by this time of the year, the number of bright fish in the river increases by the day and we are expecting that before long the vast majority of our catch will consist of bright fish.
Once again we were visited by a colourful group of guests and nights in the Big Tent, as well as shore lunches, proved to be very entertaining. We are now looking forward to a couple of cold days and a frost, which should slow the metabolism of the running salmon a bit, and in turn decrease their pace.
As cooling water slows them, and makes them hold a bit more, catch rates should continue to rise. That said, we did see some remarkable takes from running fish on skated dries – a phenomenon that most thought would not be replicated until next spring.
In short, it was another great week with very fine catches, friendship and great weather on this, the greatest of Atlantic salmon rivers! All of us here at Ryabaga are confident that there will be some tremendous news and great reports in the weeks to come.
