Salmon at sea

[Richard Baker]

We all know that Salmon are spawned in rivers, then depart to the atlantic where they feed on Prawn and shrimp etc till they are big/mature enough to return to spawn. I have never heard anyone discuss where abouts in the Atlantic Salmon live and if anybody fishes for them at sea. Do we know where abouts they go and has anybody heard of people fishing for Salmon at sea.

 

[Richard Drayson]

Hi Richard,

I always thought the salmon left our rivers and went to the Greenland coast where they would pack on the weight by feeding on krill.

The only time I ever witnessed people fishing for them at sea was years ago in the Solway Firth near Port Carlisle in Cumbria.
The fishermen used to catch them in Haaf Nets.

 

[Ian Whittaker]

The salmon ,as such ,spends its whole life travelling from its river of birth to Greenland returning to its birth river to spawn .Many salmon die after spawning but a few survive to make the journey again.
Overfishing at sea has lead to the current low stocks in our rivers.

 

[Dave O'L]

I have been told that very occasionally in W. Cork the odd Salmon has been caught whilst spinning for sea species on it's return to the river. Can't corroborate it though. I suppose a Salmon may hug the coast till it hits the river mouth.

From what I've heard/read Sea trout are caught reasonably frequently at sea, hence some questions on licence requirements in Sea Angler a couple of months ago.

 

[Colin Brett]

I actually caught a Salmon whilst sea fishing nr Louisburgh co. mayo a few years back. Mackerel strip was the killing fly!!
Colin

 

[Dave O'L]

Ah! So it was you young Colin.

How's the world of Pike on the Fly & your Irish trips going?

Saw lots more Salmon in the rivers this year in my haunt. Problem was only 1 flood & they were not playing the game. In 2 weeks I was there only heard of 1 caught on the 2 local rivers & that was by a 12 hour 7 days man.

 

[Colin Brett]

Dave,
Irish trips are "AOK", still not enough though.

Pike on the fly, welllll, that's another story. Hardly done any so far. Using the Smelt "fly" at the moment, fished static hard on the bottom seems to be the killing method.

Salmon fishing was a case of you should have been here last week.

Bluefin Tuna is the new target, check out my article here on Fishing Magic.

Cheers for now, off to try and find my dustbin and garden furniture now. I think they are within 2 or 3 miles of here after todays gales.

Colin

 

[John Spink]

UK Salmon leave their native rivers as smolts and head to one of two places.Grilse spend one winter away at sea where they feed off the coasts of the Faroe Islands. Multi Sea winter Salmon head off to Greenland where they spend time feeding off the coasts until they decide to 'head for home'.There used to be a longline fishery for Salmon off the Faroes but I am not sure if it still exists.I know of some areas where salmon can be caught in brackish estuarine water but I don't know of any place in the UK where salmon are caught regularly on rod and line.In Canada, however, a number of the Pacific Salmon species are regularly caught at Sea. Finally, overfishing is now the least of the Salmon's worry with many of the licences for fishing Salmon now bought out in Faroe/Greenland etc.The biggest threat is from environmental changes such as global warming, habitat destruction as a result of agricultural/forestry practices,Fish farming etc