For the first time since Covid, I ventured over the border and landed myself on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia and the Margaree River.  I booked two weeks from June 23 to July 7 opening a large enough window for a few better possible days.

I have been loving this valley ever since my first visit in 1974 with the only difference in timing.  I made many trips in October but only a few for the summer run.  The summer run will now get my entire focus.

With all salmon angling, there are no guarantees to have the conditions be good or the timing be correct.  The fish run the river when the timing is right for them and no date can be so exact that the connection will be made.  But, this time I could not have been more perfect.

I booked these two weeks over eight months ago.  Previous trips have proved that the first week of July has fish moving well so long as the river condition has water.  During the entire two weeks there was only one substantial rain event.  The water just kept going down every day with heat making for some uncomfortable days.   Good timing with a large enough window is the most important factor to planning any salmon trip on any river.  

So, there is the set up.  Here is the conclusion.  How your fly swims is the key.

With wet fly I made it a mission to cast on the 45 and never mend.  Force the fly to move at a slightly faster pace than the flow.  With the dry fly the dead drift working each pool as a checker board with three to six foot drifts was my goal.   No false casting, no splashing around, no long casts, no heavy lines, no short leaders, no standing on top of the fish, no huge flies, no wasting time between casts.  

"The Perfect Cast Is The Cast That Gets My Fly From The Time It Stops Fishing To Fishing Again In The Least Amount Of Time".  Al Buhr

I fish by this wisdom as deliberately as possible every second it is my turn through the rotation.  If the Atlantic Salmon is the fish of a thousand casts then I want my one thousand casts to be achieved in the least amount of time during my angling day.

Purposeful casts that are correct to trigger a take and as many of them in a day as possible is the object of the game.  If we are capable to perfect casting and presentation to the highest level then so long as the river is kind and the fish are there our competence will offer rewards.

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