The Long Kiss Goodbye

From packing the same exact lunch for over fifty years to only using a black bear green butt fly, Atlantic salmon anglers have many traditions.

Paul Smith was fishing the home pool at Miramichi Black Rapids Lodge pretty hard last September. At about 8:40 a.m., he hooked a salmon and using his Hardy Swift 8 weight, 10-foot fly rod, Hardy Sirrus #3 salmon reel, and his trusty green machine fly. He landed the fish after a fifteen minute fight, aided by the excellent coaching of his guides.

Paul has been fishing salmon since he was a young boy, and it is his special tradition to kiss any salmon he hooks before he releases it.

Thanks for letting us share your tradition, Paul. And if you’ve got a special tradition of your own you’d like to share, send it our way!