Is this a legal rig for Salmon and Steelhead?

[smh307]

I'm going for Salmon fishing for the first time with a buddy of mine. I'll be using a fly rod, but my friend was told was about this rig by someone he met stream-side (or maybe the internet - can't remember), which I wanted to double-check is legal or not so don't inadvertently break any rules. I have read on a US forum that in some US states it is illegal**, so wanted to find out Ontario rules regarding this.

The rig is a really heavy weight tied at the terminal end with multiple short tags tied above that with roe eggs. The idea is to drop the weight in a pool with Salmon and let it anchor, and then let the tag ends flutter in the water in front of the fish to entice them.

Also to extend that question to the fly rod, dead-drifting with split-shot at the terminal end (instead of a fly riding at the bottom / to prevent snagging bottom) and 2 egg-fly patterns above that - is that okay?

(** The reason why its illegal in US states as some gentleman explained to me in the forum is that snaggers and flossers use rigs with weight at the bottom, so they have barred weight at the bottom completely)

 

[IR4Jflyfishing]

Technically legal but there are certainly better ways to go about catching them

 

[ChromeAddict]

Yup, technically allowed but on most of our rivers you will end up foul hooking them when they swim into your hooks. Try drifting eggs under a float or using lures.

 

[[email protected]]

You are legally allowed 4 hooks on a single line. What you have described is basically a bottom bouncing rig. It is legal, a lot of guys will use this setup when casting from shore into the river mouth. Also for very large, deep rivers, where I grew up in Sarnia, we'd have what we called a river sinker, basically a 2 ounce lead weight hammered thin to sit on bottom with our bait a few feet above it.

The problem with the rig you described with 4 separate tag ends, is that it will tangle, and become one big mess.

With flies, people will often use a dry dropper rig, a dry fly with a nymph or emerger tied a few inches behind.

Myself, I prefer streamers for salmon

 

[Huronfly]

That doesn't sound like a fun way to be fishing a fly rod... Go for an aggressive take with streamers.

 

[tossing iron]

Smh307 Did Symmetre send you that set up ?
This would explain his 100% lined fish result he's having.

 

[jc53]

Smh307 Did Symmetre send you that set up ?
This would explain his 100% lined fish result he's having.

Lol I read that 100% lined fish comment. I guess he does not try skein.

 

[TheTallFisherman]

Lol, I think some salmon are overdue for appointments with the Dentist (enter Flossing reference here)

 

[smh307]

Thank you all for your input. Yeah, this rig that I described doesn't sound like a fun way to fish at all! But I can't dictate to my buddy how he chooses to fish, but I would object if he was unknowingly breaking the rules - hence wanted to find out first. If I see fish getting snagged (inadvertently, it's not his intention to do that on purpose), will make it a point to ask him to change his setup.

Tossing iron, no, I don't know Symmetre. My friend found out about this technique from someone stream-side I believe.

Huronfly, FrequentFlyer, ChromeAddict - thank you for the tips with the fly rod. Will try drifting nymphs and stripping & swinging streamers.

 

[rich_ace_G]

There is no better way to fish salmons than streamers...(woolies buggers, bunny leech or clousers)...they would smash it, you can put 2 splits 18 inch from your fly just to help it get to the strike zone. As regards to floss...any set up can cause flossing without intending to...