October 10, 2023 TTFR Oct Program Meeting - Bill Kessler - Atlantic Salmon Fly Fishing

On Tuesday October 10, 2023, TTFR member and long-time Altantic Salmon specialist, Bill Kessler, presented on Atlantic Salmon Fly Fishing, A Primer. The meeting was the first in TTFR's fall-spring monthly program meetings - presented at Corning, NY American Legion and via Zoom. Bill's starts his presentation by demonstrating tying a Blueberry Picasse, which he favors for fishing on Quebec's Gaspe Pennisula. He also overviews use and tying instructions for the Sunray Shadow, a legendary tube fly. Bill Kessler's formal presentation overviews the Atlantic Salmon life cycle, locations to persue them, methods for single hand and spey rods. This is an excellent presentation with great photos and videos. Bill will fly fish for practically anything that swims, from farm pond bluegills and 6” native brookies to 100 lb+ tarpon. He’s fished Montana, Idaho and Oregon practically every summer for over 50 years. Special interests include selective spring creek trout, tropical salt water species (bonefish/tarpon) and anadromous salmonids. A passion for fishing exotic places, he’s fished from 250 miles north of the Arctic circle on Russia’s Kola peninsula and the Russian far-East (Kamchatka), to Tierra del Fuego, the out-islands in the Bahamas, plus civilized sectors of Scottish and Irish salmon rivers and historic sectors of the Test and Itchen in Hampshire. His “home” steelhead river is the North Umpqua in Oregon, which he’s fished for nearly 50 years. He fishes New Brunswick and the Gaspé in Quebec every year for Atlantic salmon.