Woodward Alevin and Other Imitations
By Steve Burke
Newly hatched salmon, called "Alevin", hide amongst the gravel in their redds and live off the yolk sac still attached to their body. It has long been known that these young salmon sometimes become dislodged from the stream bed, making them an available food source for foraging trout and other species. The prime time to fish with alevin patterns and with smolt patterns is usually in the springtime, just preceding or during the movement of young smolt on their journey to the ocean. Alevin are about an inch long, while smolt are anywhere from two to five inches in length. The following site shows a good examof where alevin are in the salmon life cycle.
The Journey of the Wild Salmon: Eggs and Alevin
Leon Guthrie has developed some exciting new Alevin imitations because in his native Scotland, Atlantic Salmon, and Trout are known to feed on the Alevin hatching in redds. Leon Guthrie's new Alevin imitations led to this weeks theme for fly variations of the Alevin. Alevin imitations have been popular in Alaska for Rainbows, Grayling, Char, and Dolly Varden and I'm sure can also attract a steelhead or two to the strike. They are also used in other areas where Pacific Salmon and Atlantic Salmon spawn. There are quite a few different fly variations of Alevin. A few of them, along with Leon's imitations are featured in this week in the Salmonfly.Net Salmon and Steelhead Fly Tying Guide.
