Christmas is fast approaching – here at Ahrex HQ as well. We’re always a little more busy this time of year. The accounting for the year has to be done and there is always a little more to ship as the dealers stock up for the Christmas shopping. Some lose ends to tie up before we go on holiday and charge up for 2024. There’s also a little planning to be made – hopefully with you, our readers, as well. It’s not unlikely that there might be some new hooks next year as well.
We always hope to manage a fishing trip or two in the holidays, weather allowing. As I write this, a big storm last night is still blowing and that keeps me on the lookout. Sometimes fishing for salt sea trout can be really good after a storm. As the water clears up a little and high water retreats, being on the right spot can be quite productive. And in the winter, a fishing trip is always a chip in the big lottery for one of these beautiful, strong sea trout that skip the spawning.
Maybe plans for 2024 are already underway for some you? The end of a year is often the time to book tickets and guides, if you’re lucky enough to be travelling for fishing. With that new flies might be needed for the box and the holidays provide ample time to get that underway. My tying station is always up during holidays. That’s a perfect way of getting flies done. I might sit down and tie one or two in the morning. Then tie a few more during the day and then I have what I need of a particular pattern. Then it’s on to the next. It’s far from production tying, more like just sitting down to tie one, whenever I feel like it.
One fly I’ve been tying (not because I need it for travelling) is an old, I suppose you can call it classic, bait fish imitation for sea trout. Henrik Strandgaard, who’s otherwise known for impeccable classic salmon flies, came up with this pattern in the early 1990s. I don’t think many use it anymore, but it is a very good fly on clam days and gin clear water, As far as flies go, it can’t be much simpler.
Hook: NS 156, size 6-10.
Thread: UNI 8/0, black.
Body: Pearl tinsel.
Wing: Natural, blue and chartreuse polar bear, tied very sparse.
Eyes: Pro Sportfisher Gen 3 jungle cock.
That’s it – it takes but a few minutes to tie and fishes very well. I sometimes put it on a dropper and tie a small gammarus on the point. Both are good good-weather-flies, so together they must be twice as good, right?
All I have left is to wish you all a Merry Christmas from all of us at Ahrex HQ.
Christmas Tree tied by Markus Hoffman.