Foam feeding frenzy – dry flies for large sea-run brown trout

Searun Foam Beetle - Yellow by Mathias Ibsen-04

Sea trout (or around here often spelled seatrout) on the dry fly? Well I guess it started by accident. In my case I started catching sea trout, when fishing for brown trout during mayfly season (Ephemera danica) – which happens to collide with the first run of sea trout in my local streams. Continue reading “Foam feeding frenzy – dry flies for large sea-run brown trout”

Classic inspiration from New Zealand – low light and large trout

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Right now, the Southern Hemisphere experience winter, while the Northern part of the globe is going into summer and holiday mode. In some areas, the heatwave is getting a bit too intense – and fishing in the middle of the day isn’t always productive if your quarry is trout.

Continue reading “Classic inspiration from New Zealand – low light and large trout”

Deer hair dries – great searching flies

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The coarse texture and subdued colours of deer hair, makes this material great for imitations of a variety of terrestrial as well as stream born insects. And the air trapped inside the hollow hair makes for great floatation – and adds a great bonus to most kinds of dry flies. Continue reading “Deer hair dries – great searching flies”

A simple but classy shrimp – and one for the dark side

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Shrimps are popular among saltwater fish… and fly tiers as well. We have seen a lot of extraordinary elaborate shrimps on this blog over the last couple of years. Some of these are pure art on a hook. Continue reading “A simple but classy shrimp – and one for the dark side”

Dry or die – on knowledge and passion

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Fishing a dry fly to a steadily rising trout can be a very fulfilling experience. It can be totally uncomplicated as well – if the fish isn’t to discriminating when choosing the bugs. But some days are more challenging than others – and to have a success on a regular basis you need to know something about insects, hatches, drifts, drag, casting, tackle and lots of other stuff – and be able to observe the water patiently before whipping the surface with your fly line. All that adds up – and make dry fly fishing a sport for connoisseurs. Continue reading “Dry or die – on knowledge and passion”

The second mayfly – and a skeleton diver

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The large and beautiful Ephemera vulgata lives in lakes and slow flowing rivers. It also lives in the large and dominating shadow of it’s close sibling, the Ephemera danica. I guess the focus on streams as the cradle of flyfishing culture has something to do with that. Continue reading “The second mayfly – and a skeleton diver”

Salmon season opening in Norway – and sea trout in the Scandinavian rivers

QZ4A2434 Photo Credit The Flyfishing Nation

Entering June means entering summer on the Northern Hemisphere. And to a lot of Scandinavian fly fishermen – it also means fishing for home running silver torpedoes.

Continue reading “Salmon season opening in Norway – and sea trout in the Scandinavian rivers”

The Mayfly… Ephemera danica – fly fishing’s national bird around here

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Spring has turned directly into something that feels a lot like summer in our neck of the woods. We are still in May, though – and here in Scandinavia that means mayfly time. And it’s not just any mayfly I talk about. It is the large Ephemera danica that is commonly found in clear water rivers and lakes with sandy or gravelly bottoms throughout Europe and the British Isles. Together with it’s close relative, the lake-living Ephemera vulgata, this is flyfishing’s national bird around here. Continue reading “The Mayfly… Ephemera danica – fly fishing’s national bird around here”

Surface popping – the brutal kind of dry fly fishing

Gedde DK - Daniel Holm-11

Pop… pop…slam! Even though the strike is anticipated – your heart stops for a second, when the surface explodes in a chaos of teeth, jaws… and water splashing everywhere. Fishing poppers, sliders, divers and other surface flies is one of the most adrenaline pumping activity you can experience with a fly rod in your hand. But let’s take a look at the flies. Continue reading “Surface popping – the brutal kind of dry fly fishing”

Sandeels and flatwing streamers – two new videos from Henrik Kure Nielsen

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Sandeels are long, slim and super fast swimming baitfish. The name is used for a considerable number of saline species. These baitfish are popular with a lot of different predatory fish. And since they live and feed on sandy or gravelly bottom along the coastline – often they find themselves in need of a place to hide in a hurry. Continue reading “Sandeels and flatwing streamers – two new videos from Henrik Kure Nielsen”