The Danish-American connection. Poul Jorgensen is a Danishman, who spent most of his life in the United States, where he earned quite a reputation as an excellent fly tyer. Being Danish he of course kept a connection to Denmark and he was, among many others of course friends with the Mad Veterinarian, Preben Torp (a well known character in Denmark).
Unlike in Denmark, where you can fish the coastline all year round , sea trout along the Swedish west coast are protected until April 1st.
Fishing for sea trout in the salt is about as close as you’ll ever get to a Danish, national favourite fishing. Fishing in the salt requires only a cheap, state license and you have access to approximately 7000km of coastline (all of which of course isn’t good sea trout water). The fishing can be hard, it can be easy, but I’ll say it’s always good – maybe not in terms of fish, but a day spent out is always good. It can even be said that the Ahrex brand has it’s roots in this type of fishing – our first series was the NS – Nordic Salt.
Henry’s Fork – a name, a place that should ring a bell or two in all trout fly fishers. A famous spring creek in Idaho, closely associated with trout, massive hatches, dry fly fishing and one name in particular. A legendary fly fisher, fly tier, fly fishing guide, hunting guide, tv personality and several flies to his name – and of course that hat. Mike Lawson.
Ole Martin, often called Mr. Møn, has often talked about the island of Møn, situated in the south eastern part of Sjælland (Denmark). The high cliffs and the beaches are beautiful and there’s excellent fishing. Having seen pictures and film from Møn, I had to go. I was dreaming about big, silvery sea trout, but I also had work to do, taking photos and writing, which was taking its toll on my fly fishing dreams.
A real “trout-snack” – photo: Henrik Kure Nielsen.
They are big, they can bite you, some find them quite unappealing and yet, the first big hatches of bag worms are the events all saltwater fiy fishers in Scandinavia look forwards to. There are many, many different species in different sizes and colours, but the sea trout aren’t picky – they eat them all.
There are so many new and exciting flies to try, and many of them you discover in the most unexpected way. That is especially true if we as fly fishers and fly tiers are open to new ideas and think outside the (fly)box.
One of the innovative and very creative fly tiers out there is our friend Brian Ratcliff from England. Among all the flies he’s sent us, especially one pattern caught our attention a little bit more than the rest and we were curious how Brian fishes this fly and how it came about.
Continue reading “Old Man’s Earplug Daddy Muddler by Brian Ratcliff”
Staffan Lindström, Henrik Leth and Danish split cane rod, building legend, Bjarne Fries, photographed at Rena Fiske Camp.
Another of the great. Scandinavian fly fishers is no longer among us. On the morning of January 17th, Staffan Lindström passed away. Not long ago he was diagnosed with cancer to which he finally succumbed. Staffan was an innovator, an excellent caster and fisherman, trout bum, outdoors man in the word’s truest meaning and a giving person.
Photocredit: Fly Fishing nation – @flyfishingnation
Salmon season is over and in general I think it’s been a fair season over most of Northern Europe and the UK. Instead of taking a look at season statistics, huge fish, happy stories, stories of the lost fish, I’ll turn you over to Stephen Carella, who in this nice story takes a look at something important that sometimes happens when you go fishing. Making friends – an important aspect of flyfishing.
On southern Fyn (the isle in the middle of Denmark, which happens to have some extraordinarily good sea trout fishing) you’ll find a rarity – at least in Denmark. No, it is in fact something as ordinary as a fishing lodge. There plenty of fishing lodges around the world, and yet, Denmark Fishing Lodge on the edge of Helnæs Bay on Fyn was the first, full-service fishing lodge in Denmark.
