Predator - Ahrex Hooks

Dahlberg Diver – by Andreas Andersson

Did you catch our recently published video with Andreas Andersson? It’s a very detailed instruction on how to tie the famous fly, the Dahlberg Diver. You can tie the fly however detailed you want, but I think it’s safe to say that Andreas’ instruction is among the best and most detailed you can find on YouTube. There’s no need to go into as much detail as Andreas does. Andreas is also among the best with deer hair, so I think it’s also safe to say that no matter how detailed you want to tie your fly, there’s a lot to learn.

Floating sub-surface

*Another rainbow-trout that couldn’t resist the floating Booby fly fished on a sinking line.*

There’s nothing new about fishing floating flies on sinking lines and I talked a little about it earlier this month, when I was preparing for the Hökensås Trout Safari, where I am right now, writing this blog entry. Booby flies are very popular on the Hökensås lakes and following a discussion in the car on the way up here from Denmark, I had to write a friend to get a little bit of the history behind the fly.

Expanding the family

It’s predator season already and it’s only getting better and better as it gets colder (until a certain point, of course). We have a new series of hooks to release to day as well as an expansion on another, both predator-hooks.

Predator season

The summer’s high water temperatures are receding and as the water cools down, it’s time to get ready for the fall predator season. Maybe the lines, the wire leaders and the reels need a quick check up and maybe, just maybe, the boxes need a replenish with your favourite flies? Mine did – and still do. I’ve been enjoying tying flies with home made dubbing brushes recently.

Predator and prey

Most predatory fish change behaviour over the season. They are found in different places and feed different times of the day. Why? They are predatory and follow the behaviour of their prey. So I suppose, in a sense, that you can say they have only one behaviour – they follow their prey. If you’re fishing for predatory fish, and I suspect most of us are, the key to catching them is often to understand what they’re feeding on and the prey behaves.

Good weather fishing

The best fishing weather isn’t necessarily the best weather, as such. I say that knowing fully well that there are many opinions regarding the best weather. Personally I can’t stand too much heat and I actually enjoy rain. Up to a certain point, of course. I think most will also agree on that the best fishing weather often involves maybe a little rain, some wind and preferably from the right (north-east is hopeless where I fish), some clouds and generally, changing conditions are preferable. Both during the day, but a change after a longer period will often stir things up a little.

Pike

I think I said it last week, or maybe the week before, May is a difficult month for fly fishers. Everything is on, everything is happening and there’s everything to choose from and a new mini-season is opening every two weeks. Soon it’s night fishing for sea trout in the rivers, but for now, let’s just focus on something that is very close to our hearts, here at Ahrex: Fly fishing for pike.

A talk with Bob Clouser

*The Clouser Minnow – tied by Bob Clouser*

As many of you will have noticed, we launched a new hook in the middle of March, the SA 210 Bob Clouser Signature. An excellent all round hook for saltwater flies, but designed around the specific wishes for the perfect Clouser Minnow-hook that Bob himself had. It was a great honour and pleasure for us to work directly with The Man himself and an even greater pleasure that Bob and his spouse, Jackie, were very, very pleased with the result.

Game Changers

Game Changers are a relatively new style of flies, tied on a number of shorter or longer shanks, connected together with small eyes. The shanks themselves come from just a centimetre in length and upwards. Linked together like a chain, the style and technique is excellent for tying big flies, long flies and even smaller flies with plenty of built in mobility.

Marabou Pike Fly

Winter has arrived in Scandinavia. We have snow in the northern Denmark and in Sweden. At Håkan’s there’s quite a bit. Snow and cold is a bit of a showstopper when it comes to fishing, but here in Scandinavia, not always. A drop in temperature in the salt usually sends the rest of the spawners up river – and the big, shiny sea trout are left. December is usually quite a good month. The temperature obviously drops in the lakes as well, but that’s not necessarily detrimental to fishing either. Pike spawn in the spring, so they have to keep themselves well fed during the winter and a drop in temperature often seems to get them eating.