Trout - Ahrex Hooks

Trout fishing in Dalarna

The great grayling fishing in Älvdalen draws fly fishers from all over Sweden, but many remain unaware that the area also offers excellent trout fishing. Älvdalen is Swedish and literally means ”the valley of rivers”.

When it comes to my home water, Österdaläven, it’s mostly known for its large population of grayling, which, as we all know, is a great fish to chase with the fly rod. Also, they are quite willing to rise to a well-presented dry fly, which most fly fishers appreciate. The excellent grayling fishing has pushed the trout a bit in the background. The trout population has been under pressure by a big dam and timber rafting. They have survived and the population has grown strong and offers high-quality fishing.

Sam’s One Bug

We have just passed Christmas and started the new year when a package arrived at the office – a nicely decorated package box containing a belated Christmas present from the USA with contents that really impressed us. Two nice decorated boxes containing some very nice, brightly colored and especially foam flies – the famous Sam’s One Bug that have been developed for bass fishing in the USA.

*Even the box was decorated with a beautiful drawing of the Sam’s One Bug*

*What an amazing package from Wade Bleven – son of late Craig “Sam” Blevins.*

The package came from the late Craig “Sam” Blevins son Wade Blevins, who is working to continue the story of one of the most famous foam flies for bass. We’ll turn the word over to Wade Blevins:

New Year

*The Ahrex Hooks salmon fly tied by Håkan Karsnäser*

Well, not quite yet. At the time of writing this, it’s a good 24 hours away, but it’s close enough to send you all a sincere Happy New Year from Ahrex HQ. We deeply appreciate the email, the interactions on social media, the tags, the mentions and so on. In short – thank you!

Keep an eye?

*Ultimate Candy Mackerel by Giovanni de Pace*.

I was invited to tie flies at the annual Black Friday event at Nordic Anglers’ show room last Friday. When I tie flies at events like these, I always focus on tying patterns that don’t take too long. Maybe with a focus on something relevant for the season and if I can fill a vacant space in my own box, even better. I tied a simple sand eel imitation (well, many), gave some away, talked hooks with some of the customers and even took home a few flies.

Rounding off Hökensås

As you know from last week’s blog, a handful of us were at Hökensås Sportsfiske last weekend. Søren, Martin and myself together with some friends, Kirsten, John and Klaus and we had a great time. We enjoyed the fantastic nature reserve that houses the some 25 lakes that Hökensås Sportsfiske manages. And of course the high quality fishery and fish. Stocked lakes, yes, but far from easy. We ended on Sunday with dead calm conditions, which made the fishing quite difficult for everyone (except Håkan and Marcus, of course). I spent the better part of the day, wasting time I’ll never get back trying to catch a trout on a dry fly.

Hökensås Trout Safari

About a month ago we posted a blog about this years Trout Safari at the Hökensås fishery I Sweden. You have seen dozens of pictures from the place. It’s Håkan’s home water and a place where Morten likes to bring his camera. Small forest lakes with rainbows and a varied fishery. A great place for beginners as well as the experienced. Here you can gain your first experiences casting and fishing a fly as well as hone your skills on specific techniques.

Nymphs

Mayflies, caddis, damsels, stone flies and other water insects appear in a variety of sizes, colours and shapes. What they all have in common is that their nymphal stage lasts a year (for some more), while the winged, adult stages are very short in comparison. Logic dictates that the nymphal stages of different water insects are far more important as a good source on a yearly basis than the winged, adult ones. Many of us prefer catching trout and grayling when they’re visibly rising, but nymph fishing is just as fun and will catch fish when the dry fly doesn’t.

Caddis or sedge?

Sedge og caddis? I’ve been told that caddis is the common term in America, sedge the common term in the UK. I don’t really know and it doesn’t matter much, since I think most people know that both terms cover the same insect. Caddis is a very important food source for trout and grayling. They are abundant in both still- and running water and generally not as clean-water-dependant as many mayflies and stoneflies are. Some species grow quite large, so they also represent more protein pr. bite than smaller insects.

FW 527 – Big Gap Dry

Today is the official release of our latest hook, FW 527 Big Gap Dry. You’re probably used to it by now, early autumn is time for new hooks in our lineup, just as the rest of the industry and trade traditionally present their new products. And we’ve got more than one coming, so keep your eyes peeled, if you’re curious.

The Ultimate Generalist?

When fishing new destinations and waters, are you the type to spend the winter researching hatches, relevant to the time of your visit? I am. In general, I am fairly meticulous in preparing for a trip, especially if involves travel and the following expenses. I can stand being somewhere and missing opportunities because I didn’t prepare.