Coastal flyfishing – more than just overhead

 

The wind is howling, rain is hitting against the windows and the world is looking grey. We have reached that time of the year here in Denmark where we ask our self when we will get to see the sun again (…and why do we live here in the first place)? So out with your munchies and your freshly brewed coffee, lighten a candle or two and buzz around on your device.

The social media is busy these days and the fly-fishing scene is not an exception…everybody seems to be indoors instead of out-there; buying/selling, giving/ taking advice, watching video clips etc. This is a great time for you to get inspired for your next fishing season or fishing trip and to learn something new, right? Recently I have been following a thread on one of the fly-fishing groups on fb regarding coastal sea-trout fishing with a shooting head. The topic was:

How to prepare for the next fishing cast after one has fished in the line?

There is just one way, and this is the following! …ha ha got you there 😀

The most common movement sequence used is a Back Cast – a few false casts- shoot it out.

However, there are other options such as:

  • Forward Roll Cast – a few false casts – shoot it out
  • Snap-T Cast – a few false casts – shoot it out
  • Snake Roll Cast – a few false casts – shoot it out
  • Double Spey Cast – a few false casts – shoot it out

Why would I use those alternatives?

Performing the Roll Cast makes you straighten your line before false casting (straight line path) and brings your line, leader and fly up onto the water surface – quite handy if you are fishing with a sinking tip and a hook size #4 or #6 Pattegris-fly.

Snap-T and Snake Roll are great for positioning the fly next to you- fast. In order to cast to a rising fish- fast. They also are fantastic change of direction casts if a fish has shown itself off-track the intended casting direction…it does happen and make you begin to sweat…

The Double Spey can be used to re-position the fly next to you – just as the Roll Cast, Snap-T and the Snake Roll do. However, the Double Spey as well as the Roll Cast re-position the fly in a “controlled manner”. The fly is being dragged towards its new position – rather than being catapulted. This feature makes it an “easy- to- learn” fishing cast especially for the novice fly fisher. In addition, the Double Spey is a bonus if you have changing or onside shoulder winds. Use this cast to position your fly and line on the downside wind shoulder and continue business as usual …it is a safety issue which can save you some holes in your waders or worse!

The versatility of these casts is endless- controlled, fast, change of direction, switch to downside wind shoulder, space. Facing the ever-changing situation, we fly fisher are confronted with when stalking fish… Isn’t versatility a good feature to have? Problem solved, I would say. Versatility makes you feel confident and free. And makes you come home after a day’s fishing in howling cold wind, waves up to your *** feeling satisfied…as you had no problems.

Ps. If you need help in getting there, …. You can book me!

 

Scottish Salmon Adventure 2018

We have been fishing for Atlantic Salmon in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Ireland and Scotland. Although the same species, each country; their people and their very own tradition/culture in fishing for salmon is very unique. We couldn’t say which country is our favourite. We just know we wouldn’t like to miss out in fishing for salmon in all of those countries. So if you haven’t fished for salmon in Scotland yet or want to go back….join Silja for a week salmon-fishing on the Tay next year in may.

Scotland- Salmon- a wee little dram…It is a lifetime fishing experience. 

Come and join us on our annual Scottish Salmon Adventure to the mighty river Tay. We will be fishing on two very productive beats on the middle Tay. The trip includes 6 days fishing (mon-sat), full-board accommodation and transfer to and fro Edinburgh airport and between the beats. While we others have to slave in the BFF-office, Silja will be hosting the trip and will give guidance in practical salmon-fishing tactics as well as hints and tips with practical casting issues. You just have to come, relax and enjoy the scottish way of salmon fishing. Let’s get out there!

Please contact:  silja@balticflyfisher.dk  for a brochure, prices and further information.

 

One for All – The ECHO OHS

Tim Rajeff sent me a sample OHS (One Hand Spey) back last summer, and I used it for salmon in the spate streams of western Ireland last Autumn. I liked it, sure, but it wasn’t until a recent “boy’s trip” to the coast that the versatility of this rod really sunk in.

On the first day we had an off-land wind so casting was a no brainer. I just spent the day enjoying 1hand and 2hand micro-skagiting along the coast looking for a sea trout willing enough to take one of my coastal intruder’s. The next day, however, was totally different with a strong wind blowing over the left shoulder, a nasty little 50cm wave and loads of dead eel grass floating around making it a pain in the ++** to cast Skagit style. So I switched to casting 1hand overhead (same line, same tip, same fly, nothing changed, just the cast) and it went like a bomb – lift, back-cast (slowly does it) 1haul and OUT!  Tick in the box for that so I thought I’d give 2hand overhead a go and after a short “power-adjustment-period” (I was casting tailing loops because I was applying to much power with the lower hand) ‘got that sorted and I was away. Moving along the coast just out of the wind, the wave wasn’t so high, allowing me to set an anchor and skagit cast. I did a 2hand poke, 1hand poke, 1hand overhead, 2hand overhead and finally a perry off-the wrong shoulder in 5 consecutive casts – all with the same rod, same line, same tip, same fly. Nothing absolutely nothing was changed on the setup, just the cast!

Now that’s what I call versatility! Awesome!

Boys trip coastal OHS set up:

  • ECHO OHS 10’4” #7
  • ECHO 7/9 ION Reel
  • OPST Commando 300gr
  • OPST Micro-Tip 5ft S2
  • OPST Lazar 30lb

I get my hands on a lot of rods during a year and I try and use all of the ECHO models at some time during the season but it’s been a long time since I have been so enthusiastic about a set up; for me the ECHO OHS combined with a Commando head is the essence of versatility, a perfect combination! Put another way its brilliant, absolutely f’ing brilliant!

 

All pictures by Simon Barg

Exclusive Salmon Adventure

We are happy to announce that under our partnership with Scottish Salmon Fishing Surgery (SSFS) BalticFlyfisher is able to offer you the unique opportunity to experience some excellent guided early season spring salmon fishing on the world-famous River Tay in March 2017.

15146726_731839180306337_599438491_o

The River Tay is Scotland’s longest salmon river and from its source way up on the slopes of Ben Lui it makes its way East through the Highlands before entering the sea close to Dundee. At 188km (117miles) the River Tay is only the seventh longest in the UK but measured by discharge (m³) it is by far the largest river.

The salmon season on the Tay opens on 15th January and even as early as this a few fresh fish enter the system, but come March rising water temperatures encourage the Springers to enter the system and run upstream in larger numbers many of them at and around the 10kg mark, with an occasional 15kg monster. Like many other rivers Tay is beginning to notice a change in cycles; “traditionally” a late season river, statistics show that the spring proportion of the total catch on the Tay is increasing year on year with this year’s catch being 30 % of the total!

15128576_731839116973010_818984790_n

Your trip will encompass six days salmon fishing as well as seven nights accommodation. You will have the chance to fish exclusively on three of the most productive beats on the river maximizing your chance of connecting with that hard fighting early season… bar of silver.

The Trip will be hosted by Flyfishing Woman Silja Longhurst; World Championships Competition Speycaster, Certified Angling Guide and IFFF Certified Flycasting Instructor. You will also have the services of an experienced Ghillie whose local knowledge of the water and conditions will be invaluable.

The Tay is a superb destination to catch spring salmon as it has the strongest run of any river in Scotland. Why not start your 2017 salmon season earlier next year and come and join us on the Tay in March?

Interested? Then please contact me (silja@balticflyfisher.com) for detailed information and a copy of our brochure.

 

BalticFlyfisher meets Scottish Salmon Adventure

bff-com-logo

ssfslogo-grey

BalticFlyfisher is happy to announce that from season 2017 we are starting a new business relationship with Scottish Salmon Fishing Surgery- better known as “SSFS”. SSFS offers tailored made salmon fishing holidays on many of Scotland’s finest and most exclusive salmon rivers.

ssfs-slider1

The same as we are at BalticFlyfisher, SSFS is a family run business and was founded by husband and wife team Sandy and Samantha Datta, two ultimate salmon fishing nerds. SSFS started out as being a solely dedicated online salmon fishing magazine – Scotland’s only dedicate salmon fishing magazine. Soon the magazine became so popular and is now read in over 61 countries worldwide. Sandy and Samantha’s knowledge about fishing for salmon in Scotland as well as their network soon made them a sought-after contact: Where to fish for salmon? Which river was fishing well? How to get in contact to fish a certain Beat? The path was given and since 2015 the couple are offering bespoke tailored salmon fishing holidays.

Samantha Datta

Sandy Datta

We at BalticFlyfisher love the passion which lies behind Sandy’ and Samantha’s concept and our collaboration with SSFS will underline the notion of BalticFlyfisher being Europe’s #1 Skagit and Speycentre. Our goal is to make your fishing experience a better one and being professional about fly fishing and fly casting has just been enriched by SSFS.

ssfslogo-grey

We are looking forward to the next Salmon season. Did you know, it already starts in January- well at least in Scotland it does 😉 We will be back with some updates shortly. Until then, you can dream of the” Ultimate Scottish Salmon Fishing Experience” by SSFS and BalticFlyfisher – 2 fishing families.

bff-com-logo

ECHO Bad Ass Glass

The Echo BAG

echo-bag

 

Wow…the colour is just awesome. Even though its not pink I would buy this rod just because of its oh so 😎 cosmetics:

  • It is blue, sky blue with a translucent milky touch which underlines it’s characteristic of a glass fibre rod.
  • The handle is kept in the background and classic…you want to see the blue!
  • Stainless guide rings with a low-friction ceramic stripper…to enhance the cold/freshness of the blue.

This is a rod for serious fishing… Serious (serious with a big S) saltwater fishing. The action is well… I don’t quite know what …fast and simultaneously ever so responsive. A great rod for chasing Tarpon from a boat or wading the “flats” of the Baltic Sea for BIG Mammas (that’s what we call BIG Pike up here). One cast and you chuck your big fly right there where you need it. End of story!

I NEED one so badly …

ECHO Bad Ass Glass

 

The ECHO BAG comes as a 4 piece 9 footer for #8, 9, 10 and 12 weight lines. The retail price is 319.99€ and it will be available very soon.

If you need any more information about this rod or would like to pre-order one then please visit your local ECHO dealer or alternatively contact us.

 

 

Hallo(ween) in Austria

silja_arlt-004_resized

 

Magical things happen around Samhain/Halloween, people say… Well people are right we think, as BalticFlyfisher is bringing magic down to our partners in Austria.

pijawetz

Meet the witch (aka Silja) and the pumpkin (aka Stuart) at Armin Pijawetz´s info-day on 22.10.16. We will bring a selected range of ECHO’s and OPST’s magical flyfishing equipment as well as the new hot shots for 2017. We will be at the casting pool where we will show you how to fish with a Micro/ Skagit set-up and how easy it is to adapt it to your personal fishing water.

activefishing

 

If you want to know all the magic behind the Skagit technique then you should meet us at Active Fishing´s “Skagit-Day” on 24.10.2016 on the Enns at Krippau. Here we show you how the potions are being mixed together 😉 We will give you deep knowledge of Skagit and Micro Skagit and how it is being applied on single-, switch-, and two- handed flyrods. We will show how it is done right there at the water. In the afternoon there is time for a casting clinic and a wiggle with OPST and ECHO gear.

Happy Halloween

Avoiding Coils in Mono Running Line

With all  running lines coiling can occur, but its particularly irritating if you are using a Mono Running Line.

lazar_modified[931x370]

Coiling can be caused by casting, a twirling fly or even when the line is loaded onto the reel. Here are Ed Wards insights on running line twisting:

“…

Coily flylines:

If your fly line comes off the reel looking like a Slinky, then it may corkscrew enough in the water to twist up the runningline. One should be particularly mindful of coily flylines during periods of cold weather and especially if the flyline is Polyurethane based. The “fix” is to stretch the flyline out just prior to using it, to remove the Slinky effect.

Casting:

Spey-type casts, being as “curvy” as they are, inherently produce some “natural” twisting action. Also, some conditions of casting seem to produce more line twist than others. Shorter types of flylines seem to twist more readily than do longer ones. Fly patterns tied “in the round” create more twist onto the line system than do flies tied with a “keel”. Large amounts of continuous, short casts of the same type, such as doing 30 right shoulder Snap T-‘s with only the head and 5’ of runner, can twist up a line system fairly quickly. The “while fishing fix” is to mix up one’s casts so that the direction of twist isn’t constant. In other words, instead of 30 right shoulder Snaps in a row, do 3 right shoulder Snaps, then change up to 3 left shoulder casts of some type.

Correct installation:

Incorrectly spooling a runner can be a major source of line twist. The correct way is… reel and runner spool are aligned in-line with one another. In other words, as if viewing a car from above, if the reel is the right rear tire, then the runner spool needs to be the right front tire. Once the reel and runner spool alignment is correct, then the line needs to be feeding from off the BOTTOM of the runner spool and then into the bottom of the fly reel. If the line feeds from the top of the runner spool, to the bottom of the fly reel, then expect major line twist to occur! 
…”

14053832_966653486777159_913057902005338579_o

We have found that the OPST Lazar Line has virtually no memory. We just spool it on (see Ed Ward’s notes above), give it a good stretch before fishing it for the first time, and voila! No more coils. You might have to repeat this procedure once or twice during the season but the more you use it the less it coils. Coming out of the close season we re-stretch it before using.

We have also found that when fishing rivers where you cant wade (e.g. Denmark’s Skjern Å) and have to cast from the bank, we find it better to use a stripping basket (god forbid!) like the Flexi-Stripper to hold the line – this avoids a lot of frustration with tangles in grass or rampant bushes.

Have fun.

Have they gone totally mad!

img_20160825_135027.jpg

 

When we spoke to the guys at OPST about adding a little more contrast between their Commando Head and their [Kawasaki] green Lazar running line, we were thinking more along the lines of a subtle colouring of the rear loop of the Commando head. I guess we should have known different. Nothing they produce is normal. So what did they do? They produced a PINK  😳 version of the extremely popular Lazar Line.

This stuff has everything you love about the original Lazar line:

  • practically zero memory
  • extreme slickness
  • durability
  • awesome “shootability”

… but in PINK

We were very sceptical at first and thought this is something for the ladies only BUT our first couple of outings show this stuff not only looks absolutely awesome next to the OPST Commando Heads but the contrast is excellent and the visibility of the line whilst fishing against reflected light is excellent.

14102844_966653490110492_2305516974515989677_o

 

If people like it, the guys at OPST will keep it around. If not, they will have about 1,000 lifetime supplies of the little mono loop used on the rear end of Intruders.

But at the moment its looking good, we received our allotted shipment just over a week ago and we’ve already moved over 200 spools of it, so if you want some hurry up and contact your local OPST dealer.

The ECHO “EsPResso”

Finally!

DSC_0189

 

Finally Tim [Rajeff] has made a true extra fast action rod for all us speed freaks, the ECHO E.P.R.

The EPR (Enhanced Performance Rod) has got that very bendy (technical term) tip that makes you in control at a short length of line or even just the leader, and then it stiffens up gradually so the butt only comes into play with lots of line out, lots of speed put in or that big mama at the end of the leader, out where flies seldom travel to.

It’s also very light in the hand, so several times I had to check if it really was recommended for that line-class (I had an #8 weight to test) or not, this gem of a rod just hits home wether on a wind infested flat looking for cruising bones at the edge of range, or throwing big bulky flashflies to the toothy critters of the Baltic.

The cosmetics aren’t to shabby either, a nice black blank and whippings trimmed with dark gold and golden writings adds to the reason it been nicknamed “The EsPResso.”

Equally perfect for the fishbum or the big city Hipster 😀

Yes!!

Copyright © BalticFlyFisher - European importers of ECHO and OPST Fly-Fishing equipment.