Trout Anniversary - ”Thinking Outside The Box”

A Brown Trout to Remember

A magnificent 50 cm (or 20") brown trout taken the 15th of October several years ago

 

           This is neether the biggest, the most beautiful or the trout that gave me the most pleasure playing him, but it's really ”A brown trout to remember”. Another reason is that I don't have photos of many of my most memorable trout since it hasn't been a habit of mine to bring a camera. This one was taken on a 7' rod 1-2 weight on a small barbless dry flymph (The Possum) and a pretty thin tippet. Furthermore it was taken on one of the last days of the year that it was possible to fly fish in still water. The lakes were frozen over just a short while after the 15th of October that year. Quite some years ago but still very vivid in my memory.

           ”Thinking Outside The Box” so to speak was what gave me the opportunity to play this trout and many others like it or even more beautiful. This calls for an explanation from my side.

           A pretty long time ago when I was fishing in this little lake with many a nice trout the good caddis or sedge patterns wheren't taken by the trout. At that time it didn't make sense to me. Therefore – yes, your'e right – I had to ”Think Outside The Box”. Using the most lovely imitations would just put the trout down for a while or make them go away from the spot I was fishing. So what could I do? Since it was quite some time ago now – taking the human lifespan into consideration – I can't say exactly how it came about but I was pondering over the mystery about the trout getting spooked by traditional flies that should have worked. I got help from a book I had read, written by very known fly fishers here in Sweden and they also included parts written by Vernon S. Hidy and has ”Big Jim” Leisenrings ”Color and Materials Book” in print at the end of the book that is called ”Flymfer & andra mjukhacklade flugor” (Something like Flymphs and other softhackled flies in english). There is a part talking of very spooky big brown trout that the authors finally could trick with flies and make them take.

           Now I guess that everyone wants to know what flies these big spoky trout finally took. It was small floating flymphs. That was kind of an eyeopener for me at the time. I had read the book earlier (perhaps several times) but now an idea took form to try something similar to get my spooky big browns to take on dry fly. This way ”The Possum” was born.

Two flies "proven in battle"

The original or first type I tied

Can be used in all available sizes of Tiemco 103-BL

Tying description:

Hook: Tiemco 103-BL size #11-21

Body: Australian opossum - Hence the name 

          (I tend to use just black but also have tied other versions)

Hackle: Genetic grizzle hen hackle

          (I just use double hackle on the biggest -
           which was the original or first)

Tail: Grizzle hen
 

          With this fly I've been in contact with really big brown trout that, after almost breaking my bamboo rod snapped the leader in a matter of a few seconds, and others that I've taken to hand ranging from 1-4 pounds or so. Needless to say - this pattern and some others with a similar success – are flies that I always bring with me.

           That makes me remind a fly fisher that I met when fishing at Molntjärn (my favorite still water). The trout were taking on a small variant of The Possum just below the surface and this man came up to me and asked the usual question: ”What are they taking?” upon which I showed him and he wanted to buy some from me. Naturally I gave him what he wanted for free and he was happy to get a chance to give the pattern a try.

           By chance I met him the following year too. He had fished ”The Possum” quite frequent and with a good result. He mentioned that the fly was liked by the trout in Storån, a stream pretty known among fly fishers in Sweden since Frank Sayer have fished there. During his visit a new pattern was born tied by him the – Sawyer Swedish Nymph – more or less like the Pheasant Tail but made with grey goose instead to look like the nymphs that was discovered in that stream.

           My conslusion of my own experience and what has been told me by others is that – at least here in Sweden where we don't have limestone or chalk streams – strict imitation of what the trout is eating isn't needed (perhaps just during very special circumstances) to get in contact with nice trout. It's mostly a matter of ”buggyness”, size and where the trout is feeding.

M.O. 

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TMC 518 Midge Fly Tying Hook Experiments – PART 1

Horse Hair Midge Larvae – Dun Color

 

Hook: TMC 518 #30 (I like this size for use with horse hair)

Thread: Sheer 14/0 Dun

Abdomen and thorax: White Horse Hair

Tie the horse hair (moistening it a little first) at the beginning of the hook shank and follow down the bend to get a curve. I tie it in along the top of the hook shank. Wind the thread back to the hook eye, make a half hitch to secure and put the bobbin in the bobbin holder to make it easier to continue. Wind the horse hair back to the hook eye and tie it in. I opted for using varnish to make the whole fly more durable and showing the transparency.

 

Trying to show the transparency better of the pattern

         

          This is the first I've made as an experiment. I think though that it will be attracting trout that feeds on midge pupae or larvae. I am continuing the experiment with other colors and more pupae like. Tapered bodies for example.

 

          To me the result looks very much like midge larvae that I found hundreds of in the stomach of a good size trout. That memory has been part of the inspiration for this experiment. The fly looks brown in the pictures but it's the dun color of the thread that gives it color. The lighting I have isn't quite adequate to give the pictures the true colors.

 

To make hookups easier I have bent the hook

so I get the tip a little offset. Se picture below.

 

Pictures of the second larvae I've tied. A little tapered otherwise it's the same.

This picture shows the offset tip of the hook (manually made)

 

          As this just is an experiment at present I'm more than happy to get some input from you who read this. I'm kind of preparing for the next season and my goal is to take good trout on tiny flies. Aiming at 20" trout taken on a TMC 518 size #30 or similar.

          Hoping for some input from fly fishermen that are more experienced in fishing with very tiny flies than I am. Thanks beforehand!

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Trip to Molntjärn the summer 2012

Along the road to Molntjärn
and it's lovely surroundings

A wonderful cabin along the road where I 
wouldn't mind  living. (At least for a summer).

Finally a sign that directs you to the goal - MOLNTJÄRN

Where you pay for your fishing permit.

View of Molntjärn from where you pay your
fishing permit. It also states that only fly
fishing is allowed in this water.

Place of the fishing log and a balance for weighing
and a pretty long ruler for measuring. That is
required if you take any fish home with you. 
Reading the log is the first thing you do when
coming here to get an update if there has been
some action recently.

A shelter where I usually make my coffee.

View from the shelter almost straight eastward.

View from a log I sat on towards the shelter.

Sight to the northeast.
 (The shadow of my hat should be discarded).

The catch of the day (lost two nice brown trout 
though). This fish is usually found in the stomach
 of big trout. Excellent trout food that makes it 
possible for the trout to grow really big and 
there are some  seriously big brown trout 
in this little lake. I've fought and cougt a few
myself and released many to grow on even bigger.

Two distant eagles "blowing in the wind". I think
it's a couple of Royal Eagle (Kungsörn in Swedish) 
related to the Bald Eagle but they have kind of a 
golden colored head. It looks as if it has a crown. 
 Hence the Swedish name. I think that it's a pair of 
those because there is a couple of them nesting
 nearby. Just a few kilometers from the house 
where I grew up and they cover a lot of ground.

(Should have had binoculars to be sure!!!)

Another bird couple that have a nest in the vicinity.

Almost my constant companions when fishing here.

In Swedish they are called "Storlom" not sure in English.

Another smaller companion hiding in the late 
summer flowers. A pretty big greenish beetle.

Finally a delicious berry (or quite a few here but 
only one  in this picture). These berries are called 
"Hjortron" in Swedish and are very sought for. 
Something very special  for many living here. 
I enjoyed their delicious taste  greatly this day.
It was like the icing on the cake. Yummy!!!

          Hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed to do this trip. Hopefully I can make another trip there before it freezes because right now is the opportunity to get some of the big trout on dry fly. The food is scarce and they readily rises to a small dry fly mostly at dusk.

Have fun fly fishing your waters,

M.O. 

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