Viking Lars | Saturday, 19 March 2022
Well, not today, but on April 16th, where I won’t be attending, unfortunately because of a family event (I didn’t say unfortunately). But that doesn’t bother me too much. Although it’s always nice to say hello to the club buddies I haven’t’ seen since last season, there are always lots of fishers by the river, so I’ll be fine waiting a few days, since I prefer a little more solitude anyway.
It’s the right time, however, to begin going through the tackle and making sure everything is fine tuned. I’ve already been through the fly boxes this winter and might even do so again - every winter with the purpose of reducing the number of patterns I carry. That never seems to happen, but the intention is there. I’ll be fishing on of two flies (three in the slightly unlikely event of clear-ish water). Either this largish Iceman (which is my number one favourite salmon fly) or a smaller black tube fly (PoD). I often go smaller when fishing black, since it presents a much more solid profile.
The river has been very high all of February, which is perfect, I’m certain it’s drawn up many salmon already. Right now it’s actually running perfectly, but with almost a month still to go, it’s hard to predict the opening.
I practically only fish three lines. Most of the season a sink V/VI and a sink III/IV. I don’t fish much during high and late summer, because the water temperature is so high that salmon can struggle recovering when released, but in low water, a sink I/II. I’ll be going over the lines and reels this weekend.
Rods? My trusty 13’ 9-wt is always my choice in the opening weeks together with my 12’6” 7-wt. For the narrow sections of the river, an 11’ 8-wt or a 10’ 6-wt single hander.
Leaders for the opening weeks? Couldn’t be simpler - 3 feet of 0,40mm mono.
And the third fly? My own pattern, Golden Salmon Spider on a single hook. In high fishing pressure, the most important tactic is to fish differently. Deeper, shallower, faster and with different flies that the rest. The Golden Salmon Spider I was quite content with, when I came up with it. It caught both salmon and sea trout. Leafing through on 1990s, Danish classic book on salmon fies, “Farlige Laksefluer” (Dangerous Salmon Flies), by Jan Grünwald, I noticed an almost identical pattern, popular in River Mörrum in Sweden. I don’t know if that fly was somehow lodged in my subconscious or what? But the relationship is clear, real or not.
I’ll be ready!
Have a great weekend!
Lars