Weight

In some cases weighted flies are a huge advantage, I’d say even necessary for success. And I certainly don’t mind fishing them in those cases. Some of the Danish rivers I fish for salmon (most - if not all) have a bottom profile with quite steep sides, in many places at least. That means that the fly needs to sink fast in order to fish at the right depth on the opposite bank. When fishing for salmon and sea trout, I use both tube flies and flies on hooks. I choose tubes when I need big flies or heavy flies.

My preferred tube system is the one fromPro Sportfisher (see note below). They have a wide selection of weights. A key factor in assuring a fast sinking fly is being able to keep it slim. The dressing and materials of the fly has an impact and I like the fact that Pro Sportfisher offers many solutions that allow me to tie a heavy, yet slim and sparse fly.

On the fly in the PoD, which isn’t particular sparse, I have used a 10mm FlexiWeight, a small tungsten RawWeight and a small cone head. Doesn’t that create a terribly heavy fly, many will think. Well, no - heavy enough, yet it still casts fairly easily on a 6-wt single hander. Mind you, line choice makes a difference here too (more on that in an upcoming FP).

I sometimes fish these on a floating line if I want to fish them higher. The point is that if I only had the line to bring down the fly, I’d miss half the swing before reaching the depth. The fly needs to sink immediately and preferably fairly fast.

The particular fly is tied using gadwall flank hackles and I’ve tied it for a slow stretch of river. The hackles will pulsate nicely as I animate the fly. On a slow current, some extra animation never hurts.

Have a great weekend!

Lars

Note: I’m friends with the owner of Pro Sportfisher. I used the system long before we became friends. I don’t know if that makes a difference, but now you know.