Varzina - view from main lodge

Some times you travel more than others, and there is no time to share your emotions, experience and feeling about where, why, what and so on. Few days ago I returned back from beautiful trip to Kola peninsula Varzina river, where I was invited from team Sportfish – tour operator in river Varzina.  We where fishing on the second week of June, when water temperature increases and salmon are staring enter the river. In Varzina, main portions of fish, especially biggest ones, enter the river on spring, so let call Varzina a spring run river. So, again, what is it all about? Bullets? No this time it’s all about silver tuna shaped salmon that is powerful enough to straighten the hook and push the tackle to upper limits – so you better be prepared! On the other hand the amount of the fish in the river is enough for fishing, but not enough to catch them without endurance – it is more like hunting on deer rather than shooting one duck after another. In other terms fishing is about catching few nice fresh and absolutely silver fish rather than landing plenty of small grilse or kelts. So…. Yeah, river! It is beautiful and diverse.

Nice and silvery...

There where only few similar pools, and mainly here to be successful you must adapt your presentation, fly and even line to fish properly in all places. On the lover part pools are located close to each other, but in the upper river pools are situated some 500meters ore even few kilometres from each other. In between them are only rapids with a strong current, where fish is not holding, but just pass it by. So fishing here is without any doubt interesting, tricky and rough. Wind is blowing all the time from differnet directions; temperatures are changing fast like hell – just like it should be in the North. We where lucky with the weather, but even in this week, some times only thing about to dream after fishing was sauna and a shot of nice Russian vodka.

Special russian vodka!

I am on the move again, but i hope within few day`s, in the next part I will let you know about fishing, conclusions and my opinion on flies. My opinion on flies and techniques during fishing changed, so it may be interesting.

What is mayday? If you don`t know ask an old captain who is struggling to hold the ship above the water after the crash or watch how mayfly is drifting downstream and disapearing in black current where mighty trout is laying. But for me mayday is time to get out with Mayfly box in the pocket, plenty of patience and hopes, that I will meet golden torpedo or trout as we use to call them. Trout on a fly it is always “hot topic” and it does not come much hotter in freshwater flyfishing than trout on dry fly during the fresh summer evening. This is a short report with some advices how to make a dreams come true.

When everything is possible…

Everyone who calls him self a fly fishermen, knows what is Mayfly and what is brown trout. In general it is simple big fly`s are fly`n and big fish are feeding. But you must know that there are so many reasons why these things can go wrong and why it is not so simple: wrong whether conditions, no mayfly hatch, absence of trout or absence of patience and presentation skills. Even more… In my opinion it is question about to be in right time and place and what is most difficult, not to miss a chance if there is one. This year I was holding the “mayfly pulse” since end of the may when first big Ephemeropteras was emerging. I was waiting for first hot days that will warm up water and boost the hatch. Know it is windy and rainy, but last five days was hot and windless – so I was expecting some activity at the evenings. Trout are quite shy creatures and would prefer to lay in shade than feed in bright sun, so it is no better chance to get one, than in late evening. We where out in a river at 7 pm and whether was perfect- few drops of rain, no wind and mayflies cruising above the water. Last weeks whether was dry, so water level in the river was low and we where expecting that fish will be quite spooky. In the first fifteen minutes we recognized three average sized fish feeding unregulary on the surface. No doubt that they where feeding on mayflies – mainly dead imagos, hence emerging insects where almost absent on water. In spite of it, I hooked first fish with olive Klinkhammer short after the first cast, but immediately missed it. It happens time after time – you know it.

First one

When trout are out, out for mayflies, they are leaving their “safe homes” and are feeding in shallower waters where they become extremely spooky. That’s the reason why I am using upstream casts, where it is possible, to present a fly. It is much safer and usually will not spook trout if presentation is gentle. So, naturally I was moving upstream after the first take and I recognized small water disturbance close to beaver dam. No chance here – fish was feeding inside the dam in the small pockets. In spite of this I landed a fly two times inside the damn dam with 100% confidence that take will result in broken tippet. I was waiting for take until suddenly. You idiot, I recognized that I`ll better leave it than harm it (trout). Some years ago I have observed trout preferring to feed on dead mayflies in small bay with almost standing water. They where cruising and picking up dead mayflies one after another. This strategy is something opposite than usual behavior when trout is picking up drifting mayflies on the stream. So my advice here – be aware and take a close look on these spots too.
After 20 minutes I hooked up another brown trout with mohican mayfly and again almost on second cast. I have recognized the place where the trout was feeding before, so few casts was more than enough to get in touch. Typical trout – made some two jumps after I hooked her (female) and bended my rod nicely before I saw here mighty look from the landing net. It was easily to see, that fish stomach was full with food. May be tomorrow she will be so full that would have no interest in my flies. I released it after short photo session and would say it was around 0,5 kilos and some 37 cm in length. Meanwhile time was running quite fast and I had left maybe hour more to chase bigger ones. Knowing the river is key factor to be successful in such a case. I was moving quite fast to the spot some 500 meters upstream, where deep slowly floating water was facing rapids – perfect outlet for big brownee.

Second gift

This place have a magical feeling, that comes from almost black water that runs close to ferny bank with majestic spruce trees. That’s it – the place I was after. Just patience. I was focusing on the outlet and first 10 minutes was quietly watching – how the river is flowing, how flies are flying and how nature is speaking to me. First rise, than second… Fish was appearing time after time in different places, and my hands was calling for first cast. You know that feeling your body say yes, but your mind is struggling and saying to be patient. In these cases blood runs faster… Just no rush, because maybe I will disturb some trout that are going to feed. Finally I made my first cast to the fish that was feeding closer to me. No response. Few more drifts – no reaction fish even refused to rise again. I was still standing in same position casting some 10 meters more upstream for another fish who was feeding close from opposite bank. I decided to make longer cast rather then move little bit upstream, because I had a feeling that it will disturb the first fish I was trying to catch before. After long cast you must be careful not to disturb a fish while preparing for the next cast. If you will lift a fly line of the water, exactly where the trout is feeding it can disturb whole thing with ease. So I decided to let the fly drift some 5 meters more until it was safe to make another cast. Another thing is, that trout opposite to the grayling, sometimes use to change feeding place and hence can take the fly in different spots, so I was ready for… Ready for stunning take after another cast – my Mohican mayfly was drifting some meter or two close to the opposite bank. Beautiful trout, little bit bigger than first one with absolutely full stomach was looking at me again with the same anger in the eyes. Two nice fish in two hours – not so bad for over fished Latvian rivers. But still there was something missing – that bigger one that always escapes. I was still standing in same spot, with minimum movement to not disturb water and cautious creature that fortunately was still feeding bellow the overhanging bush next to the opposite bank. I saw it too times again but not more.

Patience awarded

One cast after another – fly was drifting below bush and my hope was with it. I changed a corridor where I drifted a fly once ore twice – no response. Is it a fly? No, no, no, trout are not as choosey as grayling. It was almost too dark for fishing at that place when the 50 cm beauty finally decided to take my fly. That’s it what is all about! Beautiful female with torpedo shaped body and astonishing amber looks. When I released the fish I knew, that tomorrow whether will change and maybe we must say au revoir to Mayfly trouting. At least fo some time.

Catch and Release. Only...

P.S. My brother released also two nice fish that evening little bit downstream, so we where happy about this river stretch where trout density seems was like in older times. It is exactly what about every fishermen is dreaming, so please respect the natures right to live – so Catch and release. Only…
Here is classical flies – just in case.

EDB Mayfly

Mohican Mayfly variant

RR

(more…)

Sea, wind, a little bit of cold and fatigue, but you are still in move, in move with only one aim – to land a silver bullet. What for or what it is all about? I would say it is about ability to face the sea with a small rod in your hands and a big hope that your efforts will be rewarded. And when it happens you know the feeling…

Sea "trouted"

So, last few days together with Lithuanian friends I was back in Sweden – this time to chase see trout or Havsöring as they name it. Besides main mission – this fishing story was also filmed for Lithuanian TV. Originally we were planning to visit Swedish cost early at April, but, because of several obstacles, dates where changed. Little bit too late one may say. Yes, but better late than never. Last year, in mid April, there was quite a nice fishes landed in region we where visiting, so the hopes was quite high… 5 kilo is a some kind of a dream, but 3 kilo sounds little bit more realistic. Before the trip I have prepared some versions of famous Grey Frede, also I tied different Sand Eel imitations with and without epoxy heads. Yeaah, there was a psycho type fly`s and classical Magnus too. So, a few reasons to expect a nice takes…

In general, fishing was quite tough in terms of casts needed to get the take and this story is about fishing impressions and conclusions. One is for sure – I will be back again.

King of the nets

Before we started our friends from Scandinavia mentioned that sea trout fishing at coast in this season was not so good. A good sign, especially if you keep in mind that you must succeed, because otherwise weekly TV fishing story will be about… Hmmm, about how good is to fish with the fly rod even if there is no fish landed. Quite wearily…

At the first evening, when we where looking for the possible places, I noticed that sea is quite warm and it was a disappointment. In other terms it means that fish can also find food far from shore and we can’t expect a lot of takes. On the other hand, there was good news too – amount of net fishing was decreased this season, at least I heard such a rumor, that may be can be proved with a bulky net collection that we founded all around the coast we where fishing. And only one net in the sea – usually it is opposite.

Recovered sea trout kelt

First few days I was fishing mainly with famous Grey Frede size 4 and 6. Because of the fact that this part of shore was new for as, it was necessary to move all the time to find a perfect spot – so this fly was a nice choice – you can fish it in shallower waters with immediate retrieve after presentation. If you fish a little bit deeper spot – just wait a while when fly sunk and retrieve a little slower. In terms of weather first day was the best one – a little wind from sea and cloudy fogy conditions where perfect for fish to come closer to shore. I noticed that in the small bay there was a quite high concentration of baby sea trout feeding at the surface, and almost immediately landed two of them – so if there is good food source there must be bigger ones too. Around 12 I felt sudden take and first sea trout around 1 kilo jumped out of the water. Almost 20 minutes later I landed another one – this time it was recovered kelt silver yet slim one. Not a bad start – all the fish was cought with Grey Frede – the classical sea trout fly. Evening was even better – landed only one, but hooked another that escaped almost at my knees and had another two ore three nice takes. (more…)

Today, i was out for few hours in Salaca – to enjoy start of the spring and of coarse to inspect some spots for salmon and seatrout. Weather was nice – mild sun with a breeze of light southeast wind, temperature few degrees above zero. This year licence price for one day fishing is 9 Lats, that is really not expensive. In spite of such a price, there was quite many spin fishermen on the other bank without licence (effect of the economical crisis), but with not a bad collection of damn words. Fishing in favorite spots meanwhile hearing these “birds singing” was somehow tiresome. I moved upstream hopefully not to meet anyone there. I was lucky – next to the small tributary Korģene there where only some steps in the snow reminding that i`m not the first one here this year. In spite of the comfortable conditions on the river bank, water temperature was o,8 degrees above 0. Not the best new`s – but what can you expect if the snow is melting. Fortunately water level was not high and it was clear enough to see bottom in 1,3 meter depth. Usually in such a conditions, let`s say in autumn, there are no doubt about using floating line (shooting head), but after some half an hour i felt like an idiot – expect a salmon rising for fly in such a conditions? Maybe some other time. I changed a head to intermediate/sink2 and finally i felt my fly in the water layer where it should ride. Just patience… Fishing in such a low temperatures requires a slllllooowwwww presentation of the fly, and if you are using 30 degree casting angle, fly swing`s almost forever. Just cast and wait, wait, wait – meanwhile with full control over fly. Boring some may say. Ok, but you can watch how nature is waking up and finally hope that you have more patience than fish. Too or three casts – step, then again casting and stepping until the end of the pool suffering from little cold, that makes you feel alive. Until someone stops your fly. Today it was around 14:00 when at the end of the pool, in the well known place 5,5 kilo kelt female stopped the fly. I was using Rusty Orange 7 cm long tube fly with bright orange cone in the front. These colors work fine in brown colored waters. But, without a proper presentation it is useless. For sure! I was lucky – salmon season 2009 opened.

Salmo Salar kelt