CONTENTS 4/5
FROM ME TO WE
6/9
FLY TYING BEAUTY
10/11 THE DEER HAIR COMPANY 12/17 INTERVIEW DANIEL HOLM 18/23 LEGEND BARRY ORD CLARKE 24/29 GERMAN PRECISION 30/31 RITT MAILING 32/35 MARIUS TOLLAN 36/45 ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS 46/49 HENK VERHAAR 50/51 QUALIFLY 52/55 ERIK SVEND EXTENDED 56/57 SCOTT 58/61 ANDRÉ MIEGIES 62/63 CAST AWAY CATCH 64
NEXT ISSUE JAN 2019
Photography & Design: Peter Sikking Editor: Dr Henk Verhaar Published by: WAFF
Photo & Fly Arnold Bonte
From me to we I started this magazine in February of this year. Or actually I started thinking about making this magazine in February. I wanted to make a magazine together with other young(er) fly fishing enthusiasts. So I reached out, and many of you answered. Before the first issue ‘Sea Trout’ rolled from the presses in mid April, me had already changed into we.
Lesly casting for a marble trout
Reaching the target audiance is still difficult. Most Europeans have absolutely no clue as to what fly-fishing is or even have any recollection to the words fly-fishing. In most parts of Europe fishing including fly fishing is associated with very old men who sit vacantly staring at their float, waiting for a fish to come by. This magazine WE make is already starting to make some “noise”. Actually quite a lot of noise! And I thank all of you for your help!
Stuart Minnikin guiding
Hein with a beautiful grayling
Have a really great Christmas and an even better 2019. Peter Sikking
Regine Emilie with a great sea trout
Espen on his home water
Nice sea trout for AndrĂŠ
Marius with a beauty
Peter with a 50 grayling
Shane with one of his beauties
professional guiding by Chelsey
THE BEAUTY OF FLY TYING Aimee Kitching
From the clear blue ocean comes a soft breeze. It caresses her long blond hair and splashes salt water drops against her light brown legs. Walking along this beach with its white sands and softly waving palm trees we both know there is no use strolling, and as we sit down under an almost full moon she gently show’s hers and I show her mine, two glittering Regal vices. Holding bobbing holders throughout the the night we tied flies like crazy.
The journey ‘My Fly Tying journey started approximately 3 years ago. Before I started tying flies myself I already loved searching tackle shops and the internet for that one ‘killer fly’, but I’d always been inspired by the people I followed on social media who tied their own flies. So one day I thought “why not” and spontaneously decided to buy myself a starter kit’. ‘With no idea what I was doing I began to lash bits of fur and feathers onto hooks creating some wonderful but weird messes. The following day I decided I had to take them for a swim to test them out and if I remember correctly I didn’t catch a thing, but I wasn’t disheartened, this only fuelled my fire to keep practicing. The following week whilst visiting Carlsons my local tackle shop to pick up some bits and bobs up, I came across a flyer for a local tying club: the Lakeland Fly Dressers, who were offering classes for all abilities and I just had to join. So I signed up and in the mean time I took to Youtube and books to teach myself some basic skills.
8 week course I began the 8-week course learning to tie basic traditional trout patterns, and as the only woman I was even more determined to be the best I could be. It wasn’t an easy 8 weeks by any means. Lots of broken thread, forgotten ribs and snapped hackles, but by the end of those 8 weeks I proudly handed in my 8 patterns and was lucky enough to win the beginners trophy! Roller Coaster ride 2 years down the line my journey has been an absolute whirlwind. I have been lucky enough to become part of the Deer Creek Flies Pro Staff and the Ahrex Hooks Pro Team. I also travel around the country demonstrating at shows such as the BFFI, London Fly Fair and The Scottish Fly Fair. Inspiring But for me it’s not all about the deals and the shows. As fantastic as all that is, I’m still very much in it for the satisfaction you get when a fish takes a fly you tied, and it is that exact feeling I want to share with others; I especially love encouraging other women and the younger generation to have a go. It really is a feeling like no other! Thanks Id just like to say a massive thank you to my family and every one at the Lakeland Fly Dressers, Deer Creek and Ahrex for there continued support; without you guys I wouldn’t be where I am today If you’d like to follow Aimees fishing and tying adventures you can find her on:
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FROM DEER HAIR TO DEAR HAIR
Our deer live in one of the coldest parts of Norway; Østerdalen. Their hair is extremely long and really packed together. Needless to say it makes excellent floating and very durable flies.
WHERE TO BUY: We sell our premium deer hair in the Kvennan Camp kiosk or on special request.
KVENNAN CAMP A FLY FISHERMENS PARADISE CONTACT
DANIEL HOLM INTERVIEW
Introduction
I first saw Daniel in a fly tying video. He was tying a wild-looking ginger-brown sea trout fly called The Brenda. The thing is, I know a Brenda. And she is as wild and ginger as they come. So I started tying the Brenda. And I caught several sea trout over 60 cm with it. And you know what that means, fishing buddies started tying Brendas and before I knew it there was a wee bit of a Brenda hype.
The next season I caught quite a lot of fish on a small Magnus, and the Brenda started to fade to the background. Like hypes are supposed to. But Daniel stayed. He expanded his business by sharing good patterns not only for sea trout but also for pike. Selling fly-fishing gear that he believed in. I am really pleased he made some time for this edition of our Magazine
Discovering fly fishing I have been fishing since I was 6 years old and fly-fishing was just this big magnificent pinnacle of fishing, so I got a fly fishing outfit when I was 12 and started out on my own, teaching myself to cast and fishing around the waterfront of the Aarhus harbour. I was hooked from the first (terrible) cast I made and I spent every single second of my spare time fishing. Fly fishing was this mythical epic way of fishing. The ideal and essential way of fishing, and I just had to do it. I was a natural progression for a young fisherman to transform into a fly angler.
sea trout versus pike Sea trout are awesome because of the whole setting. The big coast, waves, rough conditions, and, saving the best for last: the sea trout itself. Those silver, strong, wild, wonderful fish are simply awesome, even if the fishing is very variable and challenging. Pike fishing is just pure insane fun. Pike are big, bad and ferocious. Add the fact that you can catch them on poppers makes it an exiting sport fish. Next to the actual fishing I really like tying flies for pike. It is fun because you can do what ever you like and just go nuts with flash and other stuff.
Fly tying on video I gave a lot of fly tying courses around Denmark and because of those courses I get a lot of emails with all sorts of questions about fly tying. So I simply started making videos to answer those questions and explain fly tying. These videos turned out to be quite popular and it was a natural progress to start selling the materials I use in the videos. I sell only what I use myself I take great pride in fly fishing gear and fly tying materials and I check the quality of all the stuff I sell. I know and fully understand that selling fly fishing products online is based on trust. Customers have to trust you because they can’t see or feel the materials they buy. So for me it starts with quality control. Especially when it comes to hair, feathers and other natural materials. Quality varies and I make sure the fly tying materials I ship are of a quality I would use myself. As if I were a customer myself.
Daniels Christmas list There is so much cool stuff around at the moment, but if I were to recommend 3 new products that really have impressed me Iwould choose the following: Ahrex hooks: This is a fairly new hook brand that really does a great job. They offer great quality and carry a very impressive range. I get the feeling these hooks are made by fly fishermen who really know how to design the hooks I need for my fishing. The Sage igniter: This rod is just pure joy to cast and fish with. Power like nothing else. With it, casting flies in windy conditions is no problem. You should really check out the new 590 or the 7126 two-handed. I have to say, I am in love. Remarkable performance and a bit more humane than the method rod. This rod is the best new rod I have tried for a long long time.
Arctic Silver fly lines: For most of my one handed fly fishing I have gone back to weight-forward lines and the past years I have replaced most of my other lines for my sea trout and river fishing with Arctic silver lines. Their new compact line with an 8,1 meter belly is simply awesome for fishing on the coast or in small streams.
Visit Daniel’s flyfishing shop at www.flytying.eu Daniels you tube channel Or in his showroom in Viby, Jutland Denmark.
An Englishman in Norway Barry Ord Clarke
Born in England, Barry Ord Clarke is an internationally acclaimed and much published photographer and fly tyer. He has written, co written and contributed to more than 35 books about fly tying. He was awarded the coveted ‘Claudio D’Angelo award for Best International Fly Tyer 2016.
MANAGING WATER Upper Numedal Fjellstyre (Board of Public Lands) manages the fishing in 57 water systems within a 500 ha area in East Hardangervidda. These public lands are centrally located in Hardangervidda and border For the past 23 years he the has Telemark lived in Norway where he works as a professional photocounty in the south and Hordaland grapher and a fly tying consultant for the Mustad Hook Company. You can find Barry’s fly county west. Board of Public the feather bender. tying on in histhe blog andThe Youtube channel, Lands’ primary focus is to manage usufructuary rights and business in the local community, while safeguarding the local community and society at large through conservational and recreational interests. FLY FISHING
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If you want to find some of the finest trout that eastern Norway has to offer you can try Geitvassdalen. This water system has a very healthy population of wild trout, more than healthy enough for one to land in the frying pan without making you feel bad about it. Getting here is a bit challenging however, as it takes roughly 3-4 hours to hike in. Most choose to hike in via Mårbu, however you are also able to take a boat from ”Synken”. From Mårbu, take the easiest trail towards ”Rauhelleren”. From here you will eventually make your way to Numedalslågen and Geitvassdalen. If you steer off ohe trail westwards you can find the Fjellstyre cabin Jegerbu or continue to Muran, which is a large stone cabin on the banks of Geitvatnet. There are great fishing spots along (?) the entire length of Numedalslågen, from where it runs out of Lågaros to the lowest section towards Krossvatnet. The fishing license for Hardangervidda East gives the right to fish in all running waters in this area. There are also other options for finding your way to this mecca for trout fishing. Either hiking in from Tinnhølen/Trondsbu southwards or from Solheimstulen in Uvdal. From there you will find another trail which is also bicycle-friendly, and which leads roughly 30 km to the cabin ”Jegerbu”.
for more information visit fishspot here
Ragworm The ragworm’s wedding, as it is known here in Northern Europe, is called the spring’s most exciting adventure for the sea trout fisherman. And if you are lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time, and with the right pattern, there is no danger for you not connecting with fish. Although ragworms are on the sea trout’s menu the whole year round, it’s in the spring, under the annual swarming, that the sea trout will go on a feeding frenzy and gorge themselves on the worms. Ragworms are a polychaete (‘many-legged’ worms) in the Nereis genus, which also include the sand worm Nereis vireos and the common clam worm Nereis succinea. There are many patterns known to sea trout fishermen that imitate the worm, some better than others, some simple to tie and some not so. I believe the original pattern, from the tying bench of innovative Swedish fly tyer Robert Lai, is for me still, without a doubt, one of the best. Robert´s pattern is probably one of the most challenging patterns many fly tiers will ever learn to tie, but the rewards are great. No other worm pattern swims and pulsates in the water like his, imitating the natural swimming worm as closely as humanly possible with feather and steel. We are not 100% sure, and that’s not for lack of theories! But the spring swarming (often, and wrongly, called a hatch) is due to the worms’ spawning season and seems to be triggered by two main factors. A rise in water temperature (to? of?) 6-7 degrees, and the arrival of a new lunar phase (a full moon), from anywhere around mid March into April. The female ragworm broods her eggs within her long flattened body and as the eggs develop and mature, her body becomes brittle and eventually splits, releasing the eggs. The male ragworms are attracted to the egg laying feast by following the pheromones that are also released by the females. After spawning, both male and female ragworms die. Ragworm swarming can be very local in most situations, and it’s not easy to know where. For that, you should look to the sky, because the greedy and forever hungry sea gulls can show you the way. If you can see screaming sea gulls flocking and circling around a area of coast, this shows you where to fish – just like the pelicans while fishing for tarpon. Consider also when the strong spring sun has been high in the sky all day and warming up the shallows, especially those with dark muddy bottoms. Most sea trout fishermen, including myself, prefer sight fishing during the day, looking for rises as you fish systematically, possible holding spots in small bays and inlets as the tide rises and falls.with larger fish that are normally wiser and more sceptical about entering the shallower coastal waters during the hours of daylight. These shallow areas retain the days heat during the first couple of hours of darkness. It’s during this period that larger sea trout dare to venture into the shallows to feed. You should fish at least a couple of hours into the night.
The pattern I have tied here started off, about 15 years ago, as a copy of Robert´s original pattern, but over the years has changed a little and is now more a variant. But the basic original principle is still there and the pattern works extremely well. There are a few rules one must follow when tying this pattern. The tail hook should be light in weight. Because the worm has an extremely flexible body, a larger and heavier tail hook has a tendency to “hang-up” on the body under casting, which results in you fishing a ball of fur with the business hook out of line. A heavier tail hook also reduces the animation and swimming action of the worm by preventing the tail from lifting when the bead head sinks. Another point is the central core of the fly, the loop that you spun the opossum onto that is also the spine that holds the front shank to the tail hook. This is the alfa and omega regarding the success of tying this pattern. If this spine is not securely attached to the front hook, you risk losing not only the business end of your worm but also fish. So make sure that you tie this in as well as you can and don´t be afraid to use super glue. If you would like a lighter and even more mobile worm use marabou instead of opossum. If you can’t get opossum in the colours you want, you can use cross-cut rabbit but try and remove some of the underfur first, because it will spin better without it. The Latin name for the common ragworm is Nereis diversicolor, reflecting the fact that they are quite variable in colour, but typically they are a reddish brown, turning more to the green/blue side during the spawning season. So the rule for colour is that there is no rule, you can tie the worm in any colour you like! Personally I have found that for me the two most successful colours are the one shown here and bright orange. And don´t forget that ragworms are on the sea trout’s menu the whole year, so don´t restrict your fishing with it just to the spring; moreover, it´s also a deadly pattern for any predatory fish!
Opossum rag worm: Tail Hook: Mustad Shrimp C47SD # 8-4 Hook shank: Fish Skull articulated shank 20 mm Tying Thread: Dyneema Extra fine Central Core: Dyneema Heavy Tail: Natural Opossum and Lite brite Body: Natural Opossum and Lite brite Head: Brass or Tungsten bead link to video
1 Secure your lightweight salt water tail hook in the vice. Cover the hook with a foundation of Dyneema tying thread. I use Dyneema because it is salt water resistant and weight for weight stronger than steel. 2. Make a short dubbing loop at the rear of the tail hook and run your tying thread forward again to the hook eye. 3 Load a medium Marc Petitjean magic tool clip with natural opossum and Lite Brite. Its best to use a cross cut or zonker strip for this! 4. Once you have loaded your clip, while holding the dubbing loop open with your left hand place the opossum loaded clip in the loop. Now you have to take care! Once the fur is trapped in the dubbing loop make sure you don’t release the tension. Spin your dubbing spinner and form a dubbing brush. 5. Now wind on the dubbing brush so as to form the tail of the worm. Make sure that with each wrap of dubbing you stroke back the fibres. Once you have covered the whole hook shank tie off and remove your tying thread. Give the head a coat of varnish and remove from your vice. 6. Now take a Fish Skull articulated shank 20mm and thread on a bead of your choice. This may prove a little difficult and you may have to open the shank a little depending on the size of bead used. 7. Attach your tying thread just behind the bead on the upper shaft of the shank only. 8. Now make 5-6 loose wraps of tying thread around both shafts as shown. This is the best method of closing the shank securely without breaking your tying thread. 9. Once you have done this tighten the tension of your thread by pulling slowly down on your bobbin and close the shank. Make several tight wraps of tying thread over the whole shank. 10. Make one whip finish and then place your tying thread to one side on a bobbin retainer for later. 11. Now with another bobbin loaded with heavy Dyneema (GSP) attach the thread and cover the shank finishing behind the shank eye. 12. Now make a large (20cm) dubbing loop with the heavy Dyneema. Whip finish and remove the heavy Dyneema. 13. Place a few drops of super glue (crazy glue) on the whippings. 14. Thread the tail hook you tied earlier onto a standard bobbin threader and place to one side. 15.
castawayflyfishing.nl - 0031(0)35 6240016 - info@castawayflyfishing.nl
15. Now you must load 2 large Pettijean magic tool clips with opossum and Lite Brite as before. If you don’t have 2 you can use old-fashioned bulldog paper clips. 16. Now place the dubbing loop through the eye of the bobbin threader as shown. 17. Thread your tail hook onto the centre of the dubbing loop as shown. 18. Here is the tricky part. Place the opossum from one clip in the top half of the loop above the tail hook. Whilst keeping the tension by holding the dyneema loop with your left forefinger and thumb place material clip on the loop below the central tail hook. Then approximately 1 cm further down from the tail hook place the second clip. 19. Now retain the tension in the loop and let the bottom half hang from your material clip. Spin the bottom half of the loop tight. 20. Once you have spun the bottom half, while keeping the tension in the loop, remove the material clip and the upper half of the loop will spin automatically, catching the opossum. You can now spin the whole loop to tighten the opossum securely. While holding the loop outstretched and tight use an old tooth brush (not a metal dubbing brush as this will fray and weaken your Dyneema!) to open out any trapped opossum fibres 21. Take hold of the tail hook with one hand and with the dubbing spinner in the other, keeping everything tight, bring your tying thread back behind the shank eye. 22. While still holding your tail hook, fold over your dubbing loop so that your dubbing spinner is at the shank eye as shown. Make a couple of turns of tying thread just to hold it in place. When you now release the tail hook from your left hand the 2 cores of the dubbing loop will naturally spin around each other and form a secure and strong spine to the fly. If it only spins a little you can help it by spinning it by hand, but only in the same direction as the natural spin! 23. Secure the loop just behind the shank eye. 24. Now you can remove the dubbing spinner and tie down the core of the loop, folding it forward and back as you go to secure it correctly. 25. Once secure place a couple of drops of super glue on the shank. Now make a small dubbing loop and fill as before with opossum to cover the front of the shank. 26. Whip finish and remove your tying thread. You can now varnish the head by placing drops of varnish directly onto the shank eye in front of the bead as shown. You will see the varnish drain into the bead head. Repeat a couple of times. This will secure the bead and the body to the shank. Clean the eye of the shank by passing a surplus hackle through the eye.
German precision that leaves you speechless
Flies & photography Holger Lachmann
Magnum Dragun tails In 8, 6 and from thursday 6 december also 4 inch available!
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Marius Tollan fly fishing: a way of life
Introduction:
I met Marius when I was opening the riverbank kitchen on the river Glomma. The house I was supposed to stay in for the season was not available, so there I stood. And although I don’t mind sleeping in the car with the dog for a few nights, there certainly are more comfortable ways to start a new fly fishing season. Long story short, this guy who didn’t know me at all let me stay in his house for a few days until the problem was solved. That this same guy turned out to be an excellent fly fisherman and an even better fly fishing guide is part of the reason I like to introduce him to you. Because beside his fishing skills he is a really nice guy.
What do you do besides working as a guide? I am educated as a carpenter and have been working in construction for over the last twenty years. What means fly fishing and fly tying to you? For me it is a way of living. I have always been fascinated by water and all the life in it. From a very young age I went fishing with my dad and soon discovered how much I liked it. Not just the fishing itself, but everything around it. Being outside, one with nature, watching the birds and land animals and all the different insects‌.it became a part of my life. At about the age of thirteen I discovered fly fishing, and I have never looked back. We fly fishermen know, maybe even more than other fishermen, that nature is very complex. Trying to understand why, where and what in order to catch more fish became a daily thing. And each hour I spend near the water I learn new things.
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Fly tying I started tying flies because I needed to. The few flies I could buy were not very good and fly tying was something that looked very cool to me. At the age of fourteen my parents got me my first tying vice for Christmas, together with some basic tools and materials. There was no Internet then, and nobody I knew could teach me, so the local bookstore became my source of information. They had one book: ‘the basics of fly tying’. And this book got me started. My interest and passion for fly fishing and tying grew with the years passing by and it still is growing.
Simple My philosophy is to keep things simple. And that is difficult enough :) One has to have accurate imitations to match every hatch. And after many years spent on six or seven rivers I was able to tie patterns that could cover not only the different rivers but the different seasons as well. You can find Marius and the flies he is using on: NORDICGUIDING.COM
imitation of a May fly emerger
SPECIAL THANKS TO: - Thomas & Thomas - Fly Fish Europe - Rudi Heger - Scott fly fishing rods -
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HENK VERHAAR
A Minimalist in flyfishing
The river and the grayling Allright, let’s see if that big grayling from last year is still hiding in the bend of the river. It is my first visit this year to this, my favorite Norwegian river, and I always start by checking out some longtime hotspots, before venturing on to try new stretches of river, or figuring out what has changed from last year. I carefully position myself on the, a little too small, rock, about half a metre from shore, just outside the main current, make a few cautious backcasts over the birch tree right behind me, that I so painstakingly cut down last year, with the small sawblade in my Leatherman tool, but which has since grown back to almost its former glory, and try to place my fly in the outflow between two boulders upstream. No luck, fly and tippet land in the fast water and get dragged downstream immediately. After a few tries I get the fly where I want it, right next to the fast water, on the far side of the outflow, and get maybe two seconds of slow movement of the fly before it is dragged downstream again. It is enough. A fish rises with lightning speed, I set the hook, and the fight is on. The decent size grayling immediately positions itself in the fast current, where, with its large dorsal fin, it can put enormous pressure on my gossamer tippet. I manage to scramble to shore, negotiate that birch tree and get downstream of the fish, and succeed in bringing it to the net in the calm waters near the bank. It’s a decent enough fish, but not the big one from last year. But since that hole is now disturbed, I’ll have to wait for another day to check whether he’s still there. I carefully remove the barbless fly from the fish’s mouth and release it.
Flies In this fast and broken water, patterns don’t matter much; if it floats and moves, it’s edible, and fish will rise to it. Same with the calm water of the lake that feeds this river. There are so many fish there that practically speaking, you’ll never catch the same fish more than once. Therefore, the fish aren’t terribly educated, and meticulously matching the hatch is unnecessary. That may be important on slow-moving rivers, where resident fish take up the same spot for years, have ample time to examine whatever is floating past, and where there is abundant insect life with sometimes prolific hatches. But in these fast-flowing waters, where prey is available for just a fleeting instant, and large lakes, where the fish are ‘naive’, a few impressionistic patterns go a long way. My flies have grown simpler over the years, and my catches have, I tend to think, not suffered. These days, at least 80% of my fishing, anywhere, but certainly in Norway, is done with just two patterns, a puff of CDC fibre, originated by Marc Petitjean, of Magic Tools fame (among a lot else), and Frank Sawyer’s killer bug.
Killer bug - the hunt for Chadwick’s 477 That killer bug, for which I have now found a more than decent substitute for the mythical Chadwick’s 477 that was prescribed by Sawyer (even if only because it was the wool that his wife used to mend his socks...), but was quietly changed to a substitute even during Sawyer’s lifetime because Chadwick stopped producing it, has taken many a large grayling from the deep hole, about 50 metres downstream, in the next bend of the river. Not your most glorious style of fishing, deep hole-short line nymphing, but seriously effective. The killer bug is tied with two materials only, heavy copper wire (preferably lackered red transformer wire) and wool. My Chadwick’s substitute is a knitting wool known as Berroco Ultra Alpaca, colour Steel Cut Oats - Berroco Alpaca fine is even better, but no longer made in this colour. It was ‘discovered’ by an amateur historian of fly tying, after a decade-long hunt for satisfactory substitutes, and the internet forum messages that followed his discovery quickly led to a total sell-out of existing stocks.
Tie instructions - The copper wire is wrapped front to back as underbody and used to trap a strand of wool at the rear end of the hook - use any wet fly or grub hook that you fancy, not too small in size. - The wool is then wrapped forward and back again, forming a level, or slightly humpy body, and tied off at the rear end with three half hitches (or a small whip finish) of the copper wire, forming a nice flashy butt. - The copper wire is then snipped, or broken off. For durability, you can put a drop of nail varnish on that copper wire knot. More or less copper wire in the underbody will determine the weight, and sink rate, of the fly. Note that any greyish wool will in fact make a decent killer bug. This fly will take trout and grayling in rivers, but also rudd, roach, and perch in stillwater, and presumably much else as well.
Petitjean Puff (or CDC caddis) The Petitjean CDC puff is almost as simple to tie. It does require a tying thread that can be split with a sharp needle - I prefer Gudebrod 6/0 polyester thread but that is sadly no longer available. Materials are 2-3 good CDC feathers and some dubbing. The CDC feathers are prepared with the Magic Tool - doubled and the rachis (stem) clipped out, so that you are left with only the fibres. - Attach your thread to a dry fly hook and bring it to the rear. - Split the thread with a sharp needle (a sewing machine needle works well) and put a little dubbing of an appropriate colour (I prefer musk rat, natural or dyed) between the strands, then sjut below that insert the CDC fibres held in the clamp. Tighten the tying thread around the dubbing and CDC fibres, release the clamp, and tightly twist the thread, forming a rope of dubbing for the abdomen and a CDC hackle for the rest of the fly. - Wrap this rope/hackle combination forward in touching turns, forming the entire fly, carefully stroking back the CDC fibres after each wrap. -Some experimening will quickly show you just how much (or rather how little) dubbing and CDC are needed to created a balanced fly on the hook of your choice. Once you reach the eye, carefully untwist the remaining thread and make a whip finish. No need for head cement. Ever.
Qualifly Products is owned and operated by Joe Banik. Joe has been involved with fly fishing for over forty years. It seems like he has been tying flies, fishing creeks and trying out equipment all his life. When he is not fishing, Joe works as a manufacturing engineer, does woodworking and spends time with his family. This site is the combination of all things he loves. Quality Joe has been involved in manufacturing of metal machining and finishing and has been an avid woodworker for more than twenty five years. His experience provides a sound basis for his line of products. His demand for quality shows in the products he makes and sells. Innovation The products Joe manufactures were developed out of desire or need and cannot be found anywhere else. He likes to offer both unique and functional products. Joe searches and tests new technology and products before offering to others. His goals are to continue to design and build custom products that appeal to avid fly tying fisherman like him. Value Joe is introducing quality products he believes in, at affordable prices.
Erik Svend Fly fishing: much more than catching fish
Some people I approach ask me why. Why I contact them. They think I only contact “big” names. They forget that the goal of this magazine is to inspire young(er) people. To get them into the great outdoors and pick up a fishing rod. Preferable a fly-fishing rod. This target group doesn’t know a thing about fly-fishing and even less about big names. One of the people who inspired me with just one image was Erik. That we share the same philosophy about what fly-fishing means to us is probably just a coincidence :)
There is something about being thigh deep in a river, trying to maintain balance, all while making sure that on your cast you don’t snag on a tree or branch, at the same time trying to land the fly in the perfect spot to either land a trout that I have seen or one I think should be there.
Erik I went fly fishing for the first time with the father of a girl I was dating in college. He took me up on a river and gave me a few flies and said tie it on, wade out there and start casting. After a few hours of not catching anything and wanting to impress him, I landed a maybe 5” brook trout and it was the coolest experience of my life. ‘Fly fishing makes me feel great. There is a feeling of being surrounded by nature that is unreal. Hiking into a spot on the lake, waiting for the sun creep up over the mountains, casting those first few casts makes it all unreal. A few day’s later I was walking through Costco and they had a rod and reel combo next to some waders. To purchase both it was around a hundred dollars and I figured why not. I went out and bought some flies at a local shop and headed up to the river that was right by my parent’s house. After 3 or 4 unsuccessful trips, I learned that the enjoyment wasn’t by catching fish but rather being out in the beauty of nature and on the river. Catching a Fish is the added bonus to the trip. I always say there is never a bad day fishing, I am still out fishing. Fly tying I started tying a few years ago after getting back into the fly-fishing sport. I decided that instead of reading and studying bugs and the evolution they go through, that a good way to do that would be to start tying flies. Well, it’s almost more addictive than fishing. I started with patterns that I fished and tied them in a few different stages of life and eventually moved on to other patterns. Trying to always tie new patterns or ways different tiers tied them, picking up on different techniques and tips. I love flies that produce lots of fish and only use 3, or even less, different materials: simple yet effective. Some might call them guide flies, but they catch fish. I don’t have a favourite fish to catch. Simply being out fishing is my favourite fish. I fish for trout, bass, carp, or whatever is in the waters where I am at. Even though, there are places I like to visit and fish one day. For instance I’ve never yet fished in salt water. Hopefully one day I’m going to get into the salt, but for now it’s fresh water; and mostly stillwater at that.
THE MOP FLY EXTENDED By Erik Svend
INSTA Erik
SCOTT
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A big hand... André Miegies
The first time I met André was at a fair - one of the notorious ones. And I could not help to be preoccupied by his hands. André is a big fellow, with hands firmly fitting his frame. Watching these enormous hands making delicate flies was quite unbelievable. Fly tier and excellent fisherman Most people know André as a gifted fly tier. He travels the world to demonstrate his tying skills. His patterns for perch are not only a delight to behold, they actually catch fish. Big fish. In addition to perch (a winter passtime), André likes to catch carp on a fly; and of course all kinds of salmonids abroad.
Fly materials Next to tying flies André also makes fly-tying tools. ‘I love nice things. I pay a lot of attention to the quality of my flies and the materials I use to make them. A few years ago I could watch from up-close how someone made his own reels. Another person I know makes their own rods, and my partner in the fly Henk Verhaar makes excellent trout nets ... I wanted that to! After the purchase of a lathe, I went a bit overboard and I made many dubbing needles and other tools. Many of them have since found a new home. Not only in The Netherlands but all over the world, I think that’s the best’! André Miegies
Cast Away FLY FISHING ADVENTURE IS ONLY ONE CAST AWAY
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Cover: Christina Stoneburner