Late May and early June is my favourite time of the year and that’s when the first large salmons usually enter the river. This is hardcore fishing at its best, with cold high water, heavy sinking lines and big flies.There’s not many fish in the river, but they’re big and I know where to search for them.
Story By: Mikael Andersson – Guideline Power Team
I mainly use two fly patterns. (Check out the GL flytying catalogue for more info)
Banana Fly
This is a killer pattern in sunshine and coloured water. The wing shoud have a dirty olive/yellow colour. I dye my ownhair and If the hair is too yellow I add some K. Blue dye to make it more Olive or some Fiery Brown dye for a Brown/Olive tone. I tied some Banana flies last year with samples of the new Half Turbo Cones and I had a couple of hard fights, which I lost.
The Banana Fly (the right fly on photo)
Body: Rear half Lagartun flatbraid copper, front half Salmosupreme Gold or yellow
Underwing: Bright yellow polarbear and sunburst dyed fox
First hackle: Metz softhackle yellow
Middle wing: A few strands of Gliss`nGlow flash dark gold and copper and a little longer sunburstdyed fox
Second hackle: Ringneck dyed sunburst with a oive touch
Last wing: Angelhair rusty olive and sunburst fox
Cheeks: JC
The Usual (Den Vanliga)
This is a classic pattern for Byske river in Sweden. I tie and fish a rather light coloured version with a fat brown/orange wing tied on ½” to 1” copper tubes or the new tungsten tubes. This is a fantastic all round pattern that have accounted for numerous salmons during the years.
The Usual (the left fly on photo)
Body: Lagartun flatbraid Gold and Salmosupreme yellow
Undewing: yellow and Orange fox
Middlewing: Light brown fox
Hackle: Metz soft hackle Blue
Last wing: Softflash rainbow Glissn`Glow Blue and gold. Fox Firebrown
Cheeks: JC dyed orange
When fishing the fast water in the rapids with large rocks and big waves. I prefer heavy flies tied on the new GL Tungsten tubes. These tubes will cut through the current faster than trad. brass or copper tubes. My favourite line for this fishing is the PT F/S5, because I can control the line and the fly better. A full sinking PT line will usually get “stuck” in the waves and back waters behind large rocks. For the pools with a strong and heavy current I prefer PT sinking lines like the S.1/2, S.2/3, S.3/4 and lightweight Turbo Cone flies. The PT Short Cut S.6/7 is another favourite and extended with a 10´ X-Strong XSF Poly leader I will get down fast and deep and I can easily throw a long line even with large Turbo Cones. My favourite rod for this fishing is the Le Cie 15´9 and the QUADRA 1012 reel loaded with plenty of backing, because I usually need it.