White

I had the basics under control. Night time fishing is the most effective and just use more or less any big fly as long as it’s black. As big as you can cast it and preferably it should fish right under or on the surface and be designed so it pushes as much water as possible. Still within the confined of being able to cast it effectively and precisely.

Sea trout move in the night, which is why night time fishing can be so effective. When they’re on the move they tend to be more willing to take a fly, but I think it’s mainly a matter of more fish seeing the fly. They hide during the day, so if you know where they are, you can present a fly to them without walking miles a long the river, presenting a fly in every single lie. Every single cast with a ride of either moving the fish or spooking it, so it never takes the fly.

Personally I like fishing a high river, tinted and preferable fallling. Tinted or coloured water makes the fish much less shy and I think they also move, because the feel safe, not being as visible. Contrary to what I learned before, an intermediate line or a slow sinker is a really good choice. First of all they fish tend to hug the banks in high water and will continue to do so until the water has either cleared up for fallen. Both of which usually occur simultaneously.

Combined with bright, sunny weather those are my favourite conditions. Tinted water makes everything grey, once it’s out of light’s reach. So fishing the flies a little higher, where the light still reaches them, colour comes into play. And flash.

There’s a local fly from my childhood stream called Orange June. June for when the sea trout start moving into the rivers and Orange from, well, the colour. I can’t remember the exact pattern, which doesn’t matter anyway, but I believe orange does. A more or less completely orange fly with a gold body. Fishing that on a intermediate line, close to the banks and no deeper that the light still makes it clearly visible as orange can work well. In this case, own bank is obviously best as you can retrieve along the bank, keeping it in the zone for much longer, Don’t cast far, though. Even if it leaves to opposite bank fast, don’t skip it. A few up stream mends can keep it there for a little while and every once in a while…

And then white - I love white in the same conditions. Wiith flash and a bright coloured hackle. Koch’s Ghost is my favourite fly and born with an orange hackle. I’ve recently begun tying them with a fluorescent yellow hackle and that seems to work as good, if not better. In the early season my friend likes them with a blue hackle. I caught my personal best river sea trout on a size 8 Koch’s Ghost. 12-14 pounds in a 1,5 meter wide river.

All in all quite different from conventional advice. High(er) up in the water and what would otherwise seem as inconspicuous, small flies. Try it.

Have a great weekend!

Lars

PoD: The Koch’s Ghost with a yellow hackle. The yellow flash strands are a new additions.