Summer - low water - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3.
Part 3.
The third and final part of this article will focus on the choice of flies for fishing low ater summer river conditions. It is not always easy to choose the right fly, and often the fly will be blamed for a lack of fish, and often this blame is misplaced. In these conditions we often see salmon jumping, but it will rarely touch a fly. If we change flies several times during the evening but continue to fish in the same fashion we will not be able to fool the salmon. I try to keep an eye on the insect life on the river so that I will change how I fish the different flies. I suspect that many salmon fishers doesn’t have enough respect for the relationship between insect life and its effect on the salmon throughout the summer. The reasoning behind this, I believe, is because we have grown up hearing that salmon does not eat when in the river, thus we become too “urban” in our behaviour on the river regardless of the conditions. We’ll move in the same way as we do when the river is high, this is wrong. During these significant changes in water levels and conditions, the salmon will have changed its behaviour several times, which points to the topic of this article; we also have to change our behaviour. We know that salmon will take a fly due to aggression, it has a behaviour triggering this as a defence mechanism. Additionally, we can trigger instincts from when the salmon was a parr and eating insects, this last point we don’t really consider that often. We actually have good chances of catching salmon during “difficult conditions” as we can trigger different instincts with the salmon. This is why the contents of the fly box must be expanded with a selection of dry flies and nymphs. I have fished the River Gaula when the river has been very low, and I have caught salmon when the river has been as low as 3 m3, then the river looked like a small mountain creek. Such conditions make salmon fishing a big challenge, you have to think about everything! The most important thin is perhaps how you move along the river, and then how you fish the fly.

The fly tying.
In today’s modern fly tying world it is all too easy to be misguided by the jungle of tying materials, theories and “fly tying art”. Fly tying is great fun, it is a great experience to be able to tie your own flies and then catch fish on them. Fly tying during winter keeps the dream of the summer to come alive, and of all the big fish we’re going to catch. But I know that many fly tiers wonder whether their flies are good or pretty enough to catch fish. We see pictures of beautiful classic salmon flies or of the latest modern tube flies tied by well-known fly tiers, at this level the flies are like artworks. Most people think they will never be able to tie flies like looking that, and as such they loose faith in their own flies. But this is not really the way things work, the salmon does not care about how perfect or beautiful the flies are tied, how you fish the fly and when is more important. Fly tiers able to tie those “perfect” flies regards this as a “hobby within the hobby”, they are perfectionists. Many join fly tying contests and spend a lot of time becoming as skilled as possible. I have great respect for this. The same goes for the top fly casters too. We all owe these great fishermen a great deal, they lead the way and we follow. When you tie a fly you think is really great the chances of you catching a fish on it are high. The flies you like you will use often and as such you will catch more fish on them.

Standard salmon flies.
Standard salmon flies belong to the category of wet flies, flies tied with a wing. These are the type of flies that are most widely used for salmon fishing, but thinking about it this has nothing to do with the insect life in the river. The closest thing we can say that they imitate is small fish, and we catch salmon on these flies as we provoke the bite reflex in terms of their defensive instincts. These flies will always be good flies, as we can easily tie them in such a way so that salmon will always be able to see them, regardless of river conditions. We use the size and the colours to provoke the salmon into taking them during different conditions. There are established colour theories which we have used in our fly tying for years, and which we still use a it works very well.

Modern dry flies.
Now when we are in this group of flies we’re getting close to the “dinner plate” of the salmon. I’m not saying that salmon eat while in the river out of necessity, but I have repeatedly seen salmon in all sizes eat insects drifting in the current. Riffling Hitch tied as a tube fly and Bombers are flies suitable to this category. I dare to classify these flies as dry flies, as they are fished on top of the surface so the salmon comes up to the surface to grab them. These two flies are great fish catchers, and they both have a separate story, but they are triggering the salmon in the same way. I use these flies as such: in currents that are too slow for the Riffling Hitch to create the bow-wave I use a Bombers. I often finish a round of fishing by smashing the Bomber onto the surface, I do this in currents where I know that several salmon are gathered. When I cast the fly straight at the target, I’ll stop the fly line with my fingers so that I smash the fly on top of the salmon. This is an exciting technique, and often triggers takes on slow days. The Riffling Hitch tied as a tube fly is the fly with which I have caught the most salmon on in modern times. The three first seasons I caught 50 salmon using these flies, including several large salmon. Jan Idar Løndal first showed me these flies, he had been to Iceland trying out the technique there, and he could not wait to give it a go on the rivers of Trøndelag. It turned out to be a real killer. This is not something new in terms of fly fishing, actually the Riffling Hitch is very old. History tells us that this technique was used as early as when the English lords ruled Norwegian salmon fishing, and at that time using a traditional salmon fly tied on a single hook. These flies had the gut eyes, and when this was worn down the lords gave these flies to the local ghillies, and in order to use these flies the knot was tied in at the side of the flies’ head. What happened then was that the fly moved sideways in the current, creating that bow wave that salmon find so annoying. Riffling Hitch is actually the name of the knot, not the fly. Today this technique is adapted for tube fly fishing, by making a hole on the side of the tube, close to the head. The leader is put through this hole rather than the normal way. This ensures that the tube fly moves sideways in the current and creates this riffling bow wave. The theory as to why salmon will take this fly is that it will see this wave as threatening as it is standing at its spot orienting through its river “window”. When the bow wave arrives and disturbes the surface the salmon just has to get rid of it. This technique works best on resting salmon.

Streamers.
Muddler Minnow is an extremely exciting fly that can be fished in different ways. Originally this is a baitfish imitation, thus it is called a streamer, but I have often caught salmon on it when fishing it on the surface. Using a floating line and fluorocarbon leaders this fly is easily fished in the surface film, and on low summer rivers this is extremely effective. But also fished with a sinking line this is an exciting fly pattern, I naturally recommend a floating/sink 3 line for this. A deep pool holding several salmon and a Muddler fished using a floating/sink 3 line might just be too exhilarating for some people.

Traditional caddis patterns.
The advantage of having Bjørnar Skjevdal only a phone call away is massive, I wanted to name this section of the article “classic dry flies” but was recommended to reconsider that name. And there you go, I have said it before and I’l say it again, I know nothing about entomology so I judged these flies to be dry flies as they create a “V” on the water and salmon will come up to take them. But although I don’t possess much knowledge about insects it does not stop me from fishing with these flies. I know that salmon often eat insects from the surface, and that is why these flies sometimes are the best things to use. I have a feeling that several instincts of the salmon are provoked when such a fly comes striping through the safe river surface covering the salmon. I have also had several exciting moments on the river when the current almost has disappeared due to low river levels where I have actually placed such a fly in the wakes of a rise and then pulled the fly towards the shore. The first three flies mentioned above I will use in both areas with and without much current. These can be fished either dead drift or waking, and I often combine these. I’ll place the fly two meters upstream of the salmon and let if drift with the current, for then to hand twist the fly when it passes the salmon. Man, just felt that the three months remaining until season opening now became even longer! The Goddard Caddis moves due to its antennas in a very exciting way, both dead drifted and hand twisted. The Rakkelhanen does not have the same ability to create that wake, this is a fly that will dive and then resurface when using the hand twist. I’ll never forget the first time a salmon chased this fly, it was extremely exciting. I also fish the Rakkelhanen by throwing it in the rise, fishing it very slowly, sometimes combined with a fluorocarbon leader. I prefer this fly for the slower currents.

Salmon nymphs.
This category is not really “official”, there is no such thing in nature. Almost 10 years have passed since I caught my first salmon on such a nymph. I am a fan of simple ideas and my range of salmon nymphs supports this notion. This range of flies is a part of “the opposite theory”. I wanted to use flies that the salmon had never seen before. The basis for these flies was that I wanted to tie some nymph-looking flies containing the main colours of my favourite patterns. So these are not imitations of certain hatches, but nonetheless it was a hit straight away. Now I could use flies that were smaller and with totally different movements than normal wet flies that are mostly used. I fish these flies at all depths, but enjoy using a floating/sink 3 lien with these nymphs. See tying instructions under the “Dry flies/ nymphs” menu. You just have to try the Red Butt nymph a late summer evening, or the Gaula nymph early in the afternoon.

The Hørgård nymph.
Dette var fluer vi fisket mye med i 70 og 80 åra, etter hvert ble de borte, men i dag er de i handelen igjen. Ta kontakt med Jan Sakshaug på Sakshaug Sport, han kan hjelpe deg med disse. Tidligere var dette knallbra fiskefangere, som med sitt naturtro utseende var mange fiskeres favorittflue. Jeg kom over disse på nytt for fire år siden, dette var i slutten av juli. Jeg dro rett opp i elva, med klokketro på at jeg ville ta en laks denne kvelden. Elva var liten og varm, så jeg søkte til et område hvor nederste del av valdet endte i en stor høl. Inngangen til denne var en fin fluestrøm, jeg satt og ventet til skumringsøkta kom, og allerede på første økta tok jeg en fin seks kilos laks denne nymfa, som jeg da fisket i overflata. Det var en fin opplevelse å ta en laks på ei slik flue så mange år etterpå. Men om du har nerver til det, prøv denne nymfa gjerne på dagtid også med Power Taper flyt/synk 3 snøret.

This is a fly we used a lot during the 70’s and 80’s, and after a while it disappeared, but today it is back in the shops again. Contact Jan Sakshaug at Sakshaug Sport, he will help you acquire these flies. Earlier these were great fish catchers, and with its realistic looks it was a favourite for many fishermen. I rediscovered this fly around 4 years ago, in late July. I went straight up to the river, and I really felt I would catch something that night. The river was low and warm, so I went to the lower part of the beat where there was a large pool. Entering this was a nice “fly current”, I waited to dusk and already at the first go I caught a nice salmon of around 6 kilos on this nymph, fished in the surface. It was great to catch a salmon on this fly after so many years. But if you have nerves of steel, try this nymph during the day using the Power Taper floating/sink 3 line.

Link to video clip of “rising salmon” (13 mb).