Fly Fishing

Marcel_Karssies · Location: Enschede - The Netherlands

I went on another fishing trip past Saturday to Germany.
The weather was perfect, bright clear skies and an easterly
breeze made it very comfortable at the waters front.
Before we started to fish we went on a visit to the hatchery
to see how the trout where doing in the rearing ponds.
As usual our visit took longer than planned because of interesting
conversations with the locals.

Leaves on the water.

Fall had started in earnest, leaves where falling as where the fruits from the trees.
Every time something fell in the water we thought it might be a rising trout.
Most of the fish species in the river where shiners that lacked the agressive
feeding of the trout. These other fish species where always hesitant to take flies.
With the strike indicator I could clearly follow every nibble of shiners.
My first catch of the day was a tiny gudgeon that had managed to inhale the nymph.

Not exactly a monster, gudgeon.

I waded upstream in the shallow river and probed every undercut bank, deadfall or
deeper pool I could find.
I had just fished one of the depressions in the river bed when a trout
came chasing after the nymph.
I was just about to re-cast but reacted quickly enough to hook the trout.
After a short fight a beautifully colored brown trout came to the net.
This surely had to be one of the new stock fish since the coloration of the
old batch was usually dull gray lacking any red spots.

Brown trout.

As I moved on I saw a trout rise but the fish was located in an unreachable position.
If I would cast to the fish I would surely end up snagging one the tree branches where the trout was hiding out.
I left the fish alone and came to a deeper part of the river where I could fish relatively easy.
At this stretch I managed only one little roach.

Little roach on the pheasant tail nymph.

It was time to visit another part of the river further upstream.
As I climbed on the bank I came along one of the many mushrooms which where popping up in the forest.
There where many mushrooms this year, probably due to the very wet summer.

Mushroom, probably poisonous.

Further upstream we explored the last places of the river where we had not fished yet.
After weeks of high water the river was at its usual low level with many of the banks
left exposed.
To my surprise I saw two beautifully colored blue kingfishers on one of these banks.
These birds seem to know when I do not had a telelens on me, they always managed
to elude the camera.

Fish where cautious now in the skinny water.
All I could manage was one more little gudgeon.
It did not matter though that the catches where not what we had hoped for.
Fishing was more to us than just catching fish, being in the outdoors among friends
having a good time was just as important.

jeremy · Location: Portland, Maine

hey marcel - nice loooking brown trout and great photos ==== what kind of the reel is that with the diamon plate on it? is there a purpose for the diamond plate - or is it just a cool asthetic effect? thanks. where are you going fly fishing next?

Marcel_Karssies · Location: Enschede - The Netherlands

Well, the reel is an ATH Rio Orbigo.
ATH stands for Ari 't Hart who is sort of an honory member of our
Dutch flyfishingclub and toolmaker by trade.
He is retired now but used to make lots of special flyreels.
One of is reels is displayed in New York's museum of modern art.
His last work was designing the Hardy Angel reels.

Current fishing trips are limited to our usual German river.
There was talk of a long weekend fishing for searun browns in the Baltic Sea but I do not see it happen.

So the next big adventure will be Naples.
Maybe I get a chance to catch some little Blues if they show up this ctober.
Your video was very inspiring. Smile

I hope to catch up with Marshall and Diamond Dave to do some fishing down in Florida.

My first ever Bluefish caught in the deep south (Naples FL)

jeremy · Location: Portland, Maine

that's cool. thanks for the reply...i like that reel - especially since it is unique to you.

yeah..i get the chance to tangle with the blue fish down in naples too. the ones i have found seem to be mixed in with the jacks and they tend to run a little smaller - but they fight great. funny too...the guys down in florida kind of disregard the jacks and bluefish...i love to fly fish for those. they rip!

Marcel_Karssies · Location: Enschede - The Netherlands

Exactly where I found the Bluefish, between the Jacks.
I had seen huge Jacks at the end of Naples pier and witnessed
their attacks when they ran along the pilings to the shallows.
Every morning I was at daybreak at the base of the pier to fish the pilings before all the baitchuckers and bathers came.

I was fishing with crease flies and poppers when I saw a few fish crashing on top. I launched the fly towards the pilings and suddenly one of these mystery fish took the fly. It was not a subtle take, first I thought it was a Jack but when the fish went airborne I knew it was a Bluefish.
These fish where bad for the flies, they totally destroyed them.
Missed the fish last year, hopefully they will return in October.

Jacks at the pier.

I appreciate Jacks very much, I do not care if spoiled people call them trash fish. They are strong, agressive and tough fighters.
I love to catch those.