Mayflies

Mayflies are a type of dry fly that hatch abundantly from May to August and they live in both lakes and streams. As with other types of insects, they look different depending on the species and the type of stage they are in.

A characteristic feature of an adult mayfly is the wings that point straight up.

For the fish, this form of mayfly is therefore an easy food to catch and during abundant hatches, trout, among others, tend to become selective, which means that they only eat these easy prey.

The final stage is called the “excited spinner” and you can recognize this in the mayflies as they fall to the surface of the water with their wings outstretched in opposite directions. If the fish are making calm and controlled wakes, you can be sure that this is the 'excited stage'. This is because the flies are dying (if they are not already dead) and therefore become a very easy target for the fish. The opposite is a strong wake where the newly hatched fly tries to leave the water as quickly as possible, causing the fish to chase the dragonfly more actively.

Try to match color, size and species with what you see when you are out fishing.

This applies to all types of flies! One tip is to sit down by the water and check what insects are present before you start fishing!

Also remember that the fish follow the hatches, starting the day with nymphs and ending with full-grown insects towards the evening.

A so-called “Klinkhammer” or parachute fly. A terribly effective imitation that works well for almost the entire season and can imitate both hatching and egg-laying insects,

including mayflies!

Here we have a so-called “Streaking caddis” that imitates one of our caddis flies. A stable fly that floats well and often delivers.

Caddis flies

Caddies flies often hatch during the evenings and nights (depending on the season) and they are present throughout the season but are probably most abundant from June to August. Unlike the mayfly, which has its wings straight up, the moth has its wings straight back.

The winged adult moths are called "Imago" in Latin and hatching is often prolonged but usually occurs in late summer and fall. Although over 200 species of moths have been found in Sweden, a handful of flies that imitate the adult moths in your fly box is enough. Vary a few sizes and colors and you can easily meet most hatches.

As with abundant hatches of large mayflies, it is often the case that the largest flies attract larger fish to the surface.

Stone flies

In many rivers and streams, dragonflies are an important food source for fish, living exclusively in streams and being one of the few insects that hatch all year round. This means that an imitation nymph can work well, even if no dragonflies hatch.

The nymphs of the stone flies are similar to mayflies but have two shorter and larger tails instead of three. Using imitations of damselfly nymphs is often very effective when you want to search a body of water.

As an adult dragonfly they resemble the moth, they have their wings straight back

Streamers

Streamers are a type of fly that can mimic a fish. This type of fly can be used to advantage when you want to try to catch the slightly larger fish that like to eat small fish, or if you don't see any fish at the surface. The fish eat mostly below the surface, so it is often worth fishing with nymphs or streamers that do not float like a dry fly.

Streamers are often quite large, and in the mountains they are often fished with class 6-7 rods. That said, you can also fish streamers with a class 5 rod, but don't choose the most floating flies and be aware that it is usually not the most optimal.

Many class 5 rods are soft and sensitive so that you can get good dry fly fishing with the slightly smaller flies. Rods in class 6-7 are often stiff to be matched with heavier flies and bigger fish. Just as for nymphs, there are with or without thinning. A good all-round streamer that we sell in the store is woolly bugger as shown above in the picture.

Realistic imitation of a stone fly.

Floats like a cork as the body is made of foam.

Typical version of the versatile streamer “Woolly bugger”
with which you can fish for virtually any species in our waters.

Hare's ear nymph withed a weighted gold skull.

Nymphs

Imitations of nymphs (the larval stage of dragonflies) are often much more effective than dry flies and hatchlings because the fish feed mainly below the water surface.

One nymph that is very versatile is the 'hare's ear' as you can see in the picture.

It is available with a gold, brass or lead (weighted) skull, which allows you to fish close to the bottom when it sinks, or without a skull if you want to fish lower up at the surface.

Other insect imitations

Terrestrial insects are something you can fish with throughout the season! They can be wasps, ants, cranes, spiders, etc.

This type of fly is most successful in the fall, but don't be afraid to try casting a small imitation ant. This type of fly is best suited to ponds and lakes.

Midge imitations

Midges are found in lakes and slow streams. They hatch late in the season and are an important food source for fish in our region. If fishing is slow, small midges can be the solution! When hatches are really abundant and intense, fish often become selective and this is a fishery that requires patience.

In addition to feather mosquitoes, you can try other mosquito and midge imitations.

Imitations of wasps can be a nice choice during the end of summer and into fall.

Imitation of a small dark midge.

For all-round fishing in the mountains, we almost always use a class 5 fly rod that is 9 feet long! Fly rods are divided into different classes where a higher number indicates a stiffer and more powerful rod while a lower number indicates a softer and more sensitive rod.

If you're going to fish for noble fish in the mountains, you need a rod that can cast both small and large flies. In addition, you want a rod that can drill a larger fish. Then the #5 is perfect. With it you can fish everything from streamers to small dry flies.

Do you fish quite often with streamers or want a rod that is a little stiffer to cope with wind better? Then choose a #6 or even 7#.

If you do not want to fish so much with dry flies or prefer streamer fishing, you should choose a #7-8.This class is also preferable if you are going to fish for pike in the mountains.

When we fly fish, we use different rods for different types of fishing! If you have big flies, you can't choose the smallest size because it will break off.

If you have small flies, you can't choose the largest size because the fly won't settle well on the water.

With a 0.18mm leader you can be quite versatile in your fishing. That thickness doesn't work best for the biggest or smallest flies, but it's a good compromise if you can't be bothered to change your leader very often.

In the shop we sell different types of rods, both sinking and floating.

Welcome in and we will help you with what works best for your fishing!