By Kalle Grahn
Fishermen please make yourselves ready… Winter has turned into the promise of a new season, full of hope, longing for long lost fishing buddies, life by the river and a throbbing fishing fever. When it all starts, you’re going to be left on the starting line or right in the middle of what we all been waiting for, for so long. Are you prepared? You have a couple of weeks to sort out reels, lines, tidy up the fly boxes and find out what needs to be fixed, bought or replaced.
You might expect some difficulties. Last autumn you probably finished off in low water conditions with water up to your ankles, with a light rod and line in your hands. Now it’s time to bring on the heavy artillery once again. Slippery muddy riverbanks with overhanging trees and bush or deep wading in cold heavy water, weighty lines and back breaking rod handling. At least in the northern rivers of Sweden you have no choice, just dig in.
It’s about mental and technical preparation. The technical aspect is about sorting out and reorganizing your gear for spring conditions. Find some open water, wade as deep as you see fit for your river. Two short training sessions will get you up in the saddle again. A well spent hour at home will make a difference out there on the starting line, in a couple of weeks. The mental aspect will probably not be an issue – pure motivation will deal with that problem.
Plenty of snow in the mountains in northern Sweden give the indication of plenty of water in the rivers this year, at least in the very north. Hope is up for a nice woodland thaw bringing on some seatrout fishing and then a good long snow melt in the mountains right at the time when the salmon are pushing towards the river mouths.
The stage is set, at least in theory, for some cold- and high-water fishing with the heavy rods and sink lines. Be prepared right from the very start to go deep and fish the big flies slow. But the ability to change tactics according to condition is the quality seal of a true fly fisherman.
As water levels drop and temperature rise the speed of the fly must go up and the size of the fly go down. Simple in theory – hard in practice, as you tend to stick to the same strategies as the people around you and continue with the tactics that actually worked the previous day. Making the change from sink lines all the way to a floating line is a way to tough decision and this approach will make you lose days of valuable fishing and limit your success rate.
This is the whole idea behind Guidelines efforts to make the very best Multi tip bodies – to bridge the gap and fish effectively during this time of transition.
The 4D and the 4D Distance come in density’s from S3 to F. Combining a sink body and a floating version in the same weight with a selection of 4D tips will give you the toolbox to fish the whole water column and speed up.
Our eco vision is Clean all the way, which means the least environmental impact possible. These fly lines have a polyurethane coating instead of PVC that bleeds harmful plasticizers (phthalates) into the water. Our boxes are made from recycled paper and we have removed all plastic spools from the packaging. We can offer you the “cleanest” and most eco-friendly fly lines on the market.
For this season we have among others two new products that we can recommend for the start of the season. The Experience DW Vest, DW for deep wading. A carrying system for deeper wading and for the fisherman who prefer the least amount of interference with casting from protruding pockets or big heavy vests. Our new Alta 2.0 wading boots come with a Vibram sole for best traction on those slippery muddy riverbanks or with a traditional felt sole to suit the conditions in your river.
Preseason checklist
Waders and jackets
Try to remember – were you dry last time you had them on? Bushwhacking through that thorn-shrub… Leakages and small holes can be easily fixed with Aquasure or Tear-aid. For best possible performance clean and re-impregnate your wader and jacket with Revivex products.
Shoes
Check your soles! This time of the year you should invest in the best possible grip, not in summer. Preventing a swim in ice cold water will prove it’s worth. Korkers have interchangeable soles, felt, rubber, studs or aluminum bars the choice is yours.
Lines
Check knots on backing, shooting lines, shooting heads and connecting loops. Tie new knots and reinforce with Zap-a-gap.
Rods & reels
Check cork, reel seat, guides and the fitting. Does everything work as it is supposed to? Guideline has an excellent Service center if you need new rod parts or service of your reel.
Nine months of suffering has come to an end. Always be prepared – scout’s honour!
By Kalle Grahn