stripping basket fly fishing - Larsmatthiessen's Blog

Gudenåen, 29/1-2012

larsmatthiessen — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:04:43 +0000

Tried for the second time to flyfish for pikes in Gudenåen just below Tange sø at winter time. But as the first time without success. I met four other fly fishers and only one of them had caught two small pikes, so this was not the perfect day for fishing here.

Every ten minutes you had to remove ice from the guides on the rod. But despite the poor result and the cold weather it was a good day as Denmark won the european championship in team handball and in a week I will be in Venezuela fishing for bonefish

Djursland 15/1 2012

larsmatthiessen — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:04:26 +0000

A trip with Thomas, Peter and Niels to Djursland for sea-trout. We started at Kobberhagen where we fished for a couple of hours and the only thing we saw was this curious seal. We stopped when nine more fishermen came to the spot. No one had experienced any luck during the day which I think is typically for a calm, sunny, cold winter day. We then tried an hour in Begtrup Vig with more luck. I got a trout just below the minimum size and Niels got a smaller fish. Here the we fished in a head wind so it soon became too cold. When we drove home we could see ice on the water in the shallow inlets in the inner part of the bay. I definitely prefer to fish in warmer conditions so I look forward to the Los Roques trip in three weeks time

Cape Cod week 43 2011

larsmatthiessen — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:39:53 +0000

Last year a kind Linekurv.dk user from USA wrote that if I ever wanted to fish striped bass on Cape Cod he would be glad to help. As I have wanted to fly fish for stripers for many years I wrote back that I would very much like to try that and so this year Thomas and I went to Cape Cod for a week. Scott (the kind man) told us that we were a bit late but as the flight tickets were bought we would come anyway.

We rented this 4WD Kia which in our world is a quite big car but many times it actually looked small parked next to the standard 4WD here in the States.

The first place we visited together with Scott I got this hook-up….

soon after I cold land this striper on the beach

and present it before the release. I think that Scott was more relieved than we were after this catch because due to the late season he was afraid that we wouldn´t catch anything at all on our trip.

Later there was a small blitz outside Scott and he got this mackerel which was his first ever on a fly rod.

In the evening we also got a couple of very small pollacks which was nice as the stripers feed on those.

Scott and his friends Dick and Bruce really helped us a lot as they both fished with us and gave us tips on where to fish and when to do it. As the tidal difference was up to 12 feet the fishing is very tide depending and therefore local help is crucial. Besides the help they were all very nice people as almost all fellow fly fishers are and they also supplied us with some very nice flies (flat wings) which we now try to duplicate here in Denmark. We fished in very different environments as we fished in estuaries, rivers, sand beaches, sand bars, canals, jetties etc.

One day we came to some sea gulls that dived and we could see that there fish chasing in the shallow water as well. Here Thomas started to hook this fish.

Which he also landed. As you can see the fish are nice but not that big, they are what the locals call schoolies but still good fun especially when you’re on your first trip for stripers.

The action was pretty intense and several times we were both hooked up simultaneously.

Here I got the biggest fish on our trip a fish around the 26 inches mark but it has to be 28 inches to be a keeper.

We fished early in the mornings and during the day and late in the evening. Due to the tide many times each trip was only a few hours but this gives a lot of variations.

This morning Scott got a schoolie as well.

I can´t remember the name of these ancient creatures but you found them on all beaches.

On one of the trips I got two bluefish. They were not big ones but I was surprised that they did not bite the line as I have heard that they normally do that when you do not fish with a wire leader. Thomas lost one due to this.

If you wade out at low tide you shall remember to come back in time. This time we were a bit late and Scott had to swim while Thomas and I just made it with only a bit of water in our waders.

When you are on a fishing holiday you fish in weather that no normal person would leave the house in. we did that one evening with heavy rain and more or less a storm. This is one of the fish we got that evening and we thought that we really deserved those fish.

At the hotel we every night had a beer with the fly tying and the talk of the day to come and we tried different american micro brewed stuff. Some were quite disappointing but these two which Thomas grabbed because of their fish motives were actually very much to be recommended. Later we checked on ratebeer.com and found that we were not the only ones that found them very good.

Despite the fog in Frankfurt that delayed us 24 hours and the storm that prevented us from going in kayaks and that we never got a keeper we had a terrific trip. We got fish on every trip we made except one morning trip when two duck hunters had taken our hot spot and some times we got more than just one or two (up to 8 fish). We met some new fishing friends and tried some interesting fishing and had a wonderful dinner at Scott and Grace´s place so as the Terminator says: ” I will be back”.

Tange Sø 13/11 2011

larsmatthiessen — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 19:19:42 +0000

A 3 hour trip to Tange Sø fishing for pike on my own. Almost no wind and sunny when I started it was a nice trip. But as clouds came it really got cold. The water is contrary to earlier years very clear but there was not much action.

After a couple of hours fishing a pike took the fly.

this 3 pound pike was all for me today but nice afternoon at the lake despite tho cold weather

Mariager Fjord 14/10 2011

larsmatthiessen — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 09:27:12 +0000

Due to a bad casting arm I had not been out for some time, but when Michael asked if I would join him on an afternoon trip and the weather was beautiful I did not hesitate. My casting was still severely hampered but I could fish though my arm tiered quickly and I had to rest it on a regular basis. We went to Mariager and we had a nice afternoon. Often you see many fish in Mariager but this day it took quite some time to see fish but that is OK if you catch them.

Michael started with a small blank trout and that was his destiny of the day as he ended up with five trouts but all were too small.

After 30 minutes I got this 50 cm trout, It was well conditioned but coloured so it was released like all the fish today. Apparently we were not in the killing mode.

After a break I spotted some activity a new place, moved there and after three casts I got this +50 cm trout that gave a very good fight before its release. I could only be pleased with three nice trouts on a sunny, cold afternoon despite my casting problems.

Just before the sun set there was no wind and you can see why Mariager Fjord is called the mots beautiful fjord in Denmark

Michael Hedensted with a +60 cm sea trout from Fyn

larsmatthiessen — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 09:26:34 +0000

Udbyhøj 24/9 2011

larsmatthiessen — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 12:16:49 +0000

Back in Udbyhøj alone in the pontoon boat. Due to a severe twist of my neck Tuesday evening I have had problems with my right arm both with controlling the muscles and with the strength. So I was afraid that it would harm my flycasting and it definitely did. I could cast but only with difficulty and not far. That is very depressing and I hope that my arm will improve especially when I in 4 weeks head for Cape cod fishing for stripers.

Despite the casting problems I managed to catch 10 trouts this day but only one was big enough to keep.

It was a 44 cm trout in the fall suit.

A couple of times a seal followed me. This is not good for the fishing but a nice experience. In the shallow water many mullets showed but as all my mullet fly had been exposed to salt water the hooks broke easily so I have to tie some new ones.

Udbyhøj 10/9 2011

larsmatthiessen — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 20:16:25 +0000

A pontoon boat trip at Udbyhøj with Søren and Claus. We started out at 9 AM with a heavy outgoing current, and this current continued until we stopped around 3 PM. The current made it quite difficult to fish as we drawn far away very quickly. We were fortunate that Claus had brought his outboard engine so he could pull us back at times. We also tried to anchor but the anchor could not hold us. The weather turned out fine and we saw both seals and porpoises and some jumping fish as well. I caught two trouts but they needed an extra inch to be big enough to keep. Søren also got two small trouts and a small garfish. But it was nice to be on the water again after a long break without a flyrod in the hand.

Søren Nielsen with nice perch from Randers

larsmatthiessen — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:41:12 +0000

Skagen, 3/8 2011

larsmatthiessen — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:26:38 +0000

Wind from east for some days made the North Sea calm so a trip for sea bass was possible. I was on my own which can be a bit dull but the weather was nice and this was my first and maybe only trip for sea bass this year. I started really bad with sand in the valves to the pontoons which made it impossible to put the correct amount og air into the pontoons and then I also have to deal with this when I return home. furthermore I brought the wrong reel so I started up with #4 floating line on a #6 rod – not a nice combination. Then I had a spare spool with a 150 grain sinking line but the spare spool was for another reel so I had to change the lines on the reel and the spare spool but in the end I could fish.

After ½ hour I hooked this bass so I was very pleased as the mission wa accomplished even if it was a smaller fish.

Later I got two mackerels, both good-sized, so despite the long journey I was content. I also lost a garfish but despite the calm sea I did not se any surface action at all.