Cutthroat Kutling:
Seatrout on Streamers There are plenty of prey items along the coastal shores and – not least – plenty of flies that imitate them effectively. At certain times of the year, gobius are among the most prevalent prey items – and, at the same time, one of the seatrout’s most favoured. Here’s a simple but proven neo-classic pattern that imitates the gobius excellently. Rasmus Ovesen
The ice-cold gasp of winter has shrouded the many tree-clad hills, fields, and meadows along my local fjord in an ghostly-white glow. It’s barely light out, but I’ve already entered the cold, brackish water. Each breath I take condenses in front of my eyes like thick tobacco smoke and blends effortlessly with the morning mist. My otherwise lively fingers are already starting to suffer under the near freezing temperatures, but it hardly registers with me. Deeply concentrated, I am covering the edges along a neatly delimited, lush-green – almost blanket-like patch of weeds. A multitude of small prey items such as Gammarus, Idoteidae, sticklebacks, and not least countless sand-
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FLYFISH EUROPE - SPRING 2020
colored gobius are whirling around and darting out of my way, frantically seeking refuge inside the protective sponge-like wall of thread weeds. “There’s got to be fish around here”, I think to myself mechanically and proceed to place another careful cast across the dead-calm surface film. With discrete stubbornness, the sun has slowly burned a hole in the morning mist, and I now find myself bathed in a pale, intrusive light. Then, suddenly, the line comes tight, the fly rod bends elegantly, and electrifying pulses emanate through the line. Shortly after, the first seatrout of the day thrashes around at the bottom of my knotless landing net; a lightly coloured 50-centimetre fish in great condition.
