Samsö September 2015

[Bucho]

Took a little time out and went for a 1 week guided fly fishing trip to the danish island of Samsö. While I haven´t been fly fishing at all lately, Bernd from First Cast is a hard core fly angler, 8 hour trips casting into onshore wind etc. what ever it takes to get that herring-fed seatrout. Consequently, I also brought a kayak and some jigs to have some variety and take the edge of.



After some undersized trout and a weaver, I got that elusive +20" trout. Standing next to the guide gets you the best pics



Evenings in the cottage saw intensive tying :cheers:



- and smoking :food:


Third day was jigging time. Baltic/atlantic mackerel of this size is great sport and much sought after by fly- and light tackle anglers. This one went for a finger long 1/4 tin finn racoon boolie. Fought like a trout twice its size.


One of the guys was a very insecure, absolute beginner on the fly and brought very high-end spin tackle as back up. I borrowed it for just one cast but didn´t help him much with his self esteem issues I´m afraid...


Fifth day I took my kayak for a spin. Took a little time to get accustomed with the waters there. They are pested with weavers, small aggressive bottom dwellers that are said to be the most venemous fish on the continent. Any lure that came closer than 6`to the bottom was plugged with one of these little buggers.



Pretty much every small lure was plugged with small fish. Even tins got me sandeels and weavers that followed the jig up for more than 60`.


The olny large jigs I had were a 11gr sandeel slip jig that I trolled behind a jet diver. Got me a decent mackerel


Got another, better fish on a 1oz (24gr with tin) buzz-bomb knockoff that I fitted with an insert and assist hooks.

 

[hookup]

schweet

Type of fishing I have never done.

So you said i took a little time to get accustomed with the waters in a kayak. You in a river? Or swells from waves? Noticed you got a Hobie - nice yak - bit, stable, so I'm thinking the waters were big (compares to small rivers I'm in).

Thx for sharing.

 

[Bucho]

Sorry for not making myself clear, I meant the fish(ing) rather than the water. I´m well acquainted to the baltic sea but not used to such a nusience of small fish. I had to check my trolling lures every 10 minutes for all kind of gars, sandeels, weavers and so sticking on my hooktip without triggering the release. Should have brought more big baits.

 

[Fatman]

Looks like great fishing even if some of them were small.

 

[HairyMooseKnuckles]

I'm going to research that weaver fish. I've never heard of that thing

 

[Bucho]

Sorry for my spelling, it´s weever

 

[hookup]

Do you eat those mackerel?

I use to catch them all the time in CA - as you called the weevers, nuisance fish. Meat was blood red & oily. Some said they were good smoked, but I never liked them any way there were cooked.

Luv'd the aerial shot.

 

[Bucho]

Smoked mackerel is one of the very, very few fish that I go buy from a shop, and directly from the hot smoke they are even better. Key is freshness, I never even freeze them. I hardly ever catch them though. Large offshore schools are one thing, but small flocks of good sized fish in shallow baltic waters is a different ballgame. I would probably think differently about them if they were more abundent in my home waters.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Great pics, Bucho! Those salty trout look very similar to sweet water versions, unlike the USA seatrout.

x2 on macks being one of he few fish I bought, in Hawaii. An Asian specialty brined & grilled, haven't seen em here in the Heartland.

Any large predators that feed on the macks?

 

[Bucho]

We´ve had porpoise in fly-casting range several times. One guy (from the heartland) got so nervous about them that he left the water No fish though, sandeel- and herring-feeding seatrout are pretty much the apex. There used to be a bluefin fishery in nearby Oeresund back in the 50ties but those times are over.

 

[creekychub]

Sweet report. Mackerel are some of the coolest looking fish, those and the false albacore (bonita) on the Atlantic Coast. They're on my bucket list for sure!