In the coming weeks, we here at Nordic Anglers will be releasing a series of brand new films about Danish coastal fishing for sea trout. We have been fishing, filming and gathering knowledge along the Danish coasts over the past few years. This has resulted in three fishing films about fly fishing for sea trout on the coast, where you can learn more about the gear, fishing technique, choosing a location and much more. At the same time, it is spiced up with a lot of beautiful fish.
Tackle for Coastal Fly Fishing
In episode one of three, we're talking about the gear we use for coastal fly fishing. We look at how to best put together your gear so it's perfectly tuned for the purpose.
Rods, reels and lines
When we fish for sea trout in Denmark, we typically use one-handed fly rods in class #5-7, with class 6 being the most commonly used. Both Daniel and Martin swear by the Scott Sector 9'0 #6 , while another good alternative would be the TFO Axiom II x or G.Loomis NRX+, which are also two good options for fantastic coastal rods. These are definitely the best coastal rods in their price range that we have tried. They are great rods that really cast well and far. We also have these as complete fly sets. It's all about finding a fly rod that has an action that suits your temperament. We have a lot of different things in stock and this is only a fraction of what is mentioned in this article. You can see all our fly rods here.
In terms of fly reels, we are honestly quite excited about the Lamson fly reels . They have a solid brake, lightweight design and they are made to withstand salt water and the sometimes harsh conditions that we expose the gear to on the Danish coast. We are very happy with the whole line and can highly recommend the Scientific Anglers Volantis WF lines. These are built as a shooting head with an integrated shooting line. This way you avoid a joint that rattles in the eyes. They are incredibly easy to use and they cast fantastically. These are available in both a floating and intermediate version. Rio Premier Coastal Seatrout is another line that really casts and fishes well. This is available in a very popular version that is "hover" (slow intermediate), i.e. has the same density as water and lies just below the surface. For the lead, we always recommend using a fluorocarbon tip (except if you are fishing for foam beetles - then you should use monofilament). For Danish sea trout fishing on the coast we use 9' foot Photonic leader that ends in 0.33 or 0.28 depending on the tip. As a tip we recommend using the tip in 0.24-0.28. Reels, lines and leaders for coastal fishing.
Choosing flies for coastal sea trout
It is undoubtedly important that you choose the right fly when fishing for sea trout on the coast. Sea trout hunt wildly on the coast and they can be very focused on certain food items at times. Therefore, it is important to have a wide selection of flies. Your fly box must be able to handle many different situations, but it is especially important to have these food items represented in your fly box: Sea lice/Gouty: These are typically smaller food items that you can imitate well with flies such as: Brenda, Copper Bass, Partridge and not least Shrimp flies are some of the most used flies on the Danish coast and there are countless imitations. Here are some of the really poisonous and good shrimp imitations that can be used all year round: Høsteren , Pattegrisen, STF Rejen and Sparegrisen.
Fly fishing on the coast - find the right coastal spots
Part 2 of our small series on coastal fly fishing is about finding and choosing the right coastal spots, watch the video and let Daniel inspire you in choosing spots. Episode two is about how to find, recognize and fish different types of coastal spots. We show a number of specific typical bottom conditions and explain where and how the sea trout will move in these spots.
Hunting for coastal sea trout is undeniably linked to the hunt for the right spot. No coastal spot is always the best - fortunately!
As anglers, we have read far more literature about where the trout should be and when than the trout themselves have. This means that you can get ahead of the fish when choosing a coastal spot.
Therefore, always make sure to have a plan A and C. Where conditions were good yesterday or the day before, it may well be where the sea trout still live. Coastal fishing with a fly rod takes you around many different coastal locations, and that is a bonus that is worth taking with you - we have a beautiful country with many beautiful areas.
Provocation flies: In the cold weather and if you are fishing quickly to find the fish, flies in fiery colors are often just right. We fish a lot with pink flies in particular and here we can mention: The Eternal Flame, The Flame, Pink Hole Demon in addition to these, it is important to have a few slightly larger fish imitations, which like to imitate sandeel in the tackle box. Sandeel imitations have really caught many fish over time. These could be flies like: Janus Sandeel or Jiggy
Brush worms on the coast
At the same time, there may be days when the only thing that works is bristle worms and we always tie these on shanks. These are flies that imitate a bristle worm perfectly. They move really well in the water:
Brenda Børsten and The 2nd Worm are good examples of very vivid bristle worm imitations. We also have a range of these flies as ready-tied flies ready for you here .
Accessories for coastal fly fishing
It is important to have control of your gear when fishing on the coast. As Daniel also mentions in the film, it can be nice to have a good fly box where you keep your coastal flies. The C&F Design 3555 has space for all your flies and is also waterproof, which is good for protecting your flies from rust. A line basket is also a must and the Baskette line basket is the best we have tried and we highly recommend it. A good pair of polaroid sunglasses is also a must and we have a large selection, we like to recommend models with yellow lenses as they can be used all year round. They can also be used when there is not much light. The polaroid glasses help you see through the water because it removes a large part of the glare on the water surface. This gives you a unique opportunity to see if there are followers following the fly and what the bottom conditions are where you are fishing. At the same time, the glasses also protect your eyes if a fly should go astray during a cast. We recommend the model called Smith Guides Choice. In addition, a good line clipper is important, and here Tiemco's ceramic clippers are absolutely perfect and never rust. They are sharp and easy to operate - even on a freezing winter day.
Fishing techniques and tactics
Here we will show and explain different techniques and tactics you can use to catch more fish. We will talk about everything that can help you fish optimally in different conditions and how in practice you can do a number of different things to find and catch more fish on your coastal trips.
Tactics, tactics, tactics - it brings more sea trout to the coast
There's nothing like time in the water. It sounds silly, but the more you fish, the more you'll often catch - per trip.
Being able to follow the schools, or the migrating fish, means that you will continuously run into good fishing. It is difficult to have to start from scratch every time, and you often have to if there are 14 days between trips.
If you fish once or twice a week, you will be much more able to optimize your fishing on an ongoing basis.
