Skagit cast with OPST Commando & Echo Glass Spey

A simple Snap T using OPST Commando 475gr and Echo Glass Spey 12,9" #7.

A great set up that are easy to cast with and got lots of power to.

Happy Fishing Christmas!

Now all presents are wrapped and under the tree and have started to pre pare the food for Christmas eve. No snow were I live and up to +7c degrees and the river closes the 1th of January so there will be some "Christmas Fishing" in next couple of days.

Hope you all will get new rods, reels and skagit heads from Santa.

Happy Christmas!

OPST Commando vs Echo Glass Spey

Glass is not dead! Have been fishing with the Echo Glass Spey 12'9" #7 with the OPST Commando 475gr and a Vision Ace 10" T-14 for a while now and must say I just love the combo. The Commando head works perfect with this rod and with all diffrent tips from float to T-17.

The quality of the video is not the best due to low light conditions and lack of tripod and will make a better soon.

How I make my Composite Loops SBS

The last few months I have been using more and more composite loops in Jerry French style when tying my flies and I really like how the flies looks and not least swims in the water. Have made my Vikingtruders for many years now with hair and dubbing spun in loops. I got the right spin technique but had problems to keep the composite materials together when lifting them form the tying table to sliding them into the loop and many with me had this problem. I have noticed by all mails and messages I get when people ask how I do. I always send them a link to the OPST Youtube site so they can see how Jerry does his loops and hear his thoughts on composite loops flies.

After some thinking I came up with a idea how to get the material into the loop without dropping half of it on the floor or in the bin bag and I call it the Buisness card trick and it works like this. It takes some practise to get it right but this helped me alot and hope it can help you too.

 

 

Take a business card, playing card or other stiffer paper and use a black marker on one of the edges of the card to get a line so it will be easier to see were the loops is going to be placed. Then start placing the material you want to use on the card.

Take a second card or what you prefer in the same size and put it right on top of the first and you will get the edges of the material sticking out. Pick it up from the table holding the cards together and then you can adjust the edge of the material with your fingers.

Put the material in the waxed loop just by the edge of the cards.

Then very carefuly loose the pressure on the cards and slide them away from the loop very slowly so no material will fall out.

Now you can start adjusting the material with a dubbing needle and with your fingers.

Then it's just to use your spinning tool and the composite loop is ready!


   

River Stjördal in pictures

I and my buddies Allan and Dick went over the Norwiegan border to fish for Atlantic Salmon in River Stjördal. We had no luck with the water levels our weather but after some rain the lower parts of the river got better but no fish would bite my flies. Dick did Catch a very small Salmon but a Salmon is Always a Salmon no matter what size.  Heres some Pictures from our trip.

Svarthölen

My rods

107:-NKR

OPST and a Carrot in Midkil

Midkil

Iverhölen

URGE

Rods in rain

Nyhölen

Nyhölen

Nyhölen

Relaxing

Its not the beard on the outside, it,s the beard on the inside that Counts!

Kommunvaldet

Ready for Norway

Small salmon zonkers

Today I will go to River Stjørdal in Norway and fish for salmon and sea trout. Will stay in Stjørdal some days then I will go try River Verdal. New flies are tied and my gear is packed and I ready to hit the road but first some sleep. I will try to update here on the blog and on my FB site how the fishing goes.

OPST Commando Skagit Heads - A "Pure Skagit" Revolution

The brand new OPST Commando skagit heads are finaly on the market and I got a 450gr from Skagit Anglers in Denmark. OPST is a brand that Jerry French and Ed Ward have started and they make great products for skagit fishing and flytying. The line is designed by Ed Ward and he realy knows what his doing as he was one of the guys alongside others that did invent skagit casting back in the 90ths.

The Commando heads are very easy to cast and comes in the range of 150-475gr (10-30g) and  in lenghts between 12" - 18" (3,6 - 5,5m) so it is a short line but not just like any other short skagit heads on the market that I have tried over the year because this is something else. The are designed to be used with MOW tips but the works just great with other tips from Intermediate to T-tips in diffrent grades. Have tested my 450gr head on diffrent rods from 13,4#7 down to 10" Switch but at the moment my favorite set up is my 12,6#6 Cult rod that I think is a match made in heaven (or hell, if you prefere) for lighter Skagit casting. Claus at Skagit Anglers have used his Echo DHII 12,6" #6,5 with Commando and just loved that set up.The short head turns over the tips easy and no problems to fish with a 12,5" T-10 and big flies. I used a 15" Sink 3 tip on my 13,4" and it did turn over my flies well but I think it works best on rods under 13" and that just what the line are designed for.

Have fished the line for 4 days now and I realy love the way it preforms in all diffrent situations and my daughter Ello have used it and think it was very easy to cast with. I can realy recommend OPST Commando if you look for a short and light skagit head. Go to Skagit Anglers shop http://skagitanglers.com/ to order yours!