Journal

I’m a dry fly angler by heart and soul, but I don’t waste too much time sitting on the bank waiting for something that will not happen. The flies I present in this article are typical flies I use when I don’t see any sign of hatching insects, and everything is rather hopeless. That said, they are also good in specific situations when trout chase their prey actively during hatches or other situations. And yes! They are all subsurface flies, no need to be a purist! Great catches come to those who dare.

Damsels and dragons are found in most waters around the globe, there are thousands of different species. But it is not necessary to have too many specific imitations. Most dragonflies look the same in the larvae stage, they come in different sizes from just 15mm/0,6” to 4-5cm/2”. Our flies MOP Dragon and Ultra Damsel are both are 2,5cm/1” in length, a very good universal size.

These insects need several years to develop into a larva that is ready to swim to the shore, crawl up and transform into an adult. They like to hide away on the bottom along weed, logs, and other vegetation. And they hunt for other insects such as midge larvae, mayfly nymphs and even freshly hatched fish fry.

Dragonfly larvae has given me some of by best trout in my home waters and was a kind of code cracker to the dull periods we often encounter in spring with unstable weather that is typical for Norway. Dragons hatch all season here but i have had best fishing with these patterns from the time the ice goes off the lakes to start of June. Trout do eat a lot of dragons in late summer also but then I found that imitations of the adult ones is a better search fly. The reason for this is simple, in fall and late summer temperatures varies more and these insects need some heat to have control of their flying. Quite often they crash because of drop in temperature and the trout will not think twice! Another reason is that trout have seen them flying low over the surface for a long time and some trout tends to get this on their mind and are always looking for them.



Our Mop Dragon (both colours are great) is a fly I made a few years back to replace my original nymph that I have used for more than 20yrs. For me an important feature in a dragon fly nymph is perfect sink rate and good balance. Good balance means that the fly shall swim horizontally when I retrieve and when I stop, also sink horizontally. The Mop Dragon has got it all.

Dragonflies live in shallow water, and you often find them along the bank hiding under some log or in “caves” between rocks. They are predators that waiting for something eatable to pass by. Every now and then they take a walk or swim, and trout will have an opportunity for a feast. Dragons have “jet engine” when they swim, they swallow water and shoot it through the anus. Which means that they “shoot” fast forward when they move. Some species just walk around on the bottom too. When I fish with this fly, I soak it up well first, squeeze the fly to get out air. Now it will sink perfectly slow, and you are ready to cast.


I present the dragon close to the bank. I start by the bank and work my way out to an angle of maximum 45degrees before I move further. Its hardly ever worth throwing this fly into the middle of the lake, fish shallow! That is why the fly is not much weighted. I want to fish on 50cm to 1,5m depth (2-6ft). The retrieve is easy, just pull lengths of 20-30cm (8-12”) and pause. Pay attention to the pause, watch the line! Trout very often take this fly when it sinks, and it look great then too. When you stop the retrieve, the legs bounce out and look just like the natural.

The damsels are the dragon’s little brother and a much slimmer fly. That said, they still represent a substantial piece of meat for the trout. This fly I use as a search fly for a stealthier approach than the dragon as it makes a lot less noise when it lands. Sometimes trout like the splash of the dragon and get curious, will come, and have a look if you don’t hit them in the head. Other times, especially when fishing in clearer water, I prefer to use this fly first to check if there are some responses before, I switch to the bigger fly. Damsels hatch on shore and the tactics is the same as with the dragon. This fly I fish with a short and steadier hand twist, if you see the natural move, it’s obvious that imitating their movement 100% is impossible. But for the trout, the hand twist is close enough. I twist rather short like 5-6cm/2” and varies with fast or slow depending on temperature in the water. If it’s cold I go slow first, and faster if temperature is higher.. Different species of damsels are around all summer and I use this fly from May to September.

Both these flies are variations of true classics and very good generic colours for different species of mayfly nymphs or other aquatic insects. It's hard to say if the trout take the hares ear for a mayfly, sowbug or swimming Gammarus. One thing is for certain, it works!  The Flashback Pheasant Tail is made to imitate the two species Leptophlebia Vespertina and Leptophlebia Marginata (Claret & Sephia dun) that is found all over Europe. And they have their cousins other places in the world too, Dark Brown nymphs. These flies I use both as searching flies and during the hatches that normally are in May and first half of June in Scandinavia. In late summer and fall when no flies like these is hatching, they are used for a more silent approach with delicate presentations on places I believe trout can be.

Don’t be afraid to put both flies on your leader, have one as dropper. Two flies on the leader make the leader break the surface faster, is less visible to the fish and you fish little deeper with the weight of both flies. And very important, with two flies it's easier to do a steady hand twist and keep the flies at the desired depth level.

During the hatch of leptos, especially the Vespertina, trout very often get selective on the nymphs swimming towards the surface to hatch. The typical rises can be like raindrops, vortex or you see the back and the tail fin. This is very similar to when we see them eat midge pupas just under the surface. These forms of rises tell you that it’s time to take off that silly dun and put on the flashback PTN and get serious. Before you cast, observe the fish. Quite often they have a route, and you want to present your fly well in front of the fish so that the trout don’t see the line in the air or the impact of the line on the water. Next you want the fly to sink a little down, and when fish is close you start the retrieve. As with all fishing of nymphs and streamers in lakes, keep the rod low over the water, have a small loop (watch this) down to the surface and the rod at an angle sideways. Don’t point straight at the fly with the tip, if fish take hard you could risk the tippet to break as with this position of the rod the rods upper parts will not dampen the take. 

Choose your angle wisely, rather cast in from the side than straight at. If the trout rejects- or don’t see the fly at your first attempt it might see the line when it comes near and it could be enough to spook it.  This is my most fun nymph fishing during the season together with the buzzer fishing in spring and fall.

I always carry a box loaded with these flies; they prove themselves every year. They might be good for you also.

Tight lines!

/Rune