Time to go fishing

Hi all
It´s time for my annual salmon fishing trip. This year the trip will take me, as so many times before, to the river Neiden in Norway. Neiden is a very special river for me, because it is where I´ve leaned to fish for salmon and also the river on which I´ve caught my first salmon ever. That´s why this years trip is special for me, cause I have been away from there almost 3 years now.

I will write more about the trip after I come back, but for now here is some older photos from the river

The mighty Skolttefossen

Neiden bridge and below it the fly fishing zone

Korbiniva a good early season fishing spot

The calm between Veinesfossen and Grytfossen seen from the road

"Sarvijaakko" One of my favorite flies for atlantic salmon

As my annual salmon fishing trip approaches, which I´ll write about after the trip, I want to share one of my favorite salmon flies with you

The "Sarvijaakko" is a very popular fly among Finnish salmon fishermen, fishing in northern Norway or the Kola Peninsula in Russia. Due to it´s popularity it might also be one of the most modified flies Finnish fishermen use, as most of them will have a own version of the fly. I myself have probably caught close to a hundred Atlantic-Salmon with this fly and its different versions.
   The original pattern is said to be a crossbreed of the "Uppo-Bomber" fly and a March brown, and was developed by a famous Finnish salmon fisherman Kari "Kalle" Pylvänäinen.
   The name "Sarvijaakko" actually means Timberman beetle, but instead of mimicking that, the fly has gotten its name of the two "horns" in it´s tail(Horn in Finnish is "Sarvi" and Jaakko is just a Finnish name)

The recipe for the  original fly stands as below:
Hook: Size 10 single salmon
Thread: brown
Tag: Pearl Flashabou
Tail: Brown Nutria + 2 stripped brown grizzly hackles
Ribbing: Fl.green floss and oval gold (side by side)
Body: Hares ear 
Hackle: Brown Grizzly cock
Wing: Brown Nutria
Head: Brown thread

My own version of this fly differs from the original by a few small things. Firstly I have left out the stripped hackles, mainly because I don't think they bring any real added value to the fly. The second change I´ve made is that instead of the original green floss in the ribbing, I use Chartreuse yarn. The original fly has a body of  Hare´s ear, while I use the soft bottom fur from the Nutria fur used in the tail and wing. The last change I´ve made is that i have switched the brown grizzly hackle to a brown badger one.

My version:
Hook: Size 2-10 (Mustad 3582BR)
Thread: Black/Brown
Tag: Pearl Flashabou
Tail: Brown Nutria
Rib: Chartreuse yarn + Oval gold
Body: Nutria dubbing
Wing: Brown Nutria
Hackle: Brown Badger cock 



I hope that you will find this simple little fly, as good as i do, and may it give you as many fine memories as it has given me