Observations from the Finnish Nationals

[Fraser Perry]

Hi everyone,

As you may know from my introduction, I am an exchange student living in Finland.
A few weeks ago I was a controller at the Finnish fly fishing nationals. I was controlling one of the better beats on the river, which held most of the fish. Fortunately, some of the best anglers were fishing my beat.
While controlling my beat with my controlling partner, I wrote down many notes and took a few videos too. The videos haven’t been edited, so some are quite long, without any fish being caught. However, I think they are a good way to analyse technique and the finer details of the competitors.

Check them out from YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=FPFINLAND&aq=f

Here are the observations I made while watching the competitors:

Jukka
•         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6TdMu-Q96I
-   Slow fishing style, not rushing to cover water, but concentrating on fishing best water thoroughly.
-   Intense concentration, watching leader incredibly closely
-   Wading very gently and softly. Felt waders, no studs.
-   Keeping fly in water when wading and walking along beat, dragging leader in water.
-   Checking hook and sharpening point after every single bottom snag
-   Gentle retrieve of slack line, always, to maintain contact with flies
-   Rod tip close to water (1ft) on drift, tip just ahead of leader and fly (<2ft)
-   Working downstream
-   Casting at top of pool, pulling fly downstream keeping line tight, only slightly faster than dead drift, (good contact with fly )
-   Switching hands for longer drift (on long runs)
-   Casting across tail of pool
-   Raising rod tip to keep fly just off bottom
-   Black leech, orange bead, sparsely tied, no chenille, marabou tail and body.
-   3 rods rigged, 2 nymphing and 1 streamer rig, ready for quick change. Rods ready in special made carry rack/stand.
-   Chest pack, tippet spools on chain, hook hone and clippers on zingers.
-   Landing net on bungy, magnetic clip


Jari
•         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnZ3RhCbuzE
-   Aggressive stripping, using many different retrieve speeds and lengths
-   Eventually found perfect retrieve for pool and nailed it – 8 fish from same pool in 1.5 hour session.
-   Wiggle rod tip on retrieve, different fly action. Used when fishing tail of pool or slightly across.
-   Pre-made leaders rolled onto empty tippet spools
-   Aggressive, active style, covering good water fast, and moving onto other good water. Revisiting each pool every 30 mins (time for pool to settle down again)
-   Pink woolly bugger, small and sparse. Ice dubbing, flash in tail. Pink bead.
-   Other woolly buggers with bright collars just behind bead.


Saku
•         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6zmzHW0oxA
-   Working pools slowly and individually, thorough and patient.
-   Fly box, in rows left to right flies are arranged by weight. Each row same colour. Darker shades towards bottom of box. Folding leaflet with other colours.
-   Fly boxes have big stickers on edge, with names (fast)
-   Works pool from closes to furthest away, minimum wading.
-   Never walking on good water, even after being fished (for coming back later in session)
-   Letting fly drift freely, then pulling
-   In very small pools (<2m), just wiggling rod tip, pulling fly through them. Then hold rod tip in same position, and hold fly in middle of small pool, about 10 seconds.
-   Striking at end of every drift (flick). Striking at any irregular movement of leader.
-   6 drifts per current seam.
-   Letting fly hang at end of drift, following with retrieve.
-   Snake roll upstream for longer drifts (more line out of tip)

I'm sure you guys can make heaps more observations from the videos.

[Dejon Hamann]

Fraser, this is really incredibly valuable information. Thank you for taking the time to record it and post it here.

I'm curious.  What was the general format of the competition such as:
-One fly allowed? Was it barbless?
-All river sessions? How many total and how long?
-What other rules were in effect? Did they generally follow fips-mouche format?
-How were the beats setup? In "Jari #5, Lankoski 2" it almost looks like that other angler catches a fish in his beat?
-Do you know how these anglers made the national competition? Did they compete in regionals? Accumulate points? etc

Sifting through the videos now but your analysis is spot on so far.  Great work!!

[Fraser Perry]

Standard FIPS Mouche rules. A few modifications though:

- 8 1.5 hour sessions. 6 River sessions and two lake sessions.
- Maximum of three flies.
- Barbless hooks (no de-barbs)

This was the finals with the top 40 competitors from Finland. There are 200 active competitors in Finland. There were previous regional qualifiers during the year, which were used to give anglers an overall ranking. Only the top 40 were competing in the nationals, one of which was rank number 41, takiong the spot of an angler who could'nt make it. Iäm not sure about the exact details for qualifying but I will find out.

Beats on the river were about 200 metres in length. As the rules state, the competition organisers should select beats in  a way that makes them the most even in quality. Just about all of the beats had clear phsical boundaries as well as the signs. For instance, the top of my beat was separated from the adjacent beat by a small 1ft "waterfall" between the pools. You can vaguely see and further picture a line across the river from the marker sign.

That pool at the top of my beat and the run above which was part of the adjacent beat, were perhaps the best waters in the whole Lankoski area, where there was 6 beats in total. Everyone caught fish from those two places, which were right next to each other.

As a controller, I always walked the beat with the angler and identified the boundaries to them and also call out when they were about to cross over !

[Chris Puchniak]

Excellent observations.  I am going to watch your videos later this evening.  Thank you for taking this time...

[Dejon Hamann]

That's really interesting.  We don't have any comps in north America with 6 or more sessions... I've debated it but stuck with the status quota to date.  I can see the benefit though as it generally evens the playing field a bit more.

If you have the resources it would be helpful to know any details you can, but you've certainly provided a lot all ready!  I don't want to harp on it but this kind of information is what really adds depth to a competitive fly fishing minded forum like this.  It pains me to know there are so many great fisherman in the world and we just don't speak the same language 

- 8 1.5 hour sessions. 6 River sessions and two lake sessions.
 Iäm not sure about the exact details for qualifying but I will find out.

[Mark Hanes]

Great obserivations and thanks for sharing.

Pink Woolly Bugger?  that is a new one.  What species of trout were these guys targeting?

[Fraser Perry]

After watching the videos and going over my notes again, this is what I have come up with, hope you can all make sense of it.

Fishing techniques

-   underarm casts with more line (20ft + including leader), see Jari
-   reverse snake rolls and snake rolls (10-20ft leader outside rod tip), see Saku
-   wrist flick cast, including strike at end of drift, short drifts, see Jukka and Saku
-   Fishing the edges of currents, focusing on seams. Then fishing middle of bubble line.
-   6 casts on seam,  then move on, see Saku
-   Focus on keeping line tight and having excellent contact with flies
-   Tracking flies with tip of rod
-   At end of drift, letting fly hang 10-15s, then slowly pulling upstream 2-3 m and repeating drift. Fly never leaves the water and is in the strike zone 100% of time, see Saku
-   Casting across tail of pool, or slightly across and dragging leader, wiggling the rod tip, across the pool, see Jari
-   Using many different retrieve speeds and lengths, until right one is found, see Jari
-   Striking at end of every short nymph drift
-   Checking and sharpening hook after every time snagging bottom
-   Nymph drift, with rod tip close to water and slightly ahead, pulling fly just faster than current, rod just ahead of flies, creating good contact. Raising rod when flies are underneath to maintain tension and contact, then holding rod, letting flies rise up in water, wiggling rod tip. Repeat. See Jukka.
-   Long nymph drifts along long currents, switch hands to extend drift, see Jukka
-   In very small pools, hold rod tip in one position, holding fly in middle of pool for 10-15s. Also wiggle fly through pool, pause, let drift down, then pull up again.
-   Focus on fishing the best water thoroughly, areas of high fish concentration demand higher amounts of time and more focus.
-   Looking at sighter or leader entrance to water, concentrating very hard  for irregular movements
-   Work seams and pools from closes to furthest away, see Saku,


Flies

-   C+F waterproof boxes most popular for nymphs
-   Nymphs arranged by weight (left to right), colour (darker shades down the page ), size (rows left to right then down page)
-   About 6 -8 of each size and shade, 2 different weights (Tungsten bead +lead/ TB only)
-   Lightweight foam box with magnetic lid most popular for streamers
-   All fly boxes labelled on outside with coloured tape.
-   Some boxes had zingers, connected to inside the chest pack, in case of dropping into water
-   Coloured barbless hooks used, (gold, black and metallic black hooks used)
-   Coloured beads, orange and pink used on streamers, black, brown and olive used on nymphs.  Gold beads rarely seen.
-   Eagle shape hooks used (swimming  mayfly nymph patterns)
-   Very sparse flies, sink better, creating better contact
-   Flies tied with loops, usually Rapala knot. More natural action in water
-   Woolly buggers with marabou hackles, dubbed (sparkle or ice dub) or marabou bodies, flash (thin flat mylar, micro Krystal also used sparsely), coloured beads. Sometimes brightly dubbed collar behind bead,


Wading

-   All using felt soles without studs, not creating much noise with studs in water
-   Careful, gentle wading  (see Jukka)
-   Minimum wading, moving only after drift, see Jukka
-   Always keeping flies in water while wading (might pick up fish), see Jukka
-   Never wading across prime water, as it can  be fished again later in the session, see Saku
-   Aggressively wade across whole beat in last 5 minutes, ruining water for next competitor (although 1.5 hour brakes in between sessions, may not have been significant). Everyone did this.


Rods and rigging

-   3/4/5/6 weights used for nymph rigs, predominately 9’, only two competitors using 9’6” and 10’ rods.
-   5/6/7 weights used for streamer rigs, same lengths
-   Rods with soft tips
-   Competitors had 3  or 4 rods for each session, all set up differently for quick changes of style
-   Straight sighters used with many overhand knots in them, spaced 5-10cm apart. Knots stand out easily, making sighter prominent. No breaking issues with knots in 15lb sighter
-   Automatic reels popular
-   Sinking lines on streamer rigs, fish with leader only, then fish with line out for deeper presentation
-   8-10ft leaders for both rigs


Landing

-   Nets with large hoops used
-   Separate, longer handle net used for boat sessions
-   Bungy cord attached to nets and to lower strap of chest pack or wading belt
-   Magnets on all nets, usually opposite handle but some on side of net, allowing net to be grabbed by the dominant hand (see Saku’s set up)
-   Knotless, mesh nets allow quicker removal of flies from net (not tangled) and better for fish
-   Pull the fishes’ head up as quickly as possible, then ‘skull dragging’ into net.
-    Keep consistent pressure on fish – rod not very high – most of power in butt.
-   Landing technique involves ‘jumping’ the fish into the net, see Jari’s technique – was best. Average 15s landing time.
-   Landing net downstream, rod hand upstream


Storage

-   Chest pack most popular amongst all competitors, especially Vision Mycka Bra
-   Clippers, hook hone on zingers on front of chest pack, with strapless watch attached, and tippet spools hanging on outside of pack
-   Fly patch on middle of pack, C+F patch most popular
-   Custom made rod stand for carrying rods to sessions and holding rods in sessions. Holds 4 rods, has carrying handle, and has legs that pop out to 60 degrees, making stand
-   Pre tied leaders on empty tippet spools, roll out instantly and no unravelling like when stored curled up in plastic bag. Empty stroft spool used with foam elastic ring on outside.

[Fraser Perry]

Great obserivations and thanks for sharing.

Pink Woolly Bugger?  that is a new one.  What species of trout were these guys targeting?

Fish species that scored points in the rivers sessions were:
- Brown Trout, Salmo Trutta
- Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss
- Grayling, Thymallus thymallus

However, other species of fish were present in the river, but didn't score points:
- Salmon, Salmo salar
- Pike, Esox lucius
- Roach, Rutilus rutilus

In the lake sessions the only specie of fish that scored points was Whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus

[Fraser Perry]

Mark, pink, pale orange and black woolly buggers are very good in Northern Europe, especially on the Rainbows. Most competitors are tying their woolly buggers with coloured beads too.

[Mark Hanes]

I will have to play around with these colors this fall.   Rainbows really seem to react to crazy colors.

[Dejon Hamann]

The trout in the videos look pretty decent sized too! Do you know if they were stocked or wild?

Fraser, your detailed analysis is awesome.  Would you consider moving to NewYork and joining a competitive fly fishing team ?

I've read in numerous places about the Czech's using the pink wolly bugger quite often too.

One thing that I've kind of ignored in the last few years are the multiple benefits to using felt.  I've stayed away from it for eco reasons, but I think I'm going to have to get a pair and just get religious about my cleaning process.

One reoccurring theme I find interesting is how several top anglers can have very different approaches yet still be extremely effective. 

[Fraser Perry]

The trout in the videos look pretty decent sized too! Do you know if they were stocked or wild?

The average size of the Rainbows caught in Lankoski 2 was 41cm. A total of 38 fish were caught  (36 of which were rainbows) in the beat over 8 sessions, totalling 12 hours of fishing time. The Rainbows were all stocked fish, and quite chunky ones too, with large girths. The smallest one was 36cm and the largest was 44cm

One thing that I've kind of ignored in the last few years are the multiple benefits to using felt.  I've stayed away from it for eco reasons, but I think I'm going to have to get a pair and just get religious about my cleaning process.

Unless you're fishing in different watersheds on consecutive days, there really is no need to be worried about using felt. My fishing trips are usually in once place, or at least in the same watershed and there is always at least a few days in between trips, so I have time for my wading gear to dry, which results in any harmful bacteria dying, if any is there to begin with.

Felt is the best thing that grips to submerged rocks with films of algae on them, hands down.

One reoccurring theme I find interesting is how several top anglers can have very different approaches yet still be extremely effective.  

I was amazed to see everyone fish the same beat, that same water, those same pools, all differently and all pick up fish. I don't think that nymphing techniques should be viewed as either right or wrong for any given water, but viewed as being better for certain situations.

I should point out that Jukka fished the beat first and caught 6 fish, Jari fished it in the third session and caught 9 fish, and Saku fished the beat 8th in the last session and still caught 5 fish. As the results show, Jari's technique of fishing streamers with aggressive retrieves and pauses was most effective for the beat, but nevertheless other techniques still produced fish.

One technique that wasn't suitable was from another angler who fished the beat in session four. His technique was to present many different flies to the same fish, by rushing through the beat, changing flies, rushing through it again and so fourth, which resulted in two fish.

[Chris Puchniak]

Great observations Fraser.

I think part of what may explain why each used different techniques in the same pools (aside from an individual anger's personal preference - at least to my thinking) is that if you know the gent ahead of you czech nymphed and did well, it may be advantageous for you to offer a completely different presentation.  I for one might be hesitant to czech nymph a pool right after a session when Jiri Klima just did the pool.  

Dejon already asked about the wild vs hatchery - I assume they were freshly stocked hatchery fish, not stocked a year ago?  I know freshly stocked fish are more eager to target pinks and such, as their curiousity experiments with the possible new food sources in their "new" environment.  Rainbows also really seem to like pink.  Always been one of the most underrated steelhead colours locally.

Under most FIPS-mouche events, I didn't think you could have multiple rods strung up.  Technically, I think it says you cannot have the reel even attached to the spare rod.  Personally, when I am fishing myself, I like to have 3 or 4 rods strung up, but I didn't think that was allowed.  Was that unique to this event?

It was interesting that pinks and oranges were favoured, but not gold beadheads.  I could see all having their place.  But that was interesting to me.

Also, the use of automatic reels.  Don't see that often myself.

Again, great observations Fraser.  You must have gotten the chance to speak with these guys quite personally.

[Dejon Hamann]

This only applies to boats/loch style.  It's quite common for river fisherman to have multiple rods strung in fips competitions.  Check out some of the youtube videos from this years world championship - many of the anglers are actually carrying multiple rods with them!

25.2. Competitors may have spare fly rods with them but when boat fishing, these must not be assembled nor the reel attached.

Under most FIPS-mouche events, I didn't think you could have multiple rods strung up.  Technically, I think it says you cannot have the reel even attached to the spare rod.  Personally, when I am fishing myself, I like to have 3 or 4 rods strung up, but I didn't think that was allowed.  Was that unique to this event?

[Chris Puchniak]

I was also surprised that most of them worked their way DOWNSTREAM rather than upstream.  I know ethics dictate usually a downstream rotation on busy waters, but I would have thought working upstream would have been more preferred.  I guess you might work your way downstream to make less noise on the gravel in the quieter stretches.  But actually watching most of the guys, making noise wasn't too big of a concern for them.  Their wading was quite aggressive and fast (except perhaps Jukka).

Perhaps knowing they are hatchery fish means that they aren't too worried about spooking the fish visually by walking downstream.

I have to admit, I really enjoy watching competition fishing methods.  It's too bad footage like isn't more common.  I guess how some people can watch golf for hours, I can do the same with this (even though fishing is not a spectator sport!  Haha!).

Note: Thanks Dejon on the rods ruling!

[Dejon Hamann]

Sorry, hope i didn't sound like the fips-mouche-rules police there. Just wanted to throw it out there incase you or someone else were prepping for an upcoming competition.

I couldn't agree more. I could watch this stuff for hours.  I think you can pick up subtle differences in the way top anglers fish that really helps develop your own technique.

My take on the downstream approach. I think the fish were probably just more reactive to a downstream swing/strip presentation.  I find that certain systems/fish are much more apt to take a fly on the swing/lift as opposed to a dead drift/polish type upstream approach... especially over fresh Brook or Rainbow trout.  Some systems you can upstream nymph all darn day and catch a trout or two but then the minute you stop to admire a bird and let your flies dangle in the current WHAM! 

[Chris Puchniak]

Sorry, hope i didn't sound like the fips-mouche-rules police there. Just wanted to throw it out there incase you or someone else were prepping for an upcoming competition.

No, you clarified my misunderstanding of the rules.  I might owe you for that one day.  Lol!

I agree with what you mention on the downstream approach (the swing and rise is great - a technique that steelheaders use a lot as well).  I really meant I found it different that they covered the runs by WALKING downstream, into the direction the fish are facing, which may be more prone to spook fish rather than approaching them from below (which should hopefully put you at the fish's back, and minimize their chance to see you).  Of course, if you are casting downstream all the time and swinging a nymph/streamer, it may make little difference if you approach them from downstream because you are technically casting from a position the fish are already looking towards, more than likely!

Fun footage to watch.  Thanks again for sharing Fraser.

[Aaron Laing]

Thanks for filming this Fraser. I've just had a chance to view some of the footage today, although I've been reading and rereading your posts on my iphone all weekend.

Fascinating to see the different styles used by each angler. Nice to read and see some of the tricks employed. It was also interesting to note the odd net handling slip-up--I don't feel so bad now 

I'm not surprised to hear about the bright woolly buggers. They have been sneaking into the odd competition over here as well, and I've found the can do very well during spawning periods outside of the comps.

One thing was interesting to note was the use of loop knots. It's been verboten in the Canadian Nationals for some time, and I think (?) in many if not most international events. I was surprised to see it allowed there.

Aaron

BTW anyone using dries or soft-hackles in the competition, and if so did they have much success?

[Chris Puchniak]

One thing was interesting to note was the use of loop knots. It's been verboten in the Canadian Nationals for some time, and I think (?) in many if not most international events. I was surprised to see it allowed there.

I had missed that.  That's interesting.  Were loop knots allowed here?

[Jim Frazier]

good post fraser , i am with ya fellas , the down stream approach seems odd to me too unless color was off , stockers are less spooky and will usually move in the zone a little further to take a offering , i definitely don't have any pink woolys in my box