Try fly fishing for mackerel it’s a blast.

Late summer is a fantastic time here in Norway often the light summer breeze blows across the open rocky coast. This is the best sign that the mackerel season is underway. My father and I had an idea to test our salt water fishing skills and the chance to catch a mackerel could not be missed.

The "old man" does it again

like father like son

Here is where you will find them

Imitation or irritation,

Mackerel are not just beautiful fish but they are one of the healthiest sources of omega oil in the seas. Mackerel are a schooling fish. When the first few fish arrives on the coasts thousand if not millions follow. The problem when fishing with lure or bait there is no real challenge in landing one. I had the desire to try something new so armed with my fly rod we hit the road. The "old man" (My father) and I took up the challenge!

Where to find the best fish.

The best place to find your prey is out going/ingoing currents or in between small islands. Windy headlands can also be the place to fish. The west coast of Norway is filled with such spots. We found our selves on the outer islands from my base of Bergen. After some discussion my father decided to follow my advice and try his hand at salt-water fly fishing. This started a father son challenge that was the mother of all battles.

My pleasure was indescribable when the first cast produced a hard fighting fish but to my utter disappointment it was a Pollack. The time it took me to release the fish cost me a victory. This led to the pattern of the day. We waited for the schools to swim by and simply cast into the pack, and 25% of the time we hooked up.

Equipment needs.

Choosing a rod is an inexpensive adventure. Simply, any trout rod will do. I used my 5-6 AMF Vangen. This is the exact same rod I take to the mountain which chasing trout.

Knowing what fly to use is always a challenge so I sought advice from one of my local fishing tackle shops, (as you should always do when in need of information) Their suggestion was to try two forms of fly. Imitation or irritation,

Imitation form of flies are generally silver based and look more like Christmas tree decorations. If you take the time to think like a hunting mackerel you choice will always be better. You will find that size 14 hooks work best. As for coloration blue bodies with a thin silver flash and a white underside is the perfect combination. Or the other great choice in this group is epoxy body flies. I have always found these to be successful when fishing the salt water. They have a habit of fooling any sea creature into biting them.

Irritation is with out doubt the most popular form of salt-water fly. It is fished behind the school or cast in the middle of a feeding pack. How it works is that the bright colours of the fly stand out among the constant silver and blue flashers of herring. The tip is to forget all the rules and try the loudest and ugliest fly you can lay your hands on. I have found the red is the best colour to begin with.

There is one important point to remember and that is to always wash you equipment after a day on the coast. We all know that salt water is a killer.