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ANZEIGE
ANZEIGE
SCALE #38 Authors & Photographers
Cover: Frank Steinmann Bläcksquid Inc. +++ Brian Bojsen +++ Lance Boen +++ Draggrunningjunkie +++ Gordon Henriksen Robin Hochgesand +++ Lüder Isenberg +++ Michael Knoch +++ Anne-Cécile Monnier Timo Seufert +++ Philip Truong +++ Adrian Tuck +++ Niels Vestergaard +++ Nicola Vitali
CONTENT
SCALE SHOP now OPEN 24/7
BACK IN BLACK
Editorial 10 Mugshots #38 14 Jungle Fever • Adrian Tuck is working up a sweat Australian perch 22 Webwatcher 44 Wild Scandinavian Way • Use your head cooking with Brian Bojsen 48 Pay Day 64 Tie Hard! powered by AHREX 66 Having a crush • Michael Knochs declaration of love for the Lady of the stream 70 Fish, Photo & Fame • The SCALE Instagram Check 96 Hole in one • Gordon P. Henriksen fishes Miami next to Donald Trump’s golf course 98 Hot & Not 120 Fossile remnats • Nicola Vitali discovers Arapaima in Peru 124 156 The winners from SCALE 37 Hot off the press • Kayak Fishing In Close and Personal by Ian “Dizzyfish” Harris 158 162 High and dry • Low water in Slovenia Vestergaard’s video corner 192 Competition • 3 books on perch by Dr. Catch for free 194 Hardbodies & Softcores 198 Rescue service • Robin Hochgesand & Timo Seufert on duty 212 226 Sexy Tools & Musthaves Big Pictures • Anne-Céline Monnier’s underwater world 240 Imprint 264



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EDITORIAL
LESS IS MORE

 In these unusual times we anglers have a real advantage: we are used to being alone. While everyone around us is moaning and crying about a lack of mingling with the pleasure-seeking hordes on party miles at home and abroad, roll packed like sardines on sandy beaches longing for a tan, or having a barbecue with friends in the city park, we sit back and relax and leave the complaining to others. There is no easy way to talk about the economic and partly very personal effects of COVID-19, but in my eyes the time since the outbreak of the corona virus has also had something positive. It might be felt for a short time, because after the pandemic most people will not (want to) remember much of it very quickly, but nevertheless there is something good to be gained from the whole thing.
Nature is allowed to recover in many places and flora and fauna regain in a short time what they are entitled to from said nature in the first place. Many people discover that one does not necessarily have to board the next low-cost plane for 19.90 €, which is unsustainable anyway, in order to have a great time. They only now realize the beautiful spots the country in which they live has to offer. Some discover that it doesn‘t hurt to stop consuming, while others order something over the internet and revive an old passion or a lost hobby. Despite the lack of visits to a restaurant or take-away, no one has to starve and many realize for the first time the importance of family and what it means to be a responsible parent to your children 24 hours a day. People cook more, they do more handicrafts and more reading. People are skyping, zooming and talking on the phone. Employees at the discount store around the corner are receiving an additional „Good morning“ and doctors, nurses or carers are applauded with cheers from the balcony. Basically as it should be, even without a threat from viruses.
But it isn‘t, and many people have a real problem with solitude – and I‘m not talking about old people, sick people or people without a family. Most of those affected are basically people like you and me, but unlike us anglers, they have forgotten how to occupy themselves for a longer stretch of time. While being alone is a gift for us, which we often choose voluntarily when fishing, others are at the end of their tethers as soon as they are on their own. Where we experience tunnel vision about fish and fishing, others get tetchy when without constant external stimulation.
You would like to take these people with you fishing – just to show them how satisfying it can be, not to constantly be exposed to the sound of traffic, job, neighbours, radio, TV or telephone calls, and to introduce them to the beauty of silence. Our pre-Covid world was loud and shrill, often turning much too
fast and in the wrong direction. Unfortunately we cannot teach everyone to be alone or to appreciate silence. But we hope to share some of the desired solitude with SCALE, and we think that the photos of this issue speak for themselves and carry some with this quality. So if you know somebody who has got problems with being on their own, let him or her take a look. Maybe your excitement for peace and quiet is contagious and you’ll take this person to the water with you next time … (Stefan Alt) Enjoy our #38 and stay healthy, Your SCALE editorial office
shout@scale-magazine.com



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IN SCALE #38 ON BOARD
NICOLA VITALI Nicola Vitali was born in Italy in 1986 and asked his parents for a fishing rod at the tender age of three, although no one in his family had ever fished before. He grew up by the river, catching chub and barbels before he began to scour every corner of his native mountains, always in search of secluded little streams with trout stocks. Later he began spinning and fly-fishing for catfish, and gave in to the urge to combine the hunt for big fish and the pioneering spirit to travel abroad. Discovering new fishing grounds, new destinations and new dreams were the declared goal, this in the company of crazy friends. After a few self-designed trips that took him to the most remote places in the world, curiosity led him, at the age of 21, to become the first sports fisherman in Yemen to chase the giants of the seas.
He did the same in Sudan, where he discovered a huge potential for sport fishing and once he had his degree in civil engineering in his pocket, he finally got into the sport fishing business and led trips to Socotra Island to guide his clients to the giant GTs of the region. Gradually, he expanded his field of activity and opened up the Middle East for sport fishing. Whether in Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti or even Yemen, popping, jigging and fly fishing from the coast and in the blue water seemed to bring unparalleled success and the foundation for his company „Wild Sea Expedition“ was laid. Today Nicola guides countless customers through the adventurous world of the Middle East and has given them the fish of life. When he is not on the road as a guide, he organizes trips for fly and spin fishermen at various locations. Whether in South America, Africa, Indonesia or the Andaman Islands, his plans and dreams always unite to one destination.
He speaks English, French and Arabic, and in his spare time, strange as it may sound, he doesn‘t go fishing, no, Nicola loves climbing and mountain hiking, cycling and having a barbecue with friends over good wine! In this issue, we join him in his quest to recreate a mystical creature of the Amazon system, a living fossil, the Arapaima. We say welcome, benvenuto and ‚ahlaan bik, Nicola! (Frank Steinmann)
Nicola on Facebook
www.wildseaexpedition.com


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IN SCALE #38 ON BOARD
ADRIAN TUCK With Adrian we have got a real insider tip on board. Not only is the 36-year-old Australian by choice chasing a fish that is quite unknown in this country, but his photography is currently only recognized in selected circles, although Adrian creates moods that are second to none!
Adrian was born in Tasmania and one wonders why someone would voluntarily leave this dream place with his fantastic brown trout to move to Townsville in Queensland? Well, as usual, it is love and work that makes you want to change places, so did Adrian – today he has two cute children and a partner who are in no way inferior to him in his love for nature! Water seems to be the main part of his life, Adrian is a senior pool technician for Willows Poolshop in Queensland and Ambassadeur for Tide Apparel, so if you have a problem with your pool on your next trip down under, just give Adrian a call!
His favourite fish are the Barramundis, the sooty Grunters and especially the Jungle Perch. This perch, which goes by the Latin name Kuhlia rupestris, is an excellent game fish that finds its habitat in the streams of the Australian rainforest. Adrian chases it with a light spinning rod and surface baits. The rainforest scenario is stunning in all its exoticism. Adrian declares that he has only just started with photography and hopes to reach a market with his pictures. Well, we think it‘s only a matter of time before the general public becomes aware of Adrian and we are honestly a little proud to be able to deliver the first article Adrian ever wrote!
He knows how to put the primeval nature of the rainforests, streams, rivers and mountainous regions of his homeland into a fantastic mood. Gloomy maybe, but still inspiring and inviting. And when he meets a direct descendant of the dinosaurs, the endangered Cassowary, Adrian can justifiably claim that his fishing grounds are a piece of Jurassic World. Adrian Tuck does not currently have his own website, so we need to support him on Instagram and Facebook. In this issue he takes us to his Jungle Perch and we are happy to present Adrian in Europe and beyond. G‘day Adrian, welcome on board. (Frank Steinmann)
Adrian on Facebook


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IN SCALE #38 ON BOARD
MICHAEL KNOCH With Michael we have not only brought an experienced fly fisherman on board, but he also uses his creativity professionally. For the art director and freelance communication designer, show stars like Michael „Bully“ Herwig were part of his client portfolio, as well as the Audi Group or the Warner Bros. film studios. But all this was somehow not enough for the nature-loving mid-forties, so today Michael also concentrates on work that includes nature and water protection and works for the Bavarian State Fishermen‘s Association and other institutions that deal with the protection of fish species.
Having travelled far and wide, he has chased after just about every scale carrier of the seven seas, fought with various freshwater fish and in the end always comes back to his Bavarian home where he finds it most beautiful. He has been fishing with a fly rod for 30 years and carefully roams the waters in his area. His great love is dry fly fishing for grayling and winter stalking for huchen. In this issue, Michael takes us to one of his favourite spots, a body of water that serves as a habitat for an impressive grayling population. With his camera he draws atmospheric pictures that combine the fragile beauty of nature and grayling. Welcome Michael Knoch! (Frank Steinmann)
Michael on Facebook


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When you think of sports fishing in Australia, your first thoughts are normally drawn to the iconic Barramundi of the top end, the giant freshwater Murray cod, or the array of hard-hitting species of the Great Barrier Reef. What might be less known to a lot of people is a little freshwater Australian native that resides in the crystal-clear waters of the oldest living rainforest on the planet, the Jungle Perch.
That is exactly what happened to me after relocating to Far North Queensland in 2012. It took me three years before I set off for my first walk in the rain forest chasing Jungle Perch, commonly referred to as local JP’s. However, from that moment on my life changed, and all my spare time was now dedicated to targeting this stunning species.
JP’s are a small aggressive fish that can grow up to 55cm in length and 3kg in mass. JP’s inhabit coastal freshwater rivers that have clear access to estuaries, where they spawn in the wet season during high flow events. They can be found all the way down the east coast of Queensland.
However, due to farming, forest degeneration and the installation of weirs, their numbers have declined and therefore can only be found in small pockets. Most often, the best place JP’s can be found include the wet tropics region – a 400km stretch between the towns of Cooktown and Townsville.


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A step back into the Jurassic era Although JP’s can be targeted from a boat in lower, slow-moving reaches of rivers, it is on foot in the feeder creeks throughout mountain terrain where the best fishing can be found. It is the fast-moving water with deep pools, surrounded by dense rainforest that make you feel like you have stepped back into the Jurassic era and has you regularly pinching yourself. Witnessing numerous species of snakes, lizards and frogs is common, and if you are lucky – an encounter with an elusive cassowary is extraordinary. The cassowary is the third tallest and second heaviest living bird on Earth. It is brightly coloured with a large crest on its head and has five-inch claws that can be used as a weapon if threatened. Therefore, you should always treat a cassowary encounter with caution, as they are not a bird to be messed with.
Stealth mode is more than meets the eye JP’s can be caught all year round, however the wet tropical regions are the wettest in Australia (with an average rainfall of 4 metres annually), therefore planning your trips are necessary to ensure the rivers and creeks are surveyable. Generally, JP’s are not a hard species to catch. Their aggressive nature and competitive drive for food makes them almost launch at any presentation put in front of them. However, JP’s are highly in tune with their surroundings, which can sometimes make them difficult to catch. Therefore, it is imperative to be stealthy and have long accurate casts on light spin gear to give you an advantage.
Although JP’s are not the biggest or the hardest


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fighting fish, they make up for it with attitude and aggression towards your chosen lure – a favourite being a surface or fast retrieved paddle tail plastic lure. JP’s have excellent eyesight; therefore, it is not uncommon to see a JP tracking your lure while it is in the air and grabbing it as it enters the water. It can be ‘heart in mouth’ type of fishing.
The king of the pool resides below the waterfall A typical day of fishing generally involves arriving at our destination at daylight and setting off on foot up current of our chosen creek, bypassing the shallow fast moving water to reach the slower moving deep pools where the jungle perch often patrol. At times, walking can be difficult due to the thick rainforest and slippery wet moss-covered rocks. Generally, you only get one or two casts in each pool. If they fail to hook-up, the whole pool will typically shut down due to their cluey nature (as though they realise something is up), and then it is onto the next pool. This continues until a waterfall is reached where JP’s cannot migrate over. It is the pools below these waterfalls that hold the largest resident fish in the system. Once the last pool is fished, photos have been taken, and there has been an opportunity to relax and absorb the stunning surroundings, it is time to walk all the way back – often arriving to the car just before sunset if timed correctly.
A single day can amount to 20km on foot, with the longer walks often resulting in the set-up of hammocks and spending the night in the jungle.
This adds even further to whole experience – you really cannot beat the sound of a waterfall in the background while you sleep.








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Backpack, rod and a sense for adventure Spending hours on google earth looking for remote locations, then exploring some of the most breathtaking waterfalls and finding a trophy JP is just about as rewarding as fishing can get. It is true back to basics style of fishing which simply involves a backpack, a rod, and a sense of adventure. The rainforest has an uncanny knack of capturing your imagination and making you think you are the first person to explore the area.
It is a credit to the growing number of people who target JP’s, as it is rare to find any trace of other people there. It is a community that I am proud to be a part of.
So, if you are a planning a trip to Australia to experience its wide range of fishing on offer, do not forgot about the little Aussie native waiting to be found deep in the rainforest – the mighty Jungle Perch.


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WEBWATCHER
Yes we scan!
Vissenscanner – a fish identifier app In terms of angling, the Netherlands is considered a pioneer throughout Europe. In no other country is more time spent on the water with a rod in your hand as in our neighbouring state. With its seemingly endless North Sea coast, several large rivers such as the Maas or Lek and polders and canals, the country possesses a lot of water with an abundance of fish. Whether sea bass, pike, mackerel or perch – the richness of species of the „Oranjes“ is unique when compared to the rest of Europe. Confusing them is easy ...
In order to accurately identify a fish species, the Dutch Sport Fishermen‘s Association has launched an app to help you do just that. Of course, it‘s not about distinguishing a sea trout from a plaice – but the interested angler can easily confuse a twait shad with an allis shad. To identify a fish accurately, all you need to do is take a photo of the catch. Using various parameters, the app, which is available free of charge via Google Play and in the App Store, then offers a selection of fish in question, sorted by probability. In addition, one receives a comprehensive profile of the fish in question.
How the whole thing works is also shown in the video here. It‘s in Dutch, but the pictures are self-explanatory.
We think that the app, whose photo stock is constantly expanding, is a helpful innovation that can help new anglers, for example, to eliminate initial uncertainties. (Stefan Alt)
www.sportvisserijnederland.nl



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BRIAN BOJSEN
HEADING FOR COD FIT FOR A PLACE IN THE SUN – FISHING FOR SOLE, COD AND GARFISH AT RÜGENS’ COAST


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Those who know me are aware that the origin and sustainability of the products I use play the most important role in cooking for me. A meal can only ever be as good as its ingredients and to ensure that the quality of the products I use meets my high standards, I regularly visit my suppliers. I want to see under which conditions e.g. beef and pork are kept or want to convince myself that no pesticides and other chemicals are used in the cultivation of potatoes, basil & Co. Fortunately I am not alone in this and more and more chefs, even beyond the high-end gastronomy, are interested in the origin and quality of the food they use. Unfortunately, in the last decades the buying behaviour of people in private purchases has taken a wrong turn and those who buy a kilo of turkey breast for just 4,90 € per kilo at a discount store have to be aware that they are buying food stuff of rather poor quality. Of course, this is not immediately noticeable, as the meat, which is often contaminated with a lot of liquid seasoning, water and often also chemicals and medicine residues, pretends to be rich in flavour. In the medium term, however, you are not doing your own body (and certainly not the animals reared) any favours. The tales of woe in factory farming are well known and it is no coincidence that so-called diseases of affluence such as diabetes or the many food intolerances have massively increased in recent years.
In my Hamburg restaurant, Brians‘ Steak & Lobster, there are of course no two opinions on the subject, but the way is the goal and that‘s why I, like fortunately many of my colleagues, am committed to making food and its ingredients more appreciated again in public. The argument that, for example, a family of five cannot obtain its meat from an expensive organic farmer at the weekly market for reasons of cost, I cannot accept in my mission, by the way. From my point of view, a rethink is needed and fish and meat should again be seen as something special that does not find its way onto the plate every day of the week as a matter of course. To achieve this, but also to show that you can use more than just the fillet of an animal, I will write about my mission and my passion, cooking, here in SCALE Magazine and present my films.
Of course you can watch what happens in my world on a regular basis in between the issues of the quarterly SCALE on my YouTube. There I will take you on to further journeys, go fishing and hunting, cook and barbecue my prey at the campfire and may experience many other adventures. Whether salmon fishing at the Swedish Mörrum, wild boar hunting near Stockholm or pilking for big cod in Norway – anglers, outdoor enthusiasts and friends of culinary delights prepared directly in nature will definitely get their money‘s worth on YouTube.


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Fish headz go #wildscandinavianway My first trip this year took me to the Baltic Sea island of Rügen in June of this year. My goal was to prepare one or two fish dishes on the beach right in front of the island‘s magnificent scenery and, because it couldn‘t be any fresher, catch the necessary sea creatures myself. I quickly assembled a team of photographer, cameraman and passionate anglers, all „fish heads“ from the north. The boys, who are also my friends, obviously didn‘t want to miss the chance of a promising fishing trip to the sea with free food. It was clear that we wanted to approach the whole thing from the boat and for this we had exactly the right skipper with us in Tobias Herrmann from V-Boats.
While we spent the first day after our arrival to get our tackle and cooking utensils set up, on day 2 we started early in the morning. For me, being used to sleep an hour longer, no easy thing, because I usually stand in front of the stove and behind the bar in my restaurant until well after midnight. Besides, we (who eats well, must also drink well) had opened one or the other bottle more the previous evening and this made itself felt in the morning. But on the water our heads were free again and the moment we all felt a slight tug in the line and the first cod got stuck, adrenalin cleared our heads and tired bodies.
In bright sunshine we fished from the boat for the next few hours, changed spots in between when fishing didn‘t work or experimented with lure colours and weights.
The catch on the evening of the first day was quite respectable and on the three following days we caught exactly the target fish that I wanted to use


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cooking on the beach. Our evenings were almost always the same: While my friends helped me gutting fish and doing some light prep work on the vegetable front, I thought about how I could prepare cod, garfish and flatfish. In general, I have a wide portfolio of recipes in my head, but when you can fall back on mussels, bladderwrack and seawater close by, new possibilities to vary arise. I don‘t want to brag, but I think I can honestly say that I was able to inspire the boys with my creations one more than one occasion. The fact that nobody suggested a detour to the burger eatery with the golden M on the drive back to the accommodation was also a sure sign that everybody was full up.
Things got really interesting on day 3, when I served a specialty that caused some irritation at first: cod heads. I had already learned how to prepare them as a teenager in my home country Denmark, but unfortunately this dish has fallen into oblivion. At the moment I only know of one restaurant in Copenhagen where this extremely delicate dish is still served. Especially under the motto of sustainability and my intention to use as much of an animal as possible, as so-called primitive peoples still practice today, cooked cod heads are an exciting dish. I knew that such a cod head in a pot is an unusual sight for many people, but those who constantly gut fish, like my fishing buddies do, probably have a lower inhibition threshold than those who understand cooking fish to be the frying of fish fingers.
When my gang of „fish heads“ met the boiled fish heads swimming in the pot, their enthusiasm was great in any case. Only our cameraman needed some persuasion, but after he had seen how the other boys enjoyed the front part of a cod, he too dared a bite and was undoubtedly impressed. Although I was also able to delight with the other dishes, the cooked cod heads were clearly the culinary winner at the end of the trip. Few of my companions knew until then how much great meat there was on such a head and that alone was a surprise to them.
Obviously I don‘t want to withhold the recipe from you and that‘s why there’s a list of ingredients and the preparation steps. So, don‘t be afraid of this unusual dish, and remember the maxim I stick to when making a dish „Less is more“ or „Keep It Simple“ – or as the Danish say: „Reduce Tø The Måx”. I wish you a lot of fun and a good appetite while cooking and maybe we‘ll meet sometime at the water. If I am preparing something on the campfire, just sit down – you are welcome to join me ...




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THE RECIPE Don’t let it get in over your head, when preparing a fish head – the dish is quick and easy to prepare: Ingredients serving 4: 2 large cod heads 1bunch of coriander 4 red chillies 1 bunch of celery 4 cloves of garlic 1bunch of spring onions 4 medium-sized carrots 200 ml soy sauce Saltwater from the sea or salted fresh water How to ...
The cod heads are placed in one pot each and then half filled with salt water (ideally sea water, but salted water from the tap at home is of course fine too). Cut the vegetables into small pieces and distribute them in equal shares on the pots. Cut the garlic into slices and also add the roughly chopped coriander. Bring to the boil and then pour the soy sauce over it. Stir and leave to rest for another 5 minutes with the lid closed. The meat will then come off the head all by itself, if necessary use a fork to help a little. Serve with toasted white bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
Hygge and good appetite, your Brian
www.brians-hamburg.de Brian on YouTube



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PAYDAY
60 A garfish reaches a speed maximum of sixty kilometres per hour when it is really on the go. Anyone who has fished for the mini swordfish, which are biologically related to perch, knows that fighting this fish can be hair raising. It is not without reason that you should at least wear polarization glasses – these can save lives, because garfish are known to behave quite uncontrolled and lively once you hook them. Deaths for humans occur again and again when encountering the fast predator. It is hard to believe that people die from garfish, but it has occured several times in the past. However, it is not to be assumed that these casualties stem from attacks, but rather from accidental contact. If you google a bit, you will quickly find reports in which swimmers, for example, lost their lives because a garfish’s elongated jaws pierced through their eye right into the brain or even straight into the heart. (Stefan Alt)


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time we have had the Swedish salmon/seatrout expert Micke Lindström SCALE PRESENTS TIEThis HARD – POWERED BY AHREX behind the vice. There is something special about a spey-hackled salmonfly.
GRIZZLY CANDY VON MORTEN HAGGE HANSEN
Micke Lindström shows his skills here, tying his beautiful chocolate brown spey on an Esmond Drury treble hook. In this fly he uses a ringed neck pheasant instead of the heron, but the result speaks for itself – a more „lively“ fly in Those long fibred hackles, originally from a heron, are so alive under water the rare to find and the salmon it. Give–itein a try your Fischmagnet self.
and lend heißt movement to thebei flyTie likeHard few ...other materials.
The SwedishVerwenlegend Fliegenbau statt Fliegenbinden es diesmal Durch die ausschließliche Einewater sehr iseinfache Fischimitation eineslove Sandaals echter für das Küstenfischen dung von UV-Harz zum Sichern der Materialien anstelle von Fadenwicklungen, erhaltet ihr eine nach z.B. Meerforelle oder Wolfsbarsch. Einfach und doch effektiv.
superstarke Fliege und vermeidet die Umstände mit dem whip-finisher.
and tight (fst) Have fun and always tie hardHappy withtying AHREX andlines!
SCALE.




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I have been fishing with flies for several decades now and caught thousands of fish what it seems like. Big and small, wild and stocked, salmon and sea trout, bonefish, perch, barracuda, huchen, pike, carp and „Schiede“, as the asp is called in Bavaria. I‘ve been to many places in the world to try to seduce the local species with the fly. I have actually achieved everything that fly fishing has to offer. And yet one fish has remained my favourite – the grayling in the streams and rivers of my Bavarian homeland.
Ombre, Zen and Swing in the dike Monday evening, half past eight, blue hour – a hot summer day in June is drawing to a close. I part from my work at the computer, slip into my knee boots and get my equipment ready for the evening rise.
Pull the line through the guides, tie on a new tippet, plug in the fly box, put on the hat and pola, then get on the bike and off to the old canal. This „overflow“, built over a hundred years ago, protects the towns downstream from floods by diverting the water from the reservoir upstream into a tributary. Although an artificial watercourse, it lies picturesquely in the landscape. Its water is cold and clear. It holds a small but fine stock of wild grayling. They have never been stocked there, only the abundance of food and the oxygen-rich, summer cold water of the canal provide a perfect habitat. I stop briefly on the bridge and look down on the calmly


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moving water. Long flags of flowing buttercup are gently waving in the current. The water surface is bustling with activity. In the back light I see hatching duns, hectically dipping on the water, surface caddis flies laying eggs and in the high grass on the bank, bright yellow fluttering small stoneflies, yellow sallys. In the air up to the sky, red spinners sway up and down. And below, just above the ground, they stand, the objects of my desire. Ombre, shadow, is what the French call graylings. With its simple grey appearance and the characteristic dorsal fin, for me the most fitting name for these beauties among our native fish. Almost shadowy, they swing back and forth in the current channels between the herbaceous flags, with their large elegant dorsal fins, taking advantage of every nuance of the current. It almost seems like a dance and intuitively I try to fathom the corresponding melody and rhythm. Here an ascending nymph, there a gammarus – then she rises up as fast as lightning, slurps a just hatched Dun and returns to her place with a graceful turn and the dance starts again. All of a sudden a joyful feeling seeps through my body. My graylings, my challenge, my Zen. Forget all the worries of everyday life. It‘s dry fly time!
The evening leap into perfection Slowly a regular rising of the fish begins now. At first sporadically, then more and more often I see the rings on the water surface melting away downstream.


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Quickly down the steep slope, tie a CDC emerger on to the leader.
A few empty casts to pull the necessary line length out of the reel and my fly is already touching the surface. After a few drifts I can tack a beautiful specimen in the forties.
Today is an easy day. She fights wildly, jumps and hits into the leader with her tail fin again and again to get rid of the annoying fly. After a few minutes I pull her onto a bed of flooding buttercup on the side of the flow channel where she had taken my fly. A magnificent fish of elegant, minimalistic beauty, which is released back into its element after a short photo.
In the course of this evening I succeed in animating two more of these massive graylings to rise, in addition to some rainbows and a chub (Aitel, as they say in Bavaria).
One I can still land, the second I lose in the jump, because they fight like mad, my channel graylings. When the sun has already gone down for almost an hour and I‘m on my way home, I can still hear the occasional „Wosh, .....wosh!“ of the rising fish as I cycle along the course of the river in the deep twilight. An evening rise as it should be – I am filled with a deep satisfaction.








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Bleak prospects for the „Lady of the Waters“ When I started fly fishing, there were still graylings in abundance in most of the Bavarian rivers and streams that carried summer cold water. Whether in the clear pre-alpine rivers and their tributaries such as the Isar, Loisach, Ammer and Lech, as well as in small inconspicuous meadow streams or the primeval rivers of the low mountain ranges.
Even in the Bavarian capital of Munich, up to 2,000 graylings were still taken by fishermen every year in the 1970s, without this having noticeably affected the stock. At that time, hundreds of graylings of all sizes could be watched rising in the Isar river in the middle of the city in the evening.
Unfortunately, the situation today is quite different. The grayling stock has disappeared from most waters, or only exists at a minimal level.
Most artificial stocking measures are not bearing fruit either, despite years of subsidised aid programmes. However, this can be observed not only in Bavaria, but throughout Europe with the exception of some Scandinavian countries. The main causes seem to be general habitat degradation, e.g. through transverse structures, silting up of spawning grounds, rising water temperatures due to climate change, exponential growth of the cormorant population, and locally the increase in the number of goosander. While the cormorant also attacks adult fish, the sawyer mainly snatches the juvenile specimens up to 25cm length. The feeding pressure of these fish-eating birds caused a massive collapse of the grayling population at the end of the eighties. The lack of political will to contain the increasing cormorant populations sustainably and Europe-wide prevented the occurrence of grayling to this day and in my opinion even leads to the creeping extinction of many local occurrences. Nevertheless, there are always waters which, due to certain characteristics, prevent the grayling from being eaten.
These can be, for example, persistent cloudiness, the presence of aquatic plants as cover and food reservoir, or a current that is too strong for the predators, which prevents greater decimation of juvenile and adult grayling. Thus, sometimes strong local stocks can develop, as for example at my channel.


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The way to happiness Why am I so fond of grayling after so many years of fly fishing? The grayling is a fickle fish. If on one day it gets on almost every fly, on other days it behaves capriciously like a diva. Nothing appeals to her, every presented pattern is denied. At best, an occasional rise and subsequent despicable turning away will be achieved with her. Not like the trout, which usually lunges impetuously at the fly and likes to take the unnaturally presented irritating fly drawn over the surface of the water.
Dry fly fishing for grayling is the freestyle for me. You are always put to the test again and again and notice that you never really learn when fishing. Is it the pattern, the size of the fly, its colour or outline, the thickness of the leader, is the leader too visible in the surface film?
Things that were irrelevant yesterday are suddenly decisive today.
So you stand at or in the water, start testing, puzzling out, and finally provoking the „redeeming take“ and thus the longed-for success. And suddenly you realize that you forget time and space and everything else fades into the background. Suddenly you feel one with nature. If you then manage to reveal the mystery of the rise and find out which fly is preferred today, this creates, for me at least, a feeling of happiness and inner balance, which for me represents the real essence of fly fishing.
As Norman MacLean wrote in „A river runs through it“: “Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world‘s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.“ But some words you will never understand, I guess.



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THE SCALE INSTAGRAM-CHECK In our SCALE Instagram column we introduce you to people whose feed is worth following.
In all honesty, we don‘t know how long we‘ve been following Lance Boen‘s Instagram account. All we know is that all members of the SCALE editorial team are big fans of his work. The material he works with is leather and the sculptures he creates from it are truly unique.
Lance, who studied sculpture receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts, is known for his unique fish sculptures.
With his tools, some of which are very old, and the colours used, he creates surrealistic, vivid pictures out of the natural material leather. The raw material is usually untreated but sometimes, used belts or gloves e.g. find their way into one of his fascinating objects. Lance‘s pieces are often life-size and range from finely detailed tropical fish to surreals saddle-bearing trout that are larger than their creator.
If you are passionate about art, solid craftsmanship, tattoo-style painting and fish sculptures that come with clean shapes, then you should definitely follow the passionate fly fisherman on Instagram. (Stefan Alt)

@lancemarshallboen #wildlifeart #westernart #anvils #powerhammer #oldtools #vintagetools #workwithyourhands#fishingart #fishart #fishsculpture #leatherart #montereybay #carmelvalley #lancemarshallboen #fishpainting #handcrafted #fishartist



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To most people fishing means getting out of the city, walking the woods, enjoying the wilderness. While I do enjoy that as well, I also really love to discover the urban wilderness, to discover spots right in the middle of a big city where most people would least expect it. And to me, Miami is the ultimate city when it comes to those spots in the midst of neon, glamour and graffiti.
Whether you’re on vacation, just passing through or on an actual fishing trip – Miami has it all. For starters, you’re practically able to fish right out of the landing plane.
The lakes around the airport, curiously enough known as the “Airport Lakes”, are a great opportunity to go after peacock bass. Many of the airport hotels are built right on the bank, from which you can also fish, just outside your room. I have had a blast fishing from the boat with planes flying right over my head on their approach of the landing strip – quite a different experience than having birds soar across the skies over a quite lake. Also, peacock bass are simply amazing. They have so much punch and aggression in relation to their size, and their willingness to strike a surface bait is unbelievable. They alone are worth travelling to Miami for!
But the city offers much more than that, incredible saltwater action for instance.
On Instagram I came across a Miami-based street fisher who calls himself @draggrunningjunkie.


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First of all, I have never seen anyone post so many photos of big fish on such a regular basis. Drag catches monsters on a daily and weekly basis! But it is not only what Drag catches, but how he does it that caught my attention.
Seldom have I seen anyone catch fish with so much style. Almost all of the fishing Drag does is land-based from piers, jettys and concrete walls. Right in the middle of Miami with the high rises as backdrops.
Drag sports a cool golden grill and urban fishing outfits that might as well be straight out of a rap video.
And guess what – it turns out, Drag is a rapper! Check him and his fishing and rapping buddy Monster Mike out on their track “I’ll be there” and be sure to give him some attention on Instagram – you will not regret it!
On my latest trip to Miami I obviously had to hook up with Drag and we went fishing on a small rocky jetty in the middle of the city where we had a blast catching nice snooks – we saw a couple of serious monster tarpon and snooks, but just like so many other fishing days – this was the one of those where the big ones got away.








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The next day my buddy Simon and I decided to give some freshwater lakes a try, places which we had heard rumors of lots of nice largemouth bass about. The only problem was that these lakes were on a private golf course – and oh yeah – not just any golf course.
This one is called Trump National Doral Golf Course – and owned by the man himself. Yeah, that one. But we were not gonna let that stop us, so we snuck in real early in the morning before daybreak, and before we could see much of what we were doing, we were catching bass. This went on for an hour or more with lots of explosive topwater strikes. But the sun was gradually coming up and suddenly the golfers started arriving – and even more unfortunate, the green keeper also showed up, gave us quite an earful and kicked us out.
But it was all worth it!
If you plan to visit Miami, give Drag a shoutout on Instagram and hire him to take you out for a day or an evening to show you how he fishes Miami-style. Alan Zaremba is a great, more traditional guide who does boat-based fishing in the canals for peacocks (www.floridapeacocks.com) – and oh yeah, going fishing with Fang Byron for clown knifefish is definitely on my list for the next trip!
www.megalops.dk



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HOT & NOT
The small tackle store around the corner vs. the large online dealer Hot
If I feel the need to talk with like-minded people about the probably best hobby in the world, if I want to make small purchases to fill up my repertoire of fishing equipment or if I want to get one or the other tip about the situation at the local waters, then I sit down on my bike, take the next bus or reach my small fishing shop within walking distance at best. As soon as I open the door, the smell of vanilla, speculoos, aniseed, fishmeal and silicone hits me, an aroma I could have filtered out from thousands of other scents since my childhood. Here, at the tender age of 12, I carefully salvaged my nightcrawler worms from the fridge, bougaht pinkie maggots and bait mixes and listened in awe to the stories of seasoned anglers – beautiful memories that make my synapses vibrate. Today I still enjoy the exchange with the shop owner, now in the third generation of selling fishing tackle, he offers me a coffee, expertly spools my reel, and shortly afterwards repairs a broken guide inlay. We talk about the current situation on the water, catches, environmental problems and stir together in the coffee pot, rumours and exciting anecdotes. Other customers join us and soon an interesting topic is found, which is wildly discussed. Surely here in the small fishing shop I don‘t find everything I need, but I can touch everything, examine it, cast a sample and get personal advice.
No matter if I am a spin or fly fisherman, expert advice is worth its weight in gold and I would like to see and feel what I will use next season to catch fish in a stream, river, lake or sea. The price policy here is also quite relaxed: There may be a bit of haggling and in the end I don‘t pay more than what the hottest price on the internet is screaming at me. Warranty procedures are handled here personally and give me confidence.
I have no logistical expenses, I don‘t pay postage and I don‘t have to worry that my parcel will get lost somehow and that I will be held responsible for it myself in the end. The whole ordering procedure with mountains of packaging and its infrastructure: I reduce these ways tremendously, ecologically sensible and more sustainable than the continuous ordering in the internet. In the end, half of the online orders are missing or the rod is not as fast as the description suggests, the reel does not run silky smooth and the bellows feathers arrive spliced to the last keel. We don‘t want to talk about the bucktail, which is badly coloured and with much too short hair on the table in front of me. That looked completely different on the internet site and was somehow advertised differently. And let‘s be honest, nobody needs all the bells and whistles, the thousandth rubber bait with the same design and some great UV-decors anymore. And my ten year old rod lands my fish just as safely as the latest Hi-Carbon-Resin-Nano-what-what-you-know-what model.
So I‘m glad I have my little shop, when I go out I buy 10 lots and win a porcupine pose, a pack of old rubber lures and a rod holder. The youth group of the local fishing club is happy about that and I like to bring such things to them personally, because it is the personal thing that combines hobby, business and social life for me.


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HOT & NOT Not
So since I‘ve been living in the country, everything‘s changed. Everything different for the sake of the family. No traffic, which threatens to bury my children under itself, clean air, no urban neurotics and serial killers, instead meadows, forest and water. Almost Bullerbü, the little ones should grow up in the idyll of nature.
The downside: If, like me, you don‘t have a car of your own and depend on the woman‘s car, using the local infrastructure doesn‘t necessarily make it easier to get from A to B. If there is a bus at all, then I remember the travel times best by the fact that the raspberries are already ripe again or alternatively the snow shovel would have to be fetched from the shed. Mall strolling and window shopping was yesterday. Culture here is limited to the volunteer fire brigade and the annual Pork-Sausage-Festival, but that‘s it for the cultural exchange. That‘s the price of trout in the stream that flows through the garden and cute fawns in the vegetable patch. As an editor of a renowned fishing magazine I feel obliged to follow the latest trends in the international fishing scene, not only to know the latest tackle, but also to have held it in my hands in order to be able to offer the interested reader real experiences. I‘m also a bit of a dandy when it comes to JDM and US tackles, I like to hold luxurious and high quality fly gear in my hands and when choosing my wardrobe I like to have a bit of Patagucci or Haute Simmsammsomm here and there. The nearest fishing shop is 14 kilometres away and has only the bare essentials for the old-established and local angler: coffin-shaped lead, carp hook and the corresponding chair. Powerbait and wax moth larva, somewhere a sun-yellowed fly leader hangs next to the spinners from the B-goods of a Ukrainian wholesaler.
So shopping for me? Only online! There is no other way. I want the 5.5 inch Senko in Junebug decor.
Trout wobblers come to me from Japan and I also expect my baitcaster rods to be designed in this country at least. This is not available here, these are all Greek for folks over here. I need holographic flash and dark blue Badger saddle feathers, deer hair in chartreuse and I get my braided line decorated with Asian characters on a big spool, in every color I can think of. I can shop when I want and I always get what I want. I don‘t have to talk to Karl-Heinz, who caught an eel last night, as thick as his wife‘s arm (she was the Pork-Sausage-Queen last year, by the way), and I have to laboriously work my way through shelves that throw things at me that I don‘t need anyway. With one click I get exactly what I am looking for through the perfectly running search function of my fishing online store. A breathable long-sleeved shirt with the print of a brooktrout, strictly limited edition and designed by an artist closely connected to the corresponding textile brand. It‘s certainly better than the T-shirt here in the local fishing store with the bold letters „beer and fishing is the best“...
Ordered today, tomorrow I will already have my salmon rod from the Scandinavian manufacturer in my hands, can test my new Ultralight rod together with the trendiest creature-baits and can integrate Flashabou in all holo tones into my streamers. This is 2020 and a global shopping experience. What should I do? All fishing shops tend to close down, even in big cities it is getting harder and harder to find a well sorted shop. The online trade is booming and if somewhere in the world fried flying fox mutates to a pandemic, it probably won‘t necessarily get any better with local shopping.
So if I want to find more than I might actually need, get inspired and be part of the consumption-driven zeitgeist, then online trading is the real deal for me. (Frank Steinmann)



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Deep in my mind This story begins many years ago, before the time of smartphones and internet, with a little boy looking at a photograph of the most iconic freshwater fish: The Arapaima Gigas. Of course back in those days the content of fishing magazines wasn’t that fresh, not like today, it was an article written by some pioneer who put a piece of fish on his hook and held it into the Amazon, but it was good enough to make the little boy dream about that mysterious creature, beautiful and rare. That little boy was I. Many years later, when I started to make my living in the fishing industry, exploring new areas, travelling a lot, being attracted by the unknown, my knowledge became broader and broader and I slowly started to realize that this was not just far fetched for a little boy, it would be hard for anyone to get an opportunity of catching an Arapaima, especially if one wants to do it on the fly.
Every spot I heard about later turned out to be overfished or illegal and if they weren’t that, they were far too expensive. For some reason, with all the freshwater fish available, catching an Arapaima became a sort of obsession for me.
So, when my good friend Jon told me he had found a place where it was possible to catch loads of them, I admit, I was sceptic. When he returned from his venture after five weeks filled with fly fishing and guiding, he showed me the photos he took of the fish he caught on fly. Then he told me about the fish that had escaped. My question was simple: When do we go? After 20 years of dreaming about them, it seemed I finally would get a shot of catching an Arapaima.


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The Arapaima Gigas The Arapaima is a living fossil. It is proven that the fish one catches today is genetically the same animal that roamed the rivers 23 million years ago. For reference, Homo sapiens is more or less the same for about 10.000 years. Phew.
The idea of catching an ancient species in a wild environment without a lodge or guides, deep inside a pristine rainforest, was more than enough to make me excited. In addition to this, the Arapaima is -how shall I put this- it is a very weird fish. It has lungs, so after fighting one, if you’re lucky enough to beat it, you have to keep them out of the water so they can breathe – otherwise they might drown. Their bodies are similar to a snake’s, which allows them to hunt in very shallow waters, flooded patches of jungle for instance. It is simply a very different sort of fishing and one has to figure the Arapaima out a bit.
The Journey A team of crazy anglers – we know each other from previous trips – is sitting in a café in Quito, laughing, drinking rum from small glasses, exchanging the latest fishing gossip. We can’t stop dreaming about the adventures to come.
At three a clock the next morning a small but loud alarm makes us fall out of our beds, and, slightly tipsily, we stumble into a minivan, which will take us through breathtaking mountain scenery towards a big Amazon river. There we are. Just our backpacks, rods and cameras.
During the next one and a half days we cross the Peruvian border, follow a variety of rivers upstream and downstream and then finally enter a small black creek.


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The environment changes significantly, we’re able to see and hear a lot more animals here, and during our two-day trek we saw two Arapaimas chilling just beneath the surface of a lake, which got us pretty excited. Setting up the camp quickly, we dash towards the river to have look. We enter a stretch of flooded jungle with our small shambling canoe and just paddle for a little while. Finally we reach a beautiful lake, we can’t focus on the sublime nature too much though for our vehicle is constantly trying to do a backflip. We manage to set the canoe down close to some grassland and, still slightly off balance, we prepare our rods.
I make a couple of test casts to adjust the fly line length and warm up, and of course, on the third cast I almost get pulled out of the boat by what seems to be a nimble young submarine. The swell is just massive, I only just manage to hold on to the line (my drag is still not set) and this thing starts to pull the canoe through the water at 20 km/h.
All I’m able to do is scream, swear, hold the line and try not to flip the canoe. Then something or other breaks and as I get my fly back I realize that my Tiemco SP600 6/0, by far the best hook I own, is bent. I’m seriously shocked, I have caught big GTs up to 55kg with this thing. Still, being pulled through the water this way was as hilarious as it was frightening. The first gingerly little bit of paddling we do after this scene nearly lands us face-down in the water, so we agree to call it a first day.











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The Challenge When things start out like this, in such a spectacular fashion, when you have a great shot at the first cast and don’t really expect it, especially after waiting for an opportunity like this for 20 odd years and you hook a potential world record after 30 seconds of fishing, well, it means that destiny will punish you for not reacting quickly enough. So I wasn’t too surprised when we realized that the water levels had risen about 2.5 meters compared to the week before, which meant that the Arapaimas would probably be spread for miles across, hunting in the shallows between trees and swamps. A lot of casting and persistence ahead of us then. For the next three days I wasted my time paddling through the jungle in a small kayak, discovering and exploring tiny ponds. I saw Arapaima everywhere, I heard them breathing, I heard them splashing their tails. But they wouldn’t bite, no matter what I tried. Something I realized during this episode: the place seemed packed with fish, though they were not aggressive. It almost seemed like they have such an immense understanding of their habitat that it doesn’t occur to them to bite down on something as sketchy as a fly. Spooky.
On the fourth day we visited a new and large lake with lots of trees in the water and some shallow bits, evidently jungle flooded by the high water.
There was a feast going on somewhere, we could hear the splashes from afar. My canoe buddy and I kept casting, changing locations, paddling, until we arrived at a spot from which we could see a dozen or so of the mighty river monsters bundled up close together. I manage to land my fly in the hot zone, a fairly high level of adrenaline pumping through my veins. Nothing on the first cast, nothing on the second or third. The fish vanish, one after another. Another thing I realized: casting my 25cm bucktail fly will be my blind religion for the next six days, no matter how many hours, how painful it will be, I will have to keep casting until my fly will be in front of the right fish. At the end of day four I’m told that one of the other fly fishing guys had an Arapaima following under the boat, so, better than nothing.
While three of us are fly fishermen, the other three are spin anglers and they definitely achieve better results with their technique. Which might sound bitter, but it isn’t, at all.


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Because it’s encouraging, it keeps our morale high and it is also a great excuse to drink too much rum at night. The next day, I feel, is a game changer. We are visiting the most remote (and apparently fish filled) lake of the region. We follow a path some Indigenos kindly made for us in the jungle, then another 30 minutes of paddling. As we arrive on a corner of the lake, a dozen Arapaima come up to breath but nothing happens for a couple of hours except a small specimen (about 30 kg) on one of the spin rods. Then Markiian starts screaming like a madman and finally I see a proper Gigas jumping out of the water his gaping mouth connected to a fly line, surely more than two meters!
After an intense fight we admire this trophy, hopefully not the last, and at night we celebrate like it’s the championship. The day after we decide to split the teams. The two other fly anglers and I decide to visit the same lake again. I have an appointment there, which I commit to by wearing my lucky shirt. This shirt has squired for me on many adventures, it is responsible for some of the largest fish I have caught in my life. Today there is a lot more action than yesterday but again nothing happens until late in the afternoon. Suddenly there is total mayhem in a corner of the lake. The Arapaima splash like their lives depend on it and my boat is surrounded by swell and foam. Surely it must happen now, and indeed! I get a strike. Unfortunately a small one, maybe 20 to 25kg but still a good start!
The next day something bad happens, something really bad.
Rain. For some reason the Arapaima seem to stop any activity when it’s raining. So over the course of the next couple of days the fishing becomes harder and harder with the water level rising a couple of centimetres a day. Despite this we manage to land another specimen on the fly. The progress report is as follows: The Spinning guys caught some fish and lost some more, one guy had seven strikes without a single fish landed and so far three Arapaima landed on the fly and some lost. I admit I felt a bit demotivated on the last day. I actually considered staying in the camp. But in the end I realized how stupid I would be to spend my last day in this most extraordinary place sulking.


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As a fishing guide I have seen crazy things happen, the only rule is to keep your lure or fly in the water as long as you can. So, eventually, on the last day of my trip at 4.30pm I founded myself connected to THE Arapaima. The strike I had waited for, sought after for so long, dreamt of as a kid, all catalysed in a few seconds: a powerful pull, a huge swell, my fly line getting tight, focused, cold and full of adrenaline I hold the line, giving the fish nothing, nothing! And then it jumps out of the water shaking and gigantic. I shout at my boat buddy to get me out of the muddy water and after five minutes we’re in the middle of the lake. I think I might have been praying. Five more minutes and we’re close to the bank in the shallows, I jump into the water to finish the job with a proper rodeo. Then the fight is over and we let it breath and take some pictures. I can say without a doubt that this was one of the best fishing moments in my life, and one of the best in general. The effort, the years I waited, the persistence, it is impossible to describe.
I won my bet. I caught a huge Arapaima. The bet was to get a tattoo if I succeeded and now I’ll have to get it. While I’m deciding on a body part I’ll tie some huge bucktail flies for my next visit, somewhere in there the world record is waiting for me.


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WINNERS
BANG, BOOM, POW!
We‘ve chosen the winners of issue #37 and we hope it‘s the right ones. There were some great prizes and if you can‘t find your name here, you should read the current issue very carefully, because this time again there‘s a lot to get. We would like to thank our generous sponsors and wish you lots of fun with the prizes!
The winners this time were:
One of 2 GUIDELINE Elevation rods
Jan Hendriks Milan Pantic One of 3 cartons of MOBY One-4-All Softbaits
Sascha Berndt Vincent Bernard Bas de Groot One of 3 of the FRESHWATER FLY board games
Steve Taylor Jonas Strohbach Melanie Sellner


00158

Hot off the pre SCA LE REA DS ALO NG
ss
IAN „DIZZYFISH“ HARRIS
KAYAK FISHING IN CLOSE AND PERSONAL
Every once in a while, along comes a book which makes you think about things in a different way. In his book “Kayak Fishing In Close and Personal”, author and self confessed kayak fishing nut Ian “Dizzyfish” Harris distils into its 19 chapters, the very essence of what makes kayak fishing such a devastating and addictive method. The book combines detailed reference material in the form of 19 species based chapters, with actual kayak fishing trips, and includes vivid and precise analysis of what made them successful. The detail provided in the species chapters tells you everything you need to know in order to catch specimen fish from a kayak. Tactics and tackle are explained clearly amongst some stunning imagery. There is a strong emphasis is on lure fishing and some contemporary techniques which the author has gleaned on his many international kayak fishing trips. The book takes you on an illustrated journey through freshwater, saltwater and a includes a smattering of fly fishing or Flyaking as it is known.
The number of trophy specimens which Dizzyfish catches from the kayak is pretty impressive, and the journey and the read is deeply immersive. It is clear from the format and the design of the book,
that a lot of thought and consideration has been applied throughout. The author’s passion and enthusiasm brings the subject to life. The landscape layout lends itself to the numerous images, and each chapter is accompanied by quotes from Ernest Hemingway. Only 150 limited hardbacks were printed, and each one is numbered and signed by the author. (Stefan Alt)

 “Kayak Fishing In Close and Personal” is available for £30 (GBP) plus postage and packaging. If you would like a copy please drop Dizzy an email ian@dizzyfish.plus.com
www.dizzybigfish.co.uk




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When going to Slovenia to fly fish expectations are high.
Influenced by magazines, TV programmes and social networks, the country in the south of Europe bordering Austria, Italy, Croatia and Hungary, is advertised as the trout fishing Eldorado par excellence. Or maybe expectations are driven by past experiences of extraordinary fishing there. The latter was true for me, and memories of a short trip few years ago lingered clearly in my mind. This year’s visit of Slovenia was my fifth in the hope of a repeat of unforgetable angling for rainbow trout, marmoratas and grayling, surrounded by beautiful nature.
Yet this year was very different – not only because of COVID-19. The virus that is currently keeping the world on tenterhooks was responsible for us driving towards Soĉa in the first place, as we had to postpone our trip to Sweden until 2021 due to quarantine regulations.
Since there was no flexibility regarding our holiday time, our trip needed to take place in the first half of July. Slovenia was considered literally corona free and when Hannah and her husband Shaun told us that our favourite house was free in that period, there was no question whether we should make this trip. The house in the small town of Kamno is one of the most beautiful accommodations we have ever stayed in on fishing trips and we were especially pleased that we were able to rent it again from the couple living in Devon, England.
Early in the morning in the beginning of July my friend Lüder Isenberg and I drove from Hamburg and Bremen to the south of Germany. In order not to let the 16 hours journey in blazing sun and temperatures of almost 30°C turn into an ordeal, we decided to stop in Siegsdorf for the night with our friends from Rudi Heger Flyfishing. After a warm welcome we had a look at their beat on the beautiful Traun. A shame there was no time to fish in that beautiful river, where we spotted numerous trout. Our schedule was tight and we met in the evening for dinner in our hotel. It turned out to be a lovely evening and the next morning we continued our trip via Villach in Austria and the serpentines of the Triglav mountains to Slovenia.
When we arrived in the midsummery Soĉa valley, the emerald green river showed its best side. Yet on the way to the accommodation, which was to be our home for the next 14 days, it became clear during a first stop on a bridge that it carried much less water than in previous years. We watched a fisherman in swimming trunks and fly-fishing vest, who slyly outsmarted a 50 cm big trout right under the bridge Tenkara style with a nymph.


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Man, were we looking forward to the next few days. We celebrated our arrival in Kamno in the beautiful front garden of our house, with one or the other Moscow Mule and gin and tonic, made ourselves at home, and made a plan how we wanted to spend the next days.
First casts We soon decided that the Soĉa River would be the water we least wanted to fish.
With less visited tributaries like the Idrijca, the Trebusica or the Tolminka – not even counting the region around the Sava Bohinjka – there are several other rivers that can offer exciting fishing. Although we never had the impression on visits in previous years, that the Soĉa River was overfished and we very rarely met other anglers, we were primarily interested in these less frequented waters – or at least their remote areas. In fact, this article was also supposed to be about a little pearl among these tributaries, but in the end things turned out differently ...
We bought our fishing licenses from the fishing club Ribiska-Druzina in Tolmin.
We’ve had an exchange with the association that manages the region in an exemplary and sustainable way from previous trips, and which actually goes beyond the purchase of tickets. Even today we fondly remember the guided tour through their fish farm and the lecture given by the then chairman, Lucijan Rejec, who sadly passed away in 2019. Anyway, we spent another day chilling in the shade of the huge balcony of our house, we started the barbecue at some point in the afternoon, prepared our tackle and had a good time. There was plenty of it and this trip was supposed to be a little holiday too.
To „warm us up“ we fished the Soĉa River and its widely spread arms on the first day. As mentioned, the river in the wide valley right below the village Bovec, which we liked in fishing in previous years ran little water. The number of kayakers, which can be a nuisance for anglers, was remarkably low this time thanks to COVID-19 and we were able to land the first beautiful fish soon. Fishing nymphs turned out to be much more difficult than we remembered and patterns of terrestrials like bees, hoppers and small ants were the flies the fish were most interested in. It soon became clear that our late date of travel would have an impact on our fishing.


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All different Day two led us to the River Idrija. There also we quickly realized that the conditions had changed. Looking down from a bridge at a spot we had known from previous visits we only saw chub of considerable size gliding throught the water. The huge trout for which this place is known were nowhere to be seen. Nevertheless we decided to fish and split up. Lüder drove a few kilometres upstream, while I hiked downstream. At the first big rock face I saw, the wet or chalky edges on the stone indicated that the water level here was also well below a usual level in May or June. Rising fish were not to be seen at all and when we discovered fish, they were chub or barbel.
Attempts to drift nymphs through likely looking spots in fast moving runs did not meet with any interested trout. Lüder, who fished further up, managed to cast to the odd trout.
But he also got annoyed, by mostly encountering the two species mentioned. In addition, the heat, which again exceeded 30°C in the shade, really got to us. Usually there is always a fresh breeze blowing through the valleys, but this time the air is thick and sweaty. On the way back we took a look at the River Baca and the River Tolminka. These smaller rivers, already carrying less water earlier in the year, had dried up in large parts. The evening ended routinely with a few drinks at the barbecue and we were glad to finally find some cooling.
The following day we visited another smaller tributary. What was once lovely gently flowing water, was now just a bed of pebbles in different sizes. When we found an interesting looking place carrying more water, it was occupied by local children or a few tourists splashing about – who can blame then. Out of necessity and because we were on around the corner we went to Soĉa River. You had to look for fish here. At least once you found them you could catch them. But this was no easy thing to do. Often they stood in the shade of overhanging branches or motionless deep down in fast moving runs. The fishing demanded a lot from us, not only in terms of long and precise casting.
Choosing the right fly was difficult during our visit. Sometimes a colourful mix of up to twenty nymphs, wet or dry flies adorned our fly wests’ pads and on some fish were a hard nut to crack. At the end of the day we were successful and could land one or the other fish.
It became obvious that we had to concentrate exclusively on Soĉa River because of the lack of water in its tributaries. A hot summer, the fact that we visited Slovenia for the first time quite late in the year, and an extremely mild winter with minimal snowfall in the mountains the previous year clearly left their mark.










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Garden Eden The lack of water also made itself felt in other ways. An unusually large number of animals, which are rarely or never seen during a two-week fishing trip to Slovenia, crossed our paths at the water. My theory was that they lacked drinking water or prey higher up in the mountains due to the drought and therefore risked a visit down the valley to the main stream. Most of the time the animals were as frightened as we were, because they and we were moving as silently as possible. Deer and stags drinking from the riverbank, a badger, many dice and grass snakes, both harmless and of the non-poisonous snake family and two adders made us and them flinch a bit. The most dangerous encounter I had was with a very rare horned viper, which I almost stepped on. It is considered to be the most poisonous snake in Europe and it was hunting on the banks of the Soĉa. The encounter fascinated me, but also sent shivers down my spine. Fortunately these snakes do not go on attack and bite immediately, but retreat quickly and warn others by hissing to not to come closer. The question whether it would have got her teeth through my waders fortunately remained unanswered and we both went or crawled our own way.
It must be mentioned at this point that Slovenia‘s diversity of flora and fauna is one of the most beautiful I have seen on my travels so far. Its proximity to the Mediterranean and the Alps makes for a mild climate and this seems to have a beneficial effect on nature. The landscape around the Triglav National Park looks as if someone had given it a juicy coat of paint using all the available shades of green, only to be interspersed again and again by colourful spots of flowers. Everywhere you look you see plants growing in many colours. On this holiday alone, we encountered rare animals such as the hummingbird hawk moth, bats, stag beetles and even some scorpions leaving a lasting impression. Lemon, plum and peach trees in beautifully landscaped gardens characterize this area, as do the friendly people who live there. Framed by mountains overgrown with forests, their rugged peaks inviting you to a mountain tour in valleys through which blue-green waters cut their way – Slovenia is a real paradise for anglers.


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Plenty of fish During the remaining days we concentrated – contrary to our plans – on the Soĉa River and experienced days characterized by highs and lows. Some days the river made it difficult to find the trout in the first place, on others they showed no interest in our flies. And sometimes they took whatever we presented.
One evening, for example, we experienced an unprecedented mass hatch and we didn‘t know which fish to cast to first – almost every cast rose a fish. On another day it took me quite a long time to find rising fish at all, and when I finally hooked them, I lost five out of six, because of their violent aerial acrobatics. When connecting with fat rainbow trout with a length of about 50cm on barbless hooks, it certainly was no easy feat to land them. At the end of our trip, during which we fished on 11 days, we managed to land 35 fish. Most of them rainbow trout, with some Marmorata trout in the mix. All in all we felt our trip to Slovenia was a complete success despite the water shortage, especially in the tributaries.
The conclusion Despite fishing quite successfully during the first two weeks of July, I would rather recommend travelling to Slovenia earlier in the year. Even then it would be risky, especially after a snowy winter combined with a cool spring. High water levels would probaly affect the fishing. If you make an effort, walk a few extra yards and take the time to stalk and swap flies regularly when needed, you will always catch your fish at Soĉa & Co. There is a lot to discover on the different rivers and despite the increasing popularity of Slovenia among anglers, the fishing pressure still remains low – with or without COVID-19.
The fish are tough fighters and don‘t always make it easy to catch them. But since most of us are looking for this challenge anyway, you almost always get your money‘s worth. This definitely wasn’t our last trip to Slovenia and we are looking forward to the time when we will be able to fish the smaller pearls and their sometimes difficult hidden beats ...


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Tips: If you are looking for a relaxed time in an attractive ambience, you should really try booking the house of Hannah and Shaun Carter. The lovingly restored and stylishly furnished old farmhouse is a real gem to kick back. A further advantage is that the village of Kamno lies conveniently at the heart of all access routes. All rivers and beats mentioned are more or less equidistant and you’ll avoid unnecessary mileage. All details about the accommodation going by the name of Katri-House can be found on
www.socavalleyholidays.com The best way to get your fishing licenses is to go to the office of the local fishing club in Tolmin. 65 Euro for a Catch & Release day ticket or 75 Euro for a Catch & Kill ticket are no bargains, but equate to averages prices in other European top destinations. The club offers a discount of 10% for three or more days booked and if you decide on even 10 fishing days, as we did, or more, there is even a tasty discount of 30%. Furthermore, you can put together a portfolio of C&R and C&K tickets.
www.ribiska-druzina-tolmin.si If you are unsure about venturing on your own or do not want to lose any time you should definitely book a guide. Here is a selection of those with whom we visited Slovenia the first time round and who also guided friends recently.
www.mg-flyfishing.com www.socafly.com


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SCALE PRESENTS TIE HARD – POWERED BY AHREX GRIZZLY CANDY VON MORTEN HAGGE HANSEN
Sea trout fishing on Bornholm by Gordon P. Henriksen & Niels Vestergaard
It is no secret that the Danish island of Bornholm is one of the best European destinaFliegenbau statt Fliegenbinden heißt es diesmal bei Tie Hard ... Durch die ausschließliche Verwentions for catching large sea trout. For spinning and flyfishing enthusiasts, the wild and dung von UV-Harz zum Sichern der Materialien anstelle von Fadenwicklungen, erhaltet ihr eine varied coastline of the rocky island, with a bottom structure that provides a perfect superstarke Fliege und vermeidet die Umstände mit dem whip-finisher.
habitat for the trout‘s food animals, offers numerous opportunities to get a big sea Eine sehr einfache Fischimitation eines Sandaals – ein echter Fischmagnet für das Küstenfischen trout on the scales. Bornholm is ideal for an active holiday and the dream of one of nach z.B. Meerforelle oder Wolfsbarsch. Einfach und doch effektiv.
the trophy fish of the Baltic Sea can definitely come true here – but see for yourself ...
Happy tying and tight lines! (fst)


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RAFFLE
PERCH – FISHING WITH ARTIFICIAL BAIT
DR. CATCH BOOK GIVE-AWAY
In the previous issue of SCALE we already had a look at the book and if we remember correctly we also promised to raffle at some point three copies of this 256 page tome, which is existentially important for perch anglers. The book is packed with basics, tricks, bait tips and expert advice from well-known perch specialists and is a real sales success, just like the publishers predecessor about carp fishing, and it’s running out of print fast.
Gladly, the boys of Dr. Catch put our three copies aside in time and therefore we are happy to give them away in this issue of SCALE 38. To win the book, which unfortunately is currently only available in German, just send a message with your address to
barschbuch@scale.magazine.com The winners will be announced in the next issue as usual. Dr. Catch will then send you the book directly and we are pretty sure that there will even be some cool stickers in addition. If you can‘t wait that long, you can order the book directly at:
www.doctor-catch.shop



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TEXT & PHOTO: FRANK STEINMANN
HBSC
Hardbodies & Softcores Lures you wouldN’t want to miss in your tackle box


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DIVER BUG Length: Weight: Action: Target fish: Editor‘s Note:
BY RELLA FISHING LURES 39 mm 2,5 – 3 g Wobbling and tailing Trout, chub, perch, ide and other cyprinids Filigree handwork and realistic replica from the beetle world


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GNTLMN Length: Weight: Action: Target fish: Editor‘s note:
BY FAT GENTLEMAN LURES 17 cm 110 g Side to side, up and down, slow sink Pike, zander, catfish and other large predatory fish Ideal for shallow waters and slow action


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RED BELLIED PIRANHA Length: Weight: Action: Target fish: Editor‘s note:
BY HIGH CRIME LURES
15 cm 112 g Flanking, wobbling, tailing Pike, zander, catfish and other large predatory fish Exceptional design in form and decoration, realistic colouring


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WILDFIRE Length: Weight: Action: Target fish: Editor‘s note:
BY WAIDELURES 30 cm 85 g Rotating spinner blade, flanking body and fluttering fringes, undulating tail Pike, zander, catfish and other large predatory fish Inspired by US-American bucktail spinners, unique design


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REAL DEAL 110 & 140 SLIM Length: Weight: Action: Target fish: Editor‘s note:
BY URBAN FISHING LURES
11 cm, 14 cm 20 g, 23 g versatile minnow lure, retrieve, jerk, twitch, slow sink Large salmonids, pike, perch, zander, asp, sea bass and other predatory fish in fresh and salt water Beautiful, high-quality craftsmanship, versatile and varied decors


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CUDA GLIDER Length: Weight: Action: Target fish: Editor‘s note:
BY SAINT LURES
31 cm 220 g Glider, jerkbait, wide turns, slow sink The end of the food chain, big pike, catfish and other predatory fish Lovingly crafted and high-quality jerkbait from the hands of the incredibly talented Rickard Forsberg



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The summers in our latitudes are getting hotter and hotter and there are increasingly long periods of drought, which means that fish also find themselves in stressful situations more frequently. Especially the species of the trout, grayling and barbel regions, which have high demands on temperature and oxygen levels, suffer from this tendency.
Naturally, running waters in Central Europe are characterized by a base outflow rate. This means that they are continuously water-bearing, as they are fed by groundwater inflow or a glacier. Due to climate change and other anthropogenic changes in water bodies and their surroundings, especially in connection with low-precipitation and hot summers, the watercourse may be heavily impacted. This particularly affects very small water bodies, because they are more susceptible to disturbance than large rivers due to small water volumes.
The factors that can lead to extreme warming or even drying out of the watercourse are manifold and often have a cumulative effect. Both structural and climatic causes play a role. For example, warming and increased evaporation rates of water bodies are mainly due to damming, lack of shade and an increase in the annual mean temperature. Straightening of watercourses without damming leads to faster discharge of water quantities. As a result, less water can remain in alluvial areas and the long-term water supply of


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the watercourse is disrupted. The lowering of the groundwater level generally leads to an earlier drying up of surface waters. A lack of forest areas and the decline of bogs and swamps also contribute to a lowering of the groundwater level. Private abstraction of water from streams and rivers during a period of low water should also be avoided if this is not already prohibited by law.
As a result of the many factors listed above, we are increasingly being called upon to carry out rescue operations in the form of electrofishing to evacuate fish stocks. In electrofishing, a power source (e.g. lithium-ion battery) is used to create an electric circuit via a cathode and anode under water, which briefly puts aquatic organisms, especially fish, into electron-arcosis.
In order to work gently, the current intensity and other settings can be individually adapted to the conditions of the water body with the aid of a control unit.
Procedure of electrofishing In an evacuation fishing operation, we work our way upstream or by priority. Priority zones are, for example, residual water puddles or other sections where there is extremely warm and oxygen-poor water. Once the chronological procedure has been clarified, the electrofisher takes the lead, followed by by-catchers, who net the fish in the circuit and transfer them to a suitable collection container or, ideally, directly to a transport container – for example a barrel with an oxygen pump.



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In order to catch as many individuals as possible without additional stress through repeated flushing, adjusted to the width of the water, a corresponding number of electrofishers and by-catchers are used. Afterwards, the evacuated fish are released in a suitable section of water. If possible, this should belong to the same water body or at least to the same water system, in order to preserve the genetic integrity of the fish fauna and to aim for a rapid recolonisation of the affected section. If this is not possible, the fish will be transferred to an adequate alternative watercourse or a suitable temporary holding.
What to do in case of water shortage and imminent fish mortality?
It is important to know that even short-term stress – for example in the form of oxygen deficiency due to high water temperatures – can have a lethal effect on fish. It is therefore important to recognise stress factors such as oxygen deficiency, high water temperatures or critical discharge situations at an early stage and, if I am not affected myself, to inform the owner or holder of fishing rights. If this is not known, you can also contact the responsible police, fisheries or nature conservation authority in such cases.
In case of the necessity of evacuation fishing, quick action is often required. It is therefore advisable to draw up an emergency plan in advance and discuss it with


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the responsible authorities in order to keep the bureaucratic effort in an emergency situation as low as possible. This speeds up the handling process enormously and saves the life of the fish in case of doubt. The short-term application for an electrofishing permit to the authorities is in most cases not possible.
Compact Knowledge Salmonids – Atlantic trout and grayling – have a temperature preference up to about 18 degrees.
Temperatures of over 20 degrees Celsius cause stress for these species, and fishing for these species should only occur with the intention of using the fish for consumption, catch and release is not recommended in this scenario. To protect fish and thus the fish stock in general, we recommend stopping fishing when the temperature preference is exceeded.
Evacuation fishing is not always carried out due to unforeseen events. Probably the most common reason for such fishing is the intervention in a body of water due to a construction measure.
In order not to endanger fish during the work on and in the watercourse, they are removed from the section in question and resettled by means of electrofishing before the start
Photo: Nico Riedel



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SCALE INFORMS
3x QUICK NOTES A LEGEND’S COMEBACK Riding a bike to go fishing or even spending whole holidays with bike, tent and rod is becoming more and more popular. Of course, you don‘t just hop on your Dutch bike on tours like these. With the Yeti ARC, a modernised hardtail legend ideal for fishing trips of all kinds is celebrating a comeback. 29 mm wheels with wide 2.6 tyres, 130 mm suspension fork, full carbon frame, telescopic fork and the latest 1x12 drivetrain make the former racer a universal tool for cross-country lovers who love fishing.
www.yeticycles.com
LIGHT-FOOTED The Targhee III is something like the holy grail of the Keen company. This successful model has been in the portfolio of the American boot manufacturer for several years, but has undergone upgrades every few years. Although the boot has a robust sole and the upper material is partly made of leather, the reduced weight (not even 500g per shoe) of the 2020 new edition is astonishing. The patented waterproof, breathable and therefore even more functional KEEN.DRY membrane has also been revised. If you like to go fishing in rough terrain or are looking for a secure hold on the boat, you should take a closer look at this boot.
www.keenfootwear.com
FIRST-AID OUT OF A TUBE
ihaveaninterestingproductforyou@scale-magazine.com
Safety is an often neglected topic among us fishermen. Those who, like me, like to go fishing roaming through remote forests with a rucksack on their back, reduce the stuff they take to save weight. This is where the new VSSL First Aid Mini comes in. Thanks to its well thought-out tube system it weighs next to nothing and takes up hardly any space. The six first aid compartments rolled up in a tube contain everything from a whistle, waterproof plasters to a disposable thermometer for first aid in emergencies.
www.vsslgear.com
(Stefan Alt)


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DAIWA ALPHAS CT SV SHL BAITCAST REEL When it comes to the use of baitcast reels in light and medium spin fishing, opinions often differ. Apart from the caste of hardcore nerds who solemnly swear by the use of baitcasters and who have tuned their rods and reels backwards, there is often the lure-casting angler who has fished the stationary reel up to now, but who is flirting with the purchase of a baitcaster model and does not really dare to go in that direction.
Often it fails because of the precisely defined gram and casting weight specifications, possible applications or simply the reluctance to fine-tune the centrifugal brake and spool speed. Daiwa proves to us that these fears and starting difficulties are probably unfounded with the ALPHAS CT SV SHL reel, which has been highly praised by experienced baitcaster anglers as well as allowing the less experienced angler a frustration-free introduction to fishing with such a low-profile reel. I would like to briefly mention that the „SHL“ (super high) model I tested is a particularly high gear ratio version of the ALPHAS CT SV and that the „H“ (high) version is also available, which has a lower gear ratio and therefore less line retraction per crank rotation.
A major contribution to this is that the Alphas of the CT SV series have a fairly generous range of casting weight limits. Daiwa estimates a range of 3 - 28 grams. I can confirm that these values do not include any advertising strategy designed to catch customers or proclaiming a jack of all trades device that would turn out to be „fake news“ in the end. With the corresponding rods of the UL up to the M/MH category, lightest and smallest lures such as weightless rubbers, spoons or minnows can be cast as well as larger shads, jigs, wobblers, stickbaits or other artificial lures. Technically you are thus shown luxurious limits, no matter whether you fish vertically,
Photos: Frank Steinmann
ONE FOR ALL?


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twitch, skip, pitch or simply crank, the ALPHAS allows a versatile fishing for the „common“ predatory fish species, from perch and zander, to asp and pike. Of course, the „specimen angler“ will turn up his nose at such sweeping statements and we will continue to use our specially designed big bait or jig rods to target the one or other species and technique, but the ALPHAS CT SV SHL is still a way of casting the widest possible range of bait types and weights with one reel without much financial fuss. I have used a UL rod for perch fishing with small shads on the jig head or the Chebu rig as well as chatterbaits and minnows from 3 -7 g, as well as labored at the upper end of the weight limit and walked stickbaits from 9 -17 g and finally let the tight MH rod fly hollowbody frogs towards water lily covers and pike. What can I say? I am very impressed with the performance of this reel, the brake and centrifugal force settings are easy to adjust. Even beginners should be able to get to the right settings quickly and the reel is really forgiving of gross mistakes, the Air Break System knew how to prevent the odd backlash.
Technically, the ALPHAS plays in the upper middle class, and with a price that is currently around 300€, you can expect quite a bit of performance. The body of the ALPHAS CT SV SHL is identical to the slightly larger ALPHAS 105 and comes in a subtle black. In strong sunlight various colour particles from blue to pink sparkle at you and the orange of the coil spacers can be found on the spool tension selector and the handle cover. Style policemen may complain about this orange, as there are no matching shades of colour on their rods, but the average user can safely ignore this.
Daiwa‘s ALPHA CT SV has a robust body, declared as ct (compact & tough) and this is also reflected in the handling, a special metal alloy (HardBodyZ) protects the reel from shocks and other damages. With a total weight of 170 g the reel is relatively light, the spool itself weighs only 9 g and is identical to the 30 mm G1 Duraluminium CT SV spool of the much-loved Daiwa STEEZ CT SV. The ALPHAS CT SV fits well in the hand, brake adjustments can be made easily and even thicker thumbs find their place quickly and functionally on the reel.
The brake system itself falls into Daiwa‘s UTD category (Ultimate Tournament Drag) and comes with specially coated brake discs (4.5 kg braking power), which Daiwa describes as very durable. The adjustment of the brake system by means of the star drag is finely selectable and gives the angler a clear click, when respectively changing the brake power. This acoustic assistance is missing at the knob, which regulates the centrifugal force of the spool, but you can live with it. The Magforce Z-type magnetic brake system, however, clicks again clearly audibly and with its 20 setting marks gives every lure weight the necessary acceleration. The Magforce system allows especially beginners in baitcast fishing to safely handle the centrifugal force and the resulting casting characteristics of the reel. Parallel to the reel rotation and


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its acceleration, the braking force of the magnetic, centrifugal force system increases or decreases. Thus, as already mentioned at the beginning, the dreaded backlash can be avoided one or the other time. The line capacity of the spool is generously dimensioned and more than sufficient for the usual line sizes in the 8 - 12 lbs range: 8lb. (ca 0.235mm) up to 100m 10lb.(ca 0.260mm) up to 80m 12lb.( ca 0.285mm) up to 70m 6 ball bearings ensure the smooth running of the reel and the high transmission ratio of the SHL model provides a line feed of 67 cm (59 cm for the H model). The left-handed model has the pleasant Softtouch crank knobs, which enable non-slip handling.
On the water itself the reel performs excellently and I had the feeling that lures in the UL range at 4-5 grams were the most suitable weight class at the lower limit. 3 grams also work, but not quite as perfectly as one gram more, but that is whining on a high level. With heavier lures beyond 20 grams the line will also slip turbulently through the guides of the corresponding rod and no matter if from the boat or the shore casting distances of 30-45 meters and even more can be achieved.
My conclusion is clearly „thumbs up“, Daiwa has succeeded in designing a low-profile baitcast reel, which appeals to professionals and beginners alike with its relatively generous casting weight spectrum and is sure to convince them. Both the workmanship, component installation and the performance of the reel are convincing and in its price class the ALPHAS CT SV SHL is in the top league. So if you are looking for a high quality and variable baitcaster reel to practice the modern elements of spinning fish, you can confidently choose this one. One for all is therefore much more than the sexist pipe dream of the average XY chromosome carrier, namely a perfectly acting Daiwa ALPHAS CT SV. (Frank Steinmann)
www.daiwa.de


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RUNNING SMOOTHLY
FLY LINE RIO GOLD ELITE WF5F The company RIO has managed to become one of the absolute top suppliers of fly lines in recent years. This is mainly due to the high quality standards, but also to an unusually individual offer of lines for the most different fish and water species. In addition, the company from Idaho is always endeavouring to provide its fans with information and tips and tricks on all aspects of fly fishing via the usual product support. RIO Brand Manager Simon Gawesworth, who was captain of the English national fly fishing team at the 2003 World Fly Fishing Championships, is a regular contributor to Vimeo, and his videos have been very popular for quite some time.
Among all fly lines from its stable, the RIO Gold is considered a real milestone in the freshwater sector and I know several anglers who fish this line with enthusiasm. I myself am also a fan of the series and until a few weeks ago I wouldn‘t have thought that there was room for improvement. But according to the manufacturer, the new ELITE fly lines are the most powerful and technically advanced fly lines developed at RIO. I had two months to test the RIO Gold ELITE as a WF5 Floating and I can say that the line lived up to its promise. Especially the new coating was convincing during a two-week trip to Slovenia. Where otherwise at the very least a treatment with a line dressing was urgently needed after three days of hardcore fishing, the RIO Gold ELITE went smoothly through the rings like on the first day. For a while I had a different impression, until I noticed that the sun milk, which ran over my arms and hands during average outside temperatures of 30°C soiled the line, was responsible for this. After I refrained from putting cream on my left arm, there was no stopping the smooth running of the line anymore. All ELITE lines are built on the basis of ConnectCore Plus, a low-stretch core that ensures unusually high
durability. However, the newly developed so-called SlickCast coating is responsible for the really smooth casting. According to RIO, this advanced coating is currently the lowest friction compound on the market ever measured on a fly line – as determined by laboratory tests.
Whether that’s the case is not up to me to judge. Nor can I make any sound judgement about the extended shelf life after such a short testing time. But what I can say is that the RIO Gold ELITE, especially in combination with my 5 SAGE TROUT LL, is currently the best line I have in my collection of freshwater fly lines. This applies to both easier casting as well as the casting behaviour of the lines, which at least with smaller flies is rather gentle and therefore produces less line disturbance. I am curious one one hand, yet certain on another, that the other salmonid lines like the RIO Grand, the RIO Perception or the Technical Trout will be able to hold their own against it in the medium term.
By the way: A few nights ago the line fairy appeared at night offering three wishes for free – two of which I didn’t even have to think about: 1. Please ensure that RIO introduces the Gold ELITE in line weight #3. 2. Please make sure that the attached loops on the end of fly lines are made of a different, harder material than the coating, so that the leader doesn‘t cut into the loop any longer. This would be another real innovation and a real USP. (Stefan Alt)
www.rudiheger.eu


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BEGINNERS BUNDLE FOR THE DISCERNING
MARLO ROOKIE-SET
Usually you have to be careful with beginner sets. In most cases the low prices for this kind of rod & reel combination often result from compromises in material or processing. This rookie set by Marlo however is different. Mastermind Marlo Bardehle wanted to meet his high standards when developing this basic kit for beginners in fly fishing. The result is a success and does not need to hide behind higher priced rods and reels of other manufacturers in terms of quality and technology.
The combination of rod, reel and carry-all bag is even attractive to people who have devoted their heart to fly fishing for a long time. But if you are just about to start with the most beautiful passion in the world, you will have a lot of fun with the Rookie: The four-piece 9ft long rod comes with a beginner-friendly, medium-fast blank, noble, black, hard-chrome plated windings, a slim, saltwater-resistant reel seat and a Full-Wells grip with Fighting Butt in AA+ cork quality. All four parts of the rod are marked with alignment points and if you want, you can have the handle reworked to cigar shape for a few Euros.
The elegant reel is made of 6061 hard anodized aluminum and was milled from one block. Luckily, he did not use fragile parts made of plastic or inferior casts as it is often the case in such kits. The reel’s drag starts runs very smoothly thanks to its carbon discs and overall the whole reel looks as if it would do its job for many years without repair. To ensure that the whole set can be transported safely, the manufacturer has opted for a Carry-All solution, where rod and reel are packed completely assembled. In practice, the rod, which was actually designed for sea trout fishing and is only available in class 5/6, has proven its worth many times over and forced even strong fighting carp and pike to give up.
With an RRP of 329,- € the rookie set is therefore much more than a beginner‘s option that will be replaced at some point.
Some anglers will fish this rod far beyond their first steps, while others will keep it as a backup even when they’ve progressed to professional – no doubt about that. (Stefan Alt)
www.marlo-flyfishing.de


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Next Release:
December 01. 2020 SCALE No.39 REMINDER
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@anne_cecile_monnier
www.annececilemonnier.com
www.refletsdeaudouce.fr
ANNE-CÉCILE MONNIER FRESHWATER REFLECTIONS
As an aquatic biologist, Anne-Cécile has always been fascinated by aquatic ecosystems, which she has studied for more than 10 years in French rivers and elsewhere in the world. „I like to combine snorkelling with my observations to take underwater pictures and discover the richness of these little-known environments, which are often very close to my home,“ Anne-Cécile tells us in our interview.
She also stresses that she is very keen to create astonishment through images, both to communicate and to try to raise awareness of the need to preserve the aquatic environment. To take her photos, Anne uses a Canon Eos R camera as well as wide-angle and macro lenses. All housed in a waterproof case, accompanied by a flash and illumination system and a dry suit suitable for free diving in cold and running water.
„The moods, the light, the clarity of the water and the encounters ultimately provide the inspiration for the composition of the image,“ notes Anne-Cécile. „In 2015, I founded the association „ Reflets d‘eau douce „ („Freshwater Reflections“). Its aim is to raise awareness in schools and among the general public through documentaries, photographic exhibitions and conferences that I have prepared“. (Further information: www.refletsdeaudouce.fr.)
Her photographs were taken mainly in France, but also in other parts of the world, such as French Polynesia, where she has entered the realm of large freshwater eels. Anne-Cécile Monnier combines her spectacular underwater photographs in her recently published illustrated book „Sous la Surface“.
Over 160 pages, she presents the viewer with mystical underwater worlds and enchanted places that only freshwater can offer. Lush green plant jungles, water lily leaves striving towards the light and a lurking pike in the middle, as well as amphibians and other aquatic creatures, which, as a characteristic of diversity, make it clear just how versatile life also takes place under the surface.
„This work is a testimony to the life that reigns in our freshwaters, and I invite you to discover it“, with these words Anne-Cécile ends our interview and we are still infatuated by the impression she left and by the enchanting beauty that her photography conveys to us. On the following pages we present you some excerpts from Anne‘s illustrated book, which you can buy on her homepage. Enjoy your next dive and all the best for your future and thank you for your commitment to the services of water and species protection, Anne-Cécile! (Frank Steinmann)













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SCALE MAGAZINE
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Contact Hauke Barz • Eichenstraße 84 • D-20255 Hamburg P.O. Box 203249 • D-20222 Hamburg
1. Contents of the online offer The author does not make over any guarantee for the topicality, the correctness, completeness or quality of the information, made available. Liability claims against the author, concerning damage of idealistic or of material kind, which was caused by the use or not use of the presented information and/or by the use of incorrect and incomplete information, are in principle impossible, so far as not a deliberate or roughly negligent fault can be proved on the part of the author. The documents and graphics on this Web site can be affected by technical inaccuracies or misprints, for which we don‘t assume any liability. FuG any time and without announcement can carry out technical amendments or improvements at the products which don‘t have to be documented absolutely on this Web site. Therefore FuG doesn‘t take any guarantee for the correctness of the details on this Web site. A legally binding contract on no account takes place alone by the information given here. Please consult us before you make use of the information given here for your application. The author expressly reserves itself the right, to change, to supplement or to delete parts of the pages or the entire offer or occasionally or finally to stop the publication without separate announcement.
Tel. +49-40-55 56 67 96 Email: info@scale-magazine.com Advertising: marketing@scale-magazine.com Place of jurisdiction: Hamburg Publisher Hauke Barz Editorial Staff Stefan Alt (Editor In Chief / Art Director) stefanalt@scale-magazine.com Hauke Barz (Publisher / Writer) haukebarz@scale-magazine.com Frank Steinmann (Writer / Photographer) franksteinmann@scale-magazine.com Ben Chadwick (Marketing / Cooperations) benchadwick@scale-magazine.com Partner Steef Meijers (stm) Digital Publishing Hans Nuecke Translation Tankred Rinder • Robin Hatting Juristic Consultancy Dr. Tobias Beckmann
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2. References and links For direct or indirect references to outside Internetpages (”links”), which are not within the area of responsibility of the author, a liability obligation would come into force exclusively in the case, when the author has knowledge about the contents and it is technically possible and reasonable to prevent the use of illegal contents. The author hereby ex pressly states that at the time of the setting of the links there were no illegal contents recognizable at the linked pages. The author does not have any influence on the current and future organization, the contents or the authorship of the linked pages. Therefore the author dissociates itself hereby expressly from all contents of all linked/referenced pa-
ges, which were changed after the link has been set. This statement applies to all links and references, set within the own internet offer as well as to foreign entries in guest books, panels and mailing lists installed by the author. For illegal, incorrect or incomplete contents and especially for damage, which arises from the use or not use of such kind of presented information, is responsible only the owner of the page, to which one referred, not the one, who only refers to the respective publication by links.
3. Copyright, brands and trademarks The author will make every endeavour to consider in all publications copyrights of the used illustrations, sounds, video sequences and texts, to use illustrations, sounds, video sequences produced by himself, or to fall back on license-free illustrations, sounds, video sequences and texts. All brands and trade marks, mentioned within the internet offer, which may be registered and protected by third parties are unrestricted subject to the regulations of the respective valid laws and to the rights of the registered owners. However, due to the bare mention of an brand or trademark, one can not jump to the conclusion, that brand names are not protected by rights of third parties!The copyright for published objects, produced by the author himself, remains only with the author of the pages. A duplication or a use of such illustrations, sounds, video sequences and texts in other electronic or printed publications without the strict agreement of the author is not permitted.
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5. Legal force of this non-liability this non-liability-statement This non-liability statement is to be regarded as part of the internet offer, from which to this page is referred. If parts or individual formulations of this text should not, no longer or not completely correspond to the valid legal situation, the remaining parts remain of the document remain unaffected in their contents and their validity.
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