We're thrilled to have Johannes Bulfin back in ESF. Here's what he's been up to
Perseverance - “Steady persistence in a course of action or purpose in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.”
Faith - “Belief that is not based on proof”.
Perseverance and faith perfectly sum up sea trout fishing in the Baltic. For me at least.
Under no circumstances am I any kind of an authority on fishing for sea trout in the salt, none whatsoever. Any advice or tips offered are as unreliable as the sea trout itself. I have fished for sea trout in the salt for less than a year. However sea trout have captured my imagination and the pursuit of this magical fish has taken me on roller-coaster rides of emotion, rising from the troughs of total dejection and despair to the giddy heights of euphoria filled triumphs.
It all started with a trip to Gotland, Sweden, last spring. I set out with the objective of catching my first ever sea trout from the sea with a fly rod! I succeeded. However the challenges of sea trout fishing became starkly clear. In five days I caught three fish!
My first ever Baltic sea trout on the fly. Pic. credit Aleksi Kaislaniemi
Gotland is stunningly beautiful. The shores rocky and jagged, the fish wild and unpredictable. We fished hard and caught some fish. The water temperatures though had already climbed too high (12 'C) and the fish had almost moved out of range of our fly rods. Spinning was by far the more productive method to reach fish.
A Gotland sea trout powering back out to sea! Pic. Aleksi Kaislaniemi
Every single fish that came to the net was celebrated as if it was a first born child!
Happiness written all over that face! Pic: Miikka Korolainen
But within the challenge lies the appeal and charm of sea trout fishing! A fish that requires hundreds (if not thousands) of casts will be celebrated every single time. You've waded out to your waist in the Baltic Sea and each breaking wave threatens to come in over the top of your waders for the 100th time, I can assure you that when that rod eventually buckles in your hand the sense of euphoria and achievement is unparalleled!
Casting out over the crashing waves. Pic: Aleksi Kaislaniemi.
Gotland was very pretty indeed and I will have to go back again to settle a score or two...
In late autumn as winter began to tighten its grip on Finland, I knew I needed something to look forward to and help me through the long dark winter nights. A trip to Fyn in Denmark was planned for early March. It almost seemed like cheating to be able to fish open water at this time of year as the sea and lakes of Finland will probably be still frozen over until mid-April.
I could hardly contain my excitement as I boarded my plane to Copenhagen, jumped into a rental car and tore across the Danish islands to south Fyn where open water and willing sea trout awaited me... or so I hoped at least! I wasn't going to be fishing alone though as four friends were joining me from Ireland, they had however decided to drive over!
We were quite the bunch of novice sea trout fly fishermen, we blundered around doing our best and battling the frigid conditions. A lot of the time all we got was cold and hungry. But we laughed loudly and sincerely despite the hardships. Upon seeing that we were not going to be discouraged by the conditions the sea trout gods of Fyn decided to reward us with a few fish too.
A misfit group of sea trout anglers! Pic. Eddie Bulfin
In Gotland almost a year previously I had lost a beautiful sea trout right at the net, it had been bright silver and full of fight. Almost certainly a fish of over 60cm, which had been my goal for that trip. In Fyn I hadn't dared to hope for a fish that size ….
A new PB on the fly for myself, 61cm! Pic. Johannes Bulfin
I danced, whooped and punched the air in delight. Displaying all the tell tales signs of a lunatic.
The fishing overall was very difficult with water temperatures being only (1-3degrees). We fished ragworm, shrimp and goby patterns mainly. The fish were found in surprisingly shallow water, sometimes only 30cm of water.
Wandering and wondering where the fish are. Pic Johannes Bulfin
The fishing is only part of these trips though, it is the companionship, laughs, teasing and comebacks that make you smile even when the conditions get tough!
Sometimes you just need a hot-dog and beer!! Pic. Adriano Tempesta
We traveled from one side of Fyn to the other looking for fish. We fished gravely shores, sandy beaches and muddy bays. If you go when the water was as cold as it was for us then I recommend you stick to the bays and shallow waters.
A first ever sea trout from the sea on a fly! Pic. Adriano Tempesta.
There were times when my hands would be bright pink from the cold, fingers sensation-less and I was pretty sure my toes had given up the will to live. As snowflakes drifted by I did wonder “Why am I doing this?”. But the answer is always close, it's in the quietness of nature, the satisfaction of a nice cast, the camaraderie between friends and the faith that at any moment a sea trout might, just maybe, snatch your fly. Adrenaline courses through your veins and you feel more alive than you ever did in the warmth and comfort of four walls.
Scenery like this makes even the most restless soul contemplative. Pic. Aleksi Kaislaniemi
So what can I conclude from my limited experiences with sea trout? That I love saltwater fly fishing for Baltic sea trout! That fishing really isn't about the numbers anymore for me! That if you really want something then you must willing to put in the effort to get it, and that I rarely ever feel the same kind of elation and triumph as when I net a sea trout!
The rewards make it all worthwhile! Pic. Diarmaid Adams
I think that a spring time fishing trip in pursuit of Baltic sea trout has become an annual event for me and one that I greatly look forward to!
The sun sets over the shores of the Baltic. Pic. Aleksi Kaislaniemi