Written By : Lukas Holmström

A Night to Remember: Landing the Trout of a Lifetime

After three full days of fly fishing, losing plenty of big ones, and being fortunate enough to share the experience of our newly found friend @troutcastz catching two really nice fish, I thought I had finished my last run for the trip. But then it hit me—I hadn’t once during the trip fished with my favorite fly, the Ismo Pupa. This wooden, ever-floating, perfect imitation of the swimming caddis pupa was calling my name.

So, I rigged up my five-weight, 9-foot rod with a 5x tippet, and of course, tied on an Ismo Pupa. I told my friend Fabi that the next time I shouted for help, it would be because I had hooked a +2kg fish. Then, I started wading towards the pyramid stone where we’d previously encountered some big trout.

The first cast landed 5 meters out—nothing. The second cast went a bit further, about 10 meters—this should do the trick. That’s when it happened. A super subtle rise; I decided it must have been my fly. I lifted my rod—the line tightened, and the fish was on.

Right from the start, I could feel the fish had serious weight behind it, so I called out to Fabi and Flo (@by.highflyers) that it was indeed a +2kg fish. The trout was super calm at first, just slowly swimming upstream. Then, out of nowhere, it decided to head downstream, racing towards the neck of the river and the fast rapids. With only half of my backing left, the fish suddenly stopped. We decided it was best if I started moving downstream to meet it. By then, Jon (@troutcastz) and Zebbe (@tellusflyfishing) had heard our screams and joined in.

To make a long story short, after battling the fish for about 15 minutes, Jon made the hero call to wade out into the fast water and ambush the trout. After a moment of dead silence, Jon lifted the net, and we all started screaming.

We waded back to the shoreline, where we measured the fish: 80cm (31 1/2") long and weighing 5.7kgs (12.56lbs). It was the dry fly catch of a lifetime.

3 Tips for Dry Fly Fishing at Night

Fish the Ismo. This might be a bit influenced by personal experience, but we think the Ismo is the perfect fly to fish during the night (as long as you have caddis in your area). The fact that the fly perfectly imitates the vulnerable caddis pupa—a go-to snack for trout—combined with its huge floating abilities, makes it ideal. You'll never have to worry if the fly is sinking in the dark when visibility is bad, and the fish will see it and love it.
Being able to trust your gear. Before you head out, always make sure there are no knots in your leader. Double-check your connections on the tapering of the leader, and just overall make sure that you can trust your gear in the dark. The last thing you want to do is stand there and redo leaders or tie on a new fly in the dark.
Bring a friend. Obviously, you don’t want danger to show itself in the dark, especially if you're alone. But everything also gets harder in the dark—things that are usually difficult, like netting bigger fish, become almost impossible. So, having a friend who can help you out is worth its weight in gold!