What are the best fly patterns for targeting Arctic char, and how do their feeding habits influence your fly choice?

Arctic char is a fascinating fish in so many ways. They are one of few fish species here in Scandinavia that are adapted to the cold mountain rivers and lakes above the arctic circle. When you reach high enough elevation, they are usually the only fish present. Studies have shown that their life strategy differs a lot from lake to take, or even withing the same body of water. At very high altitudes where invertebrates are scarce, they often tend to form populations of small grown fish. However, in rare cases, some individuals choose another life strategy. Cannibalism. Targeting their fellow siblings and nieces. The few fish that manage to survive using these tactics can grow to enormous proportions. For every hard-core arctic char fisherman, finding one of these lakes is on the top of their wish list. The problem is, there are thousands of lakes in the Scandinavian mountains, and no sure-fire way of knowing which of these lakes holds cannibals. Even if you’re lucky enough to have found one of these lakes. The number of cannibals in each lake can often be counted on two hands. You can spend weeks fishing in one of these lakes waiting for that one fish. And more often than not, you fail. But I guess that’s the fun of it, hoping that one day you’ll catch the monster of your dreams.

At lower elevations, where larger invertebrates and crustaceans are present, they are often the go to meal. Here it’s possible to find populations of large char that are way more dense than the previously mentioned cannibals. However, they usually don’t reach those abnormous sizes of 4 kg+. But then again, a 2 kg Arctic Char is a dream fish for most people, including myself. At lower altitudes the problem prohibiting more trophy char waters from existing usually occurs in the form of competition from other fish, such as brown trout, grayling and whitefish. In many lakes, this often forces the char to choose a different life strategy that keeps them away from the shallow invertebrate rich shores and forcing them to inhabit the deep waters with a diet of plankton, prohibiting them from reaching any notable size.

To answer your question. The mindset when choosing a fly pattern for Arctic char doesn’t differ that much from fishing for brown trout. Figuring out what’s on the fish’s menu is usually easy when they’re feeding on the surface, be it caddis, mayflies or terrestrials. When they’re not, it’s often a bit trickier. Here local knowledge is sometimes the key in unlocking this mystery. Are there cannibals? Are there any crustaceans present in the lake etc. If you’re unsure, the best way of finding the answer is if you manage to catch a fish and decide to have it for dinner, then look at what’s inside their stomach. That of course requires you to catch that first fish, which isn’t always that easy...

How do seasonal changes affect Arctic char behavior and their feeding patterns, and how should anglers adjust their approach accordingly?

The seasonal changes affect the char a lot. And to a large degree, the water temperature. Arctic char is a cold-water species and is quite sensible to high temperatures. In my experience, already when the water temperature exceeds 12-13 degrees Celsius, they tend to seek deeper water. I’ve experienced incredible hatches of Caddis but without a single rise. Even though the fish were super active just a couple of days earlier. I’ve seen this pattern several times and it usually concurs with the water temperature exceeding this threshold. It could of course be several other factors involved, but there is no doubt that they are more active in colder water, on the contrary to many other fish species. It’s a reason why ice fishing for arctic char is a super popular winter activity in Sweden.

What techniques and strategies are most effective for fly fishing Arctic charin cold, northern waters?

Choosing the right strategy for Arctic char depends on what kind of water you’re fishing. I’m foremost a dry fly fisherman. Therefore, when I’m fishing for arctic char, 90 % of the time I’m probably sitting by the fire waiting for the wind to settle while drinking kokkaffe, a certain type of coffee made by lemmings. If you don’t know what that is, google “Lemmel kaffe”. When it comes to other techniques then ordinary dry fly fishing, I’m a big fan of the Norwegian fly fisherman Håvard Stubø (@jazznflyfishing). He’s the Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Arctic char fly fishing. He’s got the whole package. He knows the Scandinavian mountains like no one else and is immensely skilled when it comes to sight fishing and stalking Arctic char in gin clear waters, presenting microscopic nymphs in front of the fish without spooking them.

What are some common mistakes anglers make when fishing for Arctic char, and how can they be avoided?

The biggest mistake I would say when targeting Arctic char is probably lack of time. Char fishing is all about timing the perfect conditions. You can fish the best char water in the world, but that doesn’t matter if the conditions are bad. How do you avoid them? Well, you can’t. The only way is spending enough time out there, and if you’re lucky, you’re going to be in Nirvana one day.

Can you share any tips or advice for selecting the right gear and equipment for Arctic char fly fishing?

Pretty basic really. I’m usually fishing with my standard brown trout setup, a #5 rod with a matching reel and an all-round line like the SA MPX, that can present a tiny dry as well as a heavy nymph or a small streamer.