Day Three in Swedish Lapland — Perch, Pike and an Unexpected Dry-Fly Surprise 🎣

I woke up around 7 am and started preparing breakfast. The plan for today was completely different from the first two days.

The evening before, we had decided that it was time to leave the rivers behind for a day and explore a nearby lake, about 30 minutes from Sorsele.

There was no reason to rush.

We needed to rent a boat and pick up our fishing licenses from a local shop opening at 10 am, so we had some time for a much-needed relaxed morning.

While the coffee was brewing and breakfast was being prepared, I used the extra time to tie a few more flies for the day ahead.

Understanding the Weather in Swedish Lapland

Weather plays a huge role when deciding where and how to fish.

Before getting into today's fishing adventure, there is something important about Swedish Lapland that is worth mentioning:

Even though we were there in the middle of August, daytime temperatures rarely went above 16°C, while nights were around 11°C — absolutely perfect temperatures for fishing.

But the big variable was the rain.

The first two days had been mostly sunny, but today the forecast was calling for rain, which started around 9 am.

It wasn't a cold, heavy rain. Instead, it was a steady and gentle drizzle, and the temperature remained comfortable.

That was one of the reasons we decided that today would be perfect for a lake adventure.

Our targets were completely different: big perch and pike.

Around 9:45 am, we packed everything we needed and headed to the shop where we had arranged the boat rental.

The people there were extremely kind and gave us all the information we needed — where to find the boat, how to get it started, and how to handle it.

Ten minutes later, we were ready.

I entered the coordinates into the GPS, and to our surprise, the drive to the lake was another 27-minute journey through the wilderness.

The roads were mostly good, allowing us to drive around 60 km/h, but driving through this landscape brought back some great memories.

It reminded me of the time I lived in Canada and participated in lake fly-fishing competitions at Kenauk Nature in Quebec.

A little nostalgia before another adventure.

Our Lake Setup

Around 10:45 am, we arrived. The rain was still falling — light, steady and warm. Perfect lake-fishing weather. About 15 minutes later, we were in the boat and ready to fish.

You might think that starting at almost 11 am is late, but in Swedish Lapland during August, you have plenty of daylight. The sun rises around 3 am and doesn't disappear until around 10 pm. So there were still plenty of hours ahead of us.

For perch, I decided to use my Arcay Otter 10 ft 7 wt rod. I started with a Sink 3 line and a 15-foot leader, fishing two flies approximately 10 feet apart.

I also had several other lines ready: Sink 5, slow intermediate and floating.

For pike, I prepared my Soldarini Hydropsyche Pike 9 ft 10 wt, with Soldarini Pike & Predator 10 wt intermediate and Sink 3 lines.

I used a short leader of about six feet and a medium-sized streamer, about 15 cm.

For my son, we prepared an Arcay Otter 10 ft 7 wt with a fast intermediate line.

He and my friend initially wanted to try spinning, while I stayed loyal to fly fishing.

Finding the Perch

The lake wasn't particularly large, and the wind was calm — just enough of a gentle breeze to create a perfect drift and allow us to cover plenty of water. We started near the banks, targeting the drop-offs and looking for pike. Twenty minutes passed. Nothing. Not even a bite. Not even a chase.

Once again, the fish of Swedish Lapland weren't going to make things easy.

I moved the boat further toward the middle of the lake and started fishing deeper water.

Then my friend got the first bites and attacks. That was the signal. The perch were active.

I switched to the 7 wt rod with the Sink 3 line. Three casts went by without anything. Then, on the hang...Fish on!

My first perch of the day was a solid 35 cm.

I was genuinely happy. I had really missed lake fishing, and catching a good perch on the fly brought back some great memories.

The next cast produced another one of roughly the same size. Then nothing for about ten minutes. I decided to return to the same spot. It proved to be a very good decision. Almost immediately, another fish came to say hello. We had found the pattern.

The Hang Was the Key

We realized that we had located a school of perch holding at a specific depth.

The fish were sitting somewhere in the middle of the water column and, interestingly, they seemed to take the flies almost exclusively on the hang. The most effective retrieve was simple: cast → count about five seconds → two long strips → pause.

The perch would often hit during that pause. Once we figured that out, things became crazy.

My son eventually switched from spinning to fly fishing after having limited success with the spinning gear. Almost immediately, he started catching fish too. The same retrieve worked for him, although he counted slightly longer before starting the retrieve.

The best flies were two leech patterns:

• A black leech with an orange bead

• A salmon-pink leech with a golden bead

For about an hour, the fishing was incredible.

Between the three of us, we were catching perch almost continuously, with roughly 20 fish each.

Then, just as quickly as it had started, the action slowed down.

Time to give the perch a break.

The Pike Appears

We moved back toward the drop-offs near the bank. And then I saw it. A huge dark shadow moved underneath the boat. A big pike. It looked close to a metre long. My friend tried a few casts with spinning lures, but the pike showed absolutely no interest. I couldn't resist. I cast my streamer about a metre in front of the fish. Let it sink. Then I started retrieving slowly. One head movement from the pike...And it was on!

The fight lasted around seven minutes, and eventually I managed to get the fish into the net: 95 cm of Swedish pike.

I was incredibly happy.

But at the same time, I wasn't completely convinced that the pike were in the mood to feed. The way this fish had behaved told me that they weren't particularly active. We continued targeting pike for another hour, but the action never really developed.

Later, we learned from other anglers that pike fishing in August wasn't at its best.

Back to the Perch

We returned to shore for lunch, took a short break, and started thinking about the second half of the day. The plan was simple: focus on perch. This time, however, I wanted to try something completely different. Something I had never tried before. I brought my Euro-nymphing rod into the boat. Why not?

I was there to experience something new. We returned to the deeper water and found another school of perch. This group was holding deeper than the first one. My son switched to a Sink 5 line and started catching them again. Then it was my turn. I decided to try Euro-nymphing for perch from the boat.

The setup was simple: 0.14 mm tippet + two mop flies on size 14 Hanák 460 BL hooks.

First cast. I let the flies sink approximately two metres. And then...BANG! A solid perch over 30 cm took the nymph. A perch on a Euro-nymphing rod from a boat! What a feeling.

For the next hour, I had an absolute blast experimenting with Euro-nymphing for perch. It wasn't something I had ever planned to do, but that's exactly what fishing trips are about — trying something new and seeing what happens.

Another Surprise

Eventually, the fishing slowed down again. We moved toward the middle of the lake, but the action didn't improve much. A few more fish came, but nothing that really changed the story. Then it was around 5 am. The wind almost completely disappeared. The rain became even lighter. And suddenly, at the far end of the lake, I saw something: a rise.

Then another one. My heart started beating faster. I started wondering:

Could there actually be grayling or trout in this lake?

There was only one way to find out. I moved the boat toward the rises and switched to my floating line. Then I tied on the Scruffy Caddis.

The same fly that had already produced some beautiful grayling on the river.

First cast. Nothing. Second cast. Nothing. Then...BANG!

A fish attacked the dry fly. And it was a...Perch!

Suddenly, everything made sense. The perch had moved up in the water column and were feeding on the surface. That explained why the fishing had suddenly become so slow on the deeper presentations. They had changed their feeding behavior. And once again, the water had taught us that you have to adapt.

The Perfect End to the Day

We stayed in that area for another hour, catching perch on the surface with dry flies and poppers.

It was an incredible way to finish the day.

From sinking lines to leeches, from pike streamers to Euro-nymphing, and finally to dry flies and surface feeding perch — this lake had given us almost everything.

By the end of the day, the three of us had caught more than 100 perch combined, plus the beautiful 95 cm pike.

Not a bad lake day at all.

We returned the boat, packed the equipment into the car, and headed back toward the camping ground.

Another day in Swedish Lapland was coming to an end.

Back at the cabin, we prepared dinner, poured ourselves a glass of brandy, and sat together talking about the day's adventures.

Three days in. Three completely different fishing experiences. And already a lifetime of memories. We started planning the next day, telling stories about the fish we'd caught and dreaming about what Swedish Lapland might have waiting for us tomorrow.

Because one thing was becoming very clear: 

Every day here was a completely new adventure. 🎣🇸🇪🏔️

Second Day in Swedish Lapland — Chasing Grayling on Dry Flies 

I woke up around 6 AM, made some coffee, and started preparing breakfast for my friend and my son. Bacon and eggs were definitely the best option to get the energy we needed for another long day on the river.

We knew we were going to have to fight those big currents and even bigger fish again.

The night before, over dinner, we had already decided where our next adventure would take us. We had found a promising spot north of Sorsele, about an hour's drive from the camping ground. All we had to go by was the satellite view on Google Maps, but what we could see was enough to get our imagination going.

It looked wild.

It looked remote.

And most importantly…

It looked promising.

After breakfast, we prepared sandwiches for lunch, packed our equipment, and were ready to leave around 8 AM. Our plan was to arrive around 9 and hopefully have another full day on the river.

Another Wild River

After an hour of driving, we finally arrived.

And I have to admit — the river looked much wilder and more untouched than we had imagined from the satellite images.

Just like the first day, the fishing wasn't easy.

It took about 30 minutes before I finally got the first result: a smaller grayling of around 30 cm.

A good sign.

We were on the right water.

But once again, we quickly realized something important: every river is different.

The way the fish feed, where they hold, how they react to the current — everything changes from one section to another. That's one of the things I love most about fly fishing. You can't simply repeat what worked yesterday and expect the same result.

You have to adapt.

Not long after my first fish, my son Tristan hooked into something much better. After a strong fight, he managed to bring a beautiful grayling over 45 cm to the net.

We knew we were doing something right.

Finding the Deep Water

This river was completely different from the one we had fished on day one.

There were plenty of drop-offs and much deeper pools, and it didn't take long to understand that the bigger fish seemed to prefer the darker, deeper water.

Getting to those places was another story.

The current was powerful, the rocks were slippery, and reaching the best holding spots was a challenge in itself.

But once you got there, the reward was almost always worth the effort — a powerful, hard-fighting wild grayling.

We fished nymphs for about an hour and a half, and between the three of us we had already landed around seven big fish each.

The fishing was incredible.

But then I saw something I had been dreaming about since the moment I arrived in Sweden.

A rise.

A fish feeding on the surface.

That was all I needed to see.

My First Swedish Dry-Fly Fish

I went back to the car and decided to set up my dry-fly rod.

Despite what everyone had recommended, I decided to go with my Otter 3/4 wt, 9.5 ft rod, paired with a 3 wt Arcay Precision Spanish Dry Fly Line.For the leader, as always, I went with the Arcay Competition Dry Fly Leader.

The setup was definitely underpowered, but that was exactly what I wanted. I was looking for a softer, more delicate presentation — something that would allow me to present the fly naturally on the surface.

For the fly, I chose a pattern that has been productive almost everywhere I've fished: the caddis.

This time, however, I was using my own variation, made with a new material and a slightly different approach.

I call it the "Scruffy Caddis."

It was tied on a size 14 Hanák 130 BL hook.

And now it was time to find out if it would work in Swedish Lapland.

My first dry-fly cast landed on the river.

I was standing there full of excitement, waiting for that first surface take.

And then, just a few seconds later...

BOOM!

A beautiful 35 cm grayling violently attacked the dry fly.

There it was.

My first Swedish grayling on a dry fly.

What an incredible feeling.

Over the years, I've noticed that takes on caddis patterns can be much more aggressive than those on emergers or mayfly patterns. This one certainly didn't disappoint!

The decision to fish such a light setup proved to be the right one. The presentation was delicate, the fly was working, and the fish were willing to take it.

From that slower, deeper pool, I eventually hooked and landed more than 10 nice fish, with the biggest estimated at around 45 cm.

By around 12:30 PM, it was time for lunch and a well-deserved rest.

But our day was far from over.

One Kilometre Upstream

After lunch, we checked the map.

One thing that surprised us during our time in Swedish Lapland was how often we still had phone service, even in these incredibly wild places. So we decided to explore further and moved about one kilometre upstream.

That short move completely changed our perspective again.

And once again, the river reminded us of one of the most important rules in fly fishing:

You have to adapt to the water.

The section upstream was completely different.

Instead of deep pools and drop-offs, we found fast, shallow riffles, with much less depth.

As soon as I saw the water, I knew exactly what we needed.

Time to switch back to the Euro-nymphing setup.

The Fish of the Trip

We started working the first shallow riffles, probably around one metre deep.

It didn't take long.

I hooked into a big fish.

The fight was intense, but after less than two minutes, the fish managed to escape.

My bad.

Five minutes later, though, I got another chance.

This time, everything went right.

I landed what would probably become my biggest grayling of the entire trip.

52 cm of wild Swedish grayling!

What a fish.

And the best part?

The flies were the same patterns that had worked for us on the first day.

That fish was a perfect reminder that sometimes you don't need something new. You simply need to understand where the fish are and present the right fly in the right place.

Four More Hours of Fishing

We continued fishing for another four hours.

The result?

More than 10 big fish each, along with plenty of smaller grayling and trout — the ones we jokingly started calling the "under 30 cm club."

By the end of the day, we were completely exhausted.

But it was the kind of exhaustion that comes with a huge smile on your face.

We packed everything up and headed back to the camping ground.

Another incredible day was behind us.

Back at the cabin, we prepared dinner, poured ourselves a glass of brandy, and sat together talking about the fish we had caught, the places we had discovered, and the memories we were creating together.

And, of course, we were already thinking about tomorrow.

Because the next adventure was going to be completely different.

Tomorrow was lake day. 🎣🏔️🇸🇪

And we had absolutely no idea what Swedish Lapland had waiting for us there.

First Day Fishing in Swedish Lapland 🎣🇸🇪

After an 11-hour drive covering almost 950 km, we finally arrived in northern Sweden. Our destination was Sorsele Camping, where we had reserved a cabin for the next five nights.

The cabin was perfect for the three of us — me, my son, and a good friend. It had a bedroom with four beds, a small kitchen with a dining table, and a bathroom. Everything we needed for a few days of fishing and adventure in Swedish Lapland.

That first evening was all about settling in, unpacking, having some food, and getting our fishing gear ready. We knew the real adventure would start the next morning.

6 AM — Time to Fish

I woke up around 6 AM on our first fishing day, and the first thing that surprised me was the light. It was already bright outside — almost like the middle of the day!

We prepared breakfast: eggs and ham. We packed some sandwiches for lunch, grabbed our fishing gear, and finally headed out.

Our fishing spot was one we had found on Google Maps, about 25 minutes from the camping ground. We had no idea exactly what we were going to find.

And that's part of the adventure.

When we arrived, we were amazed by how wild and untouched everything looked. At the same time, we were impressed by how well-prepared the Swedish fishing spots were.

There was usually a shelter, a place to make a fire, chopped firewood, and a trail leading through the forest toward the river.

We followed the trail for about ten minutes.

It felt like walking on a trail to heaven.

And then, suddenly, the river appeared right in front of us.

My First Cast in Swedish Lapland

After driving all those kilometres and dreaming about fishing in Swedish Lapland, I couldn't wait to make my first cast. And, of course, I was already imagining myself landing my first big Swedish fish.

Well... things didn't exactly go according to plan.

The river was completely different from anything I had fished before. In some ways, it reminded me of rivers I had fished in Canada, but this one was bigger, with much stronger current.

The water was crystal clear, and the bottom was covered with large, slippery rocks. Just getting a few metres into the river was already a challenge.

My first five minutes of fishing produced absolutely nothing.

I started fishing the classic way, working the rapids, but I quickly realized that my setup was too light for that powerful current.

Time for a change of strategy.

I switched to heavier flies and started searching for slower-moving pocket water — places where the fish could hold without fighting the full force of the current.

And suddenly...

Fish on!

My first Swedish fish was a small grayling, probably around 25 cm.

It was beautiful, but honestly, a little disappointing. I had been dreaming about those famous 40+ cm Swedish grayling!

After that first grayling, I started getting takes on almost every cast.

The great thing about catching so many of these smaller fish was that it helped me figure out which flies were working best. I could experiment, adjust my presentation, and slowly start to understand what the fish were looking for. That little discovery would soon prove to be the key to getting and finding the bigger graylings.

Using the Hanák 460 BL hook proved once again to be a great choice for both species, handling both grayling and trout perfectly.

Grayling and trout were everywhere, but most of them were small, around 20–25 cm.

Finding the big Fish

Then I reached the end of the rapids, where the river opened into a deep, large pool.

And that's where everything changed.

I made a cast and suddenly...

I was hit by a train!

Finally, a big grayling — well over 40 cm.

That fish completely changed my perspective.

After almost three hours of fishing, I had finally figured out where the bigger fish were holding and, more importantly, how to approach them.

It became clear that catching big wild grayling wasn't simply about finding the right river. It was about understanding the water, reading the current, choosing the right flies, and paying attention to the places where those bigger fish could comfortably hold.

The Big Graylings

Once I had figured it out, the fishing became incredible.

By the end of the day, I had landed at least another eight big grayling, most of them between 45 and 48 cm.

Now I was smiling.

The fish I had been dreaming about were actually there — wild, powerful graylings in the middle of Swedish Lapland.

And the best part?

We were only on day one.

My son and my fishing buddy also managed to get into some really nice fish, so all three of us finished the day tired, happy, and already talking about what we would find the next day.

Back to Camp

Eventually, it was time to leave the river.

We followed the trail back through the forest, carrying our gear and replaying the day's best moments in our heads.

Back at the cabin, we had a well-deserved dinner and started preparing our equipment for the next adventure.

We were exhausted, but nobody wanted to go to sleep.

We were already dreaming about the next river, the next pool, and hopefully the next big grayling.

Swedish Lapland had welcomed us in style.

And this was only the beginning. 🎣🇸🇪

When you spend enough time on the river, you start to realize something simple: trout and grayling may share the same water, but they don’t share the same personality.

Over the years I’ve adjusted my flies depending on which fish I’m targeting.
Trout are violent. They attack. They move. They dominate their feeding lane. But at the same time, especially in clear water, they are incredibly spooky. If your fly doesn’t get down fast and drift naturally right in front of them, the chance is gone.
That’s why I’ve always liked fishing short, heavy patterns on the 450BL wide gap Jig Superb by Hanák Competition. It drops quickly, hooks well, and gives me confidence when a trout eats aggressively.

The purple PT tied on H 450 BL for trout.

Grayling, on the other hand, are elegant. Softer takes. Less aggression. But unbelievably fast at rejecting a fly. They can inhale and spit in less than a second. For them, I’ve preferred longer, lighter patterns tied on H230 BL or H130 BL hooks — something that presents more delicately and drifts naturally.

The purple PT tied on H130 BL made for grayling 

But this past season, I started testing something new: the H460 BL Jig Superb RS.
At first, I was skeptical. I don’t change hook models easily. When something works, you stick with it. But after tying a few patterns and fishing them during my regular summer grayling sessions in Slovakia, I started noticing something interesting: the 460BL sits right in between.

Not as compact and aggressive as a pure jig hook.

Not as long and light as a classic grayling hook.

It behaves like a hybrid.

Size 18 and 16 with 3mm and 3.5mm RS+ bead.

Combined with the new RS+ beads, the fly balances beautifully. It sinks quickly, but it doesn’t feel “too heavy.” It presents naturally, but still reaches depth fast enough for deeper runs and faster current. It’s one of those small technical adjustments that you don’t fully appreciate until you fish it in difficult conditions.

The real confirmation came later that year at the European Fly Fishing Championship in Italy. Under pressure, when you need to reach deep spots fast and convert every single take, the 460 BL performed. It helped reach spooky trout holding deep and still converted those subtle grayling takes. That balance is rare.

The fly that worked well in Italy.

Now, what really excites me is how effective this hook could be in North American waters.
Think about technical tailwaters and big pools in the Rockies.
Clear freestone rivers with pressured fish.
Deep slots where trout sit just a little lower than you expect.
In many North American rivers, especially where fish see a lot of pressure, you need:
Fast depth control
Natural drift
Strong hook penetration
Confidence when a fish eats softly

The 460BL offers exactly that balance. It allows you to tie patterns that aren’t overly bulky, yet still get down quickly. It’s not extreme in one direction — and that’s precisely its strength.

For me, this isn’t about promoting a product for the sake of it.

If you follow what we do at Smart Angling, you know the whole point is simple: we test first. We fish it hard. We use it in real conditions. 

Only then do we talk about it.

Smart Angling is about bringing you the news after we’ve tried it ourselves — on competition rivers, on home waters, in summer low water and autumn depth. No hype. Just experience from the river.

And after a full season of fishing it, the H460 BL has earned its place in my fly box.

Not because it replaces everything else. 

But because sometimes, having a smart middle ground is exactly what the river demands.

Ciprian Rafan, February 2026 

Soldarini has developed a world-class setup at the top of their range: The Tournament rod and Sensor EN semi-automatic reel. 

Unpacking, the rod is finely finished and equipped.  The cork handle is top grade.  The most modern, exclusive materials and manufacture has produced a rod which is quite light in hand, and the down-locking reel seat balanced with most reels, especially the Sensor EN.  Casting single nymphs of 2.5mm is not a problem for this rod, an excellent result for such a strong rod with its progressive tip.  The tip and rod design also provides excellent tippet protection.  It can also easily cast heavier flies when needed, showcasing the rod’s versatility.  This rod is truly a tactical master for handling strong fish, casting light flies on the finest tippet.  

The Soldarini Sensor EN reel is a classic design for a semi-automatic reel, constructed from robust machined aluminum.  One key difference is the addition of a sealed drag unit which has very fine adjustment from the lightest (or none) to the firmest drag setting -think steelhead or your strongest tailwater lunker.  The reel has a line guard and the reel seat is reversible to permit the user to fine-tune balance.  The handle is sufficiently long for downlocking reel seats and quickly brings in line with one or two pulls of the lever.  This feature is key to keep extra line up off the water, avoiding tangles, and when quickly changing rods.

Michael DeKelver

Ottawa, Ontario, December 2025