L_A_2015_S_

that you have enough room to do it.
Longer length also improves mending
of line and streamer.

Lines

Basic demands are given above. If you
combine those with a need to use heavy
tippets, I normally use 0.60mm, there is
only one solution on the market that I
know of and meets all demands and that
is a family of RIO Leviathan lines. Yes,
they were built for big game fishing in
oceans, but they work for huchen
fishing as well, even in below freezing
point temperatures. I use 400 grain with
a single-handed #10 rod and 500 and 550
grain head with #12 single-handed rod
and 10/11 double-handed rod. Leviathan
lines do have their share of problems,
but they are the best that is available.
What happens with them is that when
they are under a lot of strain, like when
you have to break off your lure (snags
are a common occurance in hucho
flyfishing) the core and coating
eventually start to separate. Through
time, this leads to coating starting to
peel off the core or to wrinkles
appearing on the line. But as I said, as
far as I am aware,there is nothing better
around. To be fair, Leviathan lines have
never failed me. To make a loop for your
tippet, just take the end of a fly line and
create a loop, cover it with thread and
soak it in instant glue. It works fine with

all the Leviathan lines I use, just make

sure that the thread covered part is long

enough. If you are worried about

presentation ... when you are casting a

25cm streamer, a delicate presentation

is more of an idea than reality.

Tippet

Why such a heavy tippet? First of all,

your tippet shall often get damaged

during the fight as hucho will go for

the bottom and it is very likely that

the tippet will hit rocks and suffer

some degree of damage. I often find

damaged areas on the tippet, especially

after fighting a bigger fish. Secondly, in

some places, at least in waters where I

fish, you have to force the fish against

the current and forcing a big huchen

against the current of a fast flowing

river does require a lot of strength.

Thirdly, which is very important to

me, I do not wish to leave a big

streamer lodged in fishes mouths or

throats because they broke my line. It

is also worth mentioning that, at least

in Slovenia, many clubs demand use

of heavy lines like 0.45mm or 0.50mm

when you are fishing for huchen.

Such lines will regularly break

normal fly lines, which use cores of

about 30lb strength

Lures

I am one of those who likes to use big

streamers. How do they look? ... if I am

honest, good huchen streamers are a bit

of a secret, but you can see some of

them in the picture. All of them but one

are made to be used for normal

flycasting and with a wet slipper

technique, while the other is basically

the same streamer, but tied on a

jighead. It is worth mentioning that all

of those are very good pike streamers as

well. There are of course many other

streamers and describing them would

make this article too long, but we mimic

everything from bullheads and nase to

spawning lampries etc. The rule of the

thumb that most anglers follow, is that

colours used for huchen lures should be

more or less natural. As you can see, I

have included four crank-bait lures in

the picture. These are 18cm plugs and

all those colours are well proven huchen

killers. They are Savar plugs and as a

Slovene I am proud I can show them to

you; they went out of production when

the guy who originally made them

stopped more than 10 years ago. The

business was then bought by two

experienced anglers and what was a

great plug before has become even

better, not just for huchen, but for other

fish as well. As you can see, all the

colours are more or less natural.

When to use a normal

streamer, when to use jig

head streamer or wet

slipper technique

Normal streamers are great for areas

where currents are not too strong,

where you do not need to get deep or

the water isn ́t too deep. Jig flies are

used when you would like to get deep

in fast and/or deep water, or where

you have to use spin casts with a fly

rod due to limited space. In the last case

you can also use normal streamers with

wet slipper technique if those are

prefered to jig flies, for example when

you are fishing in calm water. In all

w s m e s t c m h t a k S y t s b e g b

fi

The cavenous
mouth of a
worthy predator

Streamers and 18cm

Savar plugs - both

proven huchen baits