TR: Trip to Ransaran Creek Part II.

(If you don't feel like clicking on all the links for the pictures just go
to the website below and click on TR:s for the web version)

Trip to Ransaran Creek Part II.

Having been to Ransaran two weeks before midsummer and having seen huge
Arctic char swimming within reach of my rod tip I had a hard time forgetting
about the place and finally four weeks later I called my long time fishing
buddy Fred and told him about the place.
- You're lying! Was his immediate response. There can't be such fishing
there and I haven't heard about it..?
- Well then, come with me and see for yourself I told him.
And so it went that we booked permits for 24 hours of fishing at Ransaran
Creek.
Tagging along was another friend of mine, Erik Holmlund fly-fisherman and
owner of one of the oldest fishing sites on the Swedish part of the web,
Erik's River site.
We planned on arriving so that our fishing would start at 1 pm and end 1 pm
next day.
Arriving at Saxnasgarden a Mountain resort I once again found myself sitting
in a restaurant where one could pay a fee just to admire the view. After
lunch and another visit to the fishing center to pick up our permits we were
on our way up to the creek.

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2a.jpg

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2b.jpg

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2c.jpg

My first visit to Ransaran had been a success although the weather had been
on the windy and slightly chilly side. This time the weather was warm and
the wind just about still. But what was to come NOTHING could have prepared
me for.
Once at the creek we set up camp and took a walk up to a canyon leading out
from a water reservoir, not a water power plant, just a reservoir. This
reservoir having a bottom outlet affects the quota restricted part of the
creek in two ways. First, the water is always very cold, around 6 degrees
Celsius even during July. Second, the bottom outlet provides an abundance of
gammarus in the stretch below. Arctic char normally feeding on gammarus and
liking cold water reach enormous size in this creek and specimen up to 5.5
kg (lb12) have been caught.

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2m.jpg

On our walk up to the canyon, where fishing is prohibited, we saw fish
swimming in the narrow creek that easily surpassed 4,5 kg (lb10). Asking my
friend if he still thought I was lying he was to distressed by what he saw
so I got no answer.
Fishing started out with us casting with very small gnats or weighted nymphs
tied on to what was the smallest diameter tippets we dared to use. Fish were
rising everywhere and it was big fish, even huge fish, but we caught
nothing. It was still daytime, in the afternoon, when we decided to take a
break and have something to eat. The shear frustration of having such rises
and being unable to fool the fish was taking its toll.
At this point something happened that I never ever had expected, the char
was starting to do head and tail rises all over. It was a sight that will be
forever imprinted in my brain. The number of fish rising per minute was
around a hundred and the size was such that the tailfins easily were wider
than 10 cm (4 inches). Guess if we hurried to the rods!? But no avail. The
fish would simply not touch anything thrown at them.
Late that night I caught what was going to be my first Arctic char that trip
(18 inches and lb 2,5) on a fly that I had no more than four of. And my
friends had none. It was an iron blue version of the Klinkhamer in size 14.

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2f.jpg

The only way to get a rise was to wait for a fish to show itself and then
present this Klinkhamer so that it floated fly first, leader coming behind
it, to the fish. I had to give my friends one fly each explaining that I had
only four and that the last one also was mine. We must have seen thousands
of rises that night and later I heard that one of the fishing guides had
expressed that he was close to tears from the sight. It was a humbling
experience to see all that fish rising under the midnight sun in a mountain
valley where the snow still was evident on the slopes.
Waking up the morning after, a bit tired but very keen on getting a few more
hours of fishing in before our permit ended, we cooked breakfast. While
sitting and eating a big Arctic char started to rise no more than 50 feet
from our tent. Fred being frustrated from not catching anything the night
before simply dropped his sandwich and grabbed his rod with the small
Klinkhamer still on it. It was kind of fun looking at him approaching the
riverbank on all four, expecting the char to stop rising in any second.
Stripping line onto the ground he made one false cast and dropped the fly
above the fish in the stream. Slowly floating towards the point where the
fish had been rising the fish rose again. I literally yelled at him,
- Why didn't you strike you moron.
He shouted back that the fish had been rising to something no more than 25
inches to the side of his fly. At the very second he closed his mouth the
fish took the Klinkhamer and he hooked it. Getting up to a standing position
he shouted,

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2h.jpg

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2j.jpg

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2i.jpg

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2n.jpg

- Oh oh! It's a big one.
And it really was. He never took it out of the water, just unhooked it since
we were going home later that evening but I took some really nice pictures
of it while it was still on and I swear it must've been close to 20 inches.
http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2l.jpg
Getting back to his breakfast on shaky legs but with a smile on his lips
nothing could've erased at that point he sat down mumbling something about
how good living can be.
Now comes the fun part. We hadn't been sitting there for more than two
minutes when another big Arctic char rose in the exact same spot. We both
looked at Erik who already was on his feet. Erik who hasn't been fishing the
fly for as long as Fred more or less imitated Fred in his approach and did
everything perfect. The fact that the fish broke him left him more or less
devastated but even more so determined to learn more about fly-fishing and
to return next year.

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2g.jpg

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2o.jpg

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2p.jpg

I was to have more success than my fellow fishermen and caught another four
char at approx the same size or slightly smaller than my first. This is not
what I remember best from the trip though. I was fishing the lower calm
water at the inlet from the creek when I saw one of those trophy fish that
we knew could be found in these waters. It was rising again and again in a
side current created by the inlet and did not really pose any difficulty as
to how to fool him and hence I cast and landed the K. fly two meters above
him in the current with the leader coming behind. I hooked that fish and
after 30 seconds I hadn't even slowed him down when he broke me. I don't cry
easily, but friends, this time it was very close.
Packing up and returning home was bittersweet. We had had an experience that
made us want to stay longer but also a fishing trip worth telling about.
Next year...next year...

/Roger
Daytime engineer
Lifetime flyfisherman
If you feel like it, visit http://biphome.spray.se/angler/ for info on
flyfishing in northern Sweden, Lapland

Thanks Roger, great reports!

--
Herman

"Roger Ohlund" skrev i meddelandet
...
(If you don't feel like clicking on all the links for the pictures just go
to the website below and click on TR:s for the web version)

Trip to Ransaran Creek Part II.


(Story snipped)

Next year...next year...

/Roger
Daytime engineer
Lifetime flyfisherman
If you feel like it, visit http://biphome.spray.se/angler/ for info on
flyfishing in northern Sweden, Lapland

Thanks for Your great report Roger! Now there´s another big X on my map! ;-)
Really looking forward for You to empty Your computer and share the rest of
Your stories with us!
Pictures from Laisan are now in for developing, not that many but... I´ll
send them over as soon as i recieve them!
Hope to fish with You and the guys again!
Stefan, Sweden

Hej Roger,
You lucky Swedes! I really enjoyed your report , even more because Kultsjon
is in my shortlist if you see what I mean... Big browns are also allegedly
very much on the menu in the myriad of creeks in this area. For someone who
has never caught a char, you report is very tempting.

But I guess your challenge now is to decide whether Miekak still wins for
next year or whether you are not so sure anymore!!!.. I have also read a bit
about Ammarnas...

Any way, just meant to say a quick hello and was delighted to hear you had a
whale of a time. I'd still like to buy you a drink and share a few cast by
the water sometime.

Tightlines
Jerome
Roger Ohlund wrote in message
...
(If you don't feel like clicking on all the links for the pictures just go
to the website below and click on TR:s for the web version)

Trip to Ransaran Creek Part II.

Having been to Ransaran two weeks before midsummer and having seen huge
Arctic char swimming within reach of my rod tip I had a hard time
forgetting
about the place and finally four weeks later I called my long time fishing
buddy Fred and told him about the place.
- You're lying! Was his immediate response. There can't be such fishing
there and I haven't heard about it..?
- Well then, come with me and see for yourself I told him.
And so it went that we booked permits for 24 hours of fishing at Ransaran
Creek.
Tagging along was another friend of mine, Erik Holmlund fly-fisherman and
owner of one of the oldest fishing sites on the Swedish part of the web,
Erik's River site.
We planned on arriving so that our fishing would start at 1 pm and end 1
pm
next day.
Arriving at Saxnasgarden a Mountain resort I once again found myself
sitting
in a restaurant where one could pay a fee just to admire the view. After
lunch and another visit to the fishing center to pick up our permits we
were
on our way up to the creek.

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2a.jpg

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2b.jpg

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2c.jpg

My first visit to Ransaran had been a success although the weather had
been
on the windy and slightly chilly side. This time the weather was warm and
the wind just about still. But what was to come NOTHING could have
prepared
me for.
Once at the creek we set up camp and took a walk up to a canyon leading
out
from a water reservoir, not a water power plant, just a reservoir. This
reservoir having a bottom outlet affects the quota restricted part of the
creek in two ways. First, the water is always very cold, around 6 degrees
Celsius even during July. Second, the bottom outlet provides an abundance
of
gammarus in the stretch below. Arctic char normally feeding on gammarus
and
liking cold water reach enormous size in this creek and specimen up to 5.5
kg (lb12) have been caught.

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2m.jpg

On our walk up to the canyon, where fishing is prohibited, we saw fish
swimming in the narrow creek that easily surpassed 4,5 kg (lb10). Asking
my
friend if he still thought I was lying he was to distressed by what he saw
so I got no answer.
Fishing started out with us casting with very small gnats or weighted
nymphs
tied on to what was the smallest diameter tippets we dared to use. Fish
were
rising everywhere and it was big fish, even huge fish, but we caught
nothing. It was still daytime, in the afternoon, when we decided to take a
break and have something to eat. The shear frustration of having such
rises
and being unable to fool the fish was taking its toll.
At this point something happened that I never ever had expected, the char
was starting to do head and tail rises all over. It was a sight that will
be
forever imprinted in my brain. The number of fish rising per minute was
around a hundred and the size was such that the tailfins easily were wider
than 10 cm (4 inches). Guess if we hurried to the rods!? But no avail. The
fish would simply not touch anything thrown at them.
Late that night I caught what was going to be my first Arctic char that
trip
(18 inches and lb 2,5) on a fly that I had no more than four of. And my
friends had none. It was an iron blue version of the Klinkhamer in size
14.

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2f.jpg

The only way to get a rise was to wait for a fish to show itself and then
present this Klinkhamer so that it floated fly first, leader coming behind
it, to the fish. I had to give my friends one fly each explaining that I
had
only four and that the last one also was mine. We must have seen thousands
of rises that night and later I heard that one of the fishing guides had
expressed that he was close to tears from the sight. It was a humbling
experience to see all that fish rising under the midnight sun in a
mountain
valley where the snow still was evident on the slopes.
Waking up the morning after, a bit tired but very keen on getting a few
more
hours of fishing in before our permit ended, we cooked breakfast. While
sitting and eating a big Arctic char started to rise no more than 50 feet
from our tent. Fred being frustrated from not catching anything the night
before simply dropped his sandwich and grabbed his rod with the small
Klinkhamer still on it. It was kind of fun looking at him approaching the
riverbank on all four, expecting the char to stop rising in any second.
Stripping line onto the ground he made one false cast and dropped the fly
above the fish in the stream. Slowly floating towards the point where the
fish had been rising the fish rose again. I literally yelled at him,
- Why didn't you strike you moron.
He shouted back that the fish had been rising to something no more than 25
inches to the side of his fly. At the very second he closed his mouth the
fish took the Klinkhamer and he hooked it. Getting up to a standing
position
he shouted,

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2h.jpg

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2j.jpg

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2i.jpg

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2n.jpg

- Oh oh! It's a big one.
And it really was. He never took it out of the water, just unhooked it
since
we were going home later that evening but I took some really nice pictures
of it while it was still on and I swear it must've been close to 20
inches.
http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2l.jpg
Getting back to his breakfast on shaky legs but with a smile on his lips
nothing could've erased at that point he sat down mumbling something about
how good living can be.
Now comes the fun part. We hadn't been sitting there for more than two
minutes when another big Arctic char rose in the exact same spot. We both
looked at Erik who already was on his feet. Erik who hasn't been fishing
the
fly for as long as Fred more or less imitated Fred in his approach and did
everything perfect. The fact that the fish broke him left him more or less
devastated but even more so determined to learn more about fly-fishing and
to return next year.

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2g.jpg

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2o.jpg

http://biphome.spray.se/bo_lindfors/...n_creek_2p.jpg

I was to have more success than my fellow fishermen and caught another
four
char at approx the same size or slightly smaller than my first. This is
not
what I remember best from the trip though. I was fishing the lower calm
water at the inlet from the creek when I saw one of those trophy fish that
we knew could be found in these waters. It was rising again and again in a
side current created by the inlet and did not really pose any difficulty
as
to how to fool him and hence I cast and landed the K. fly two meters above
him in the current with the leader coming behind. I hooked that fish and
after 30 seconds I hadn't even slowed him down when he broke me. I don't
cry
easily, but friends, this time it was very close.
Packing up and returning home was bittersweet. We had had an experience
that
made us want to stay longer but also a fishing trip worth telling about.
Next year...next year...

/Roger
Daytime engineer
Lifetime flyfisherman
If you feel like it, visit http://biphome.spray.se/angler/ for info on
flyfishing in northern Sweden, Lapland

Thanks for sharing Roger great report pics also


Handyman Mike
Standing in a river waving a stick

On Sun, 5 Oct 2003 15:37:05 +0200, "Roger Ohlund"
wrote:



Trip to Ransaran Creek Part II.

Well done and fun to read. Thanks.
--

rbc:vixen,Minnow Goddess,Willow Watcher,and all that sort of thing.
Often taunted by trout.
Only a fool would refuse to believe in luck. Only a damn fool would rely on it.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli

"Roger Ohlund" wrote in message
...
(If you don't feel like clicking on all the links for the pictures just go
to the website below and click on TR:s for the web version)

Trip to Ransaran Creek Part II.
...And so it went that we booked permits for 24 hours of fishing at
Ransaran
Creek.

I finally got a chance to read your post...you had me on the edge of my seat
more than once! Is sounds like a special place, and the photos are great.
Thanks.

Cheers,
Bill

"Stefan Räjert" wrote in message
...

Thanks for Your great report Roger! Now there´s another big X on my map!
;-)
Really looking forward for You to empty Your computer and share the rest
of
Your stories with us!
Pictures from Laisan are now in for developing, not that many but... I´ll
send them over as soon as i recieve them!
Hope to fish with You and the guys again!
Stefan, Sweden


Well Stefan,

Once I get around to planning for a clave in 2004 you would be most welcome
to join us again. I for one would look forward to meet with you once more.
And yes, I will empty my computer of stories. Next will be Pearl river.
Those pictures from Laisan would be most welcome. I have had three rolls of
film developed and have more than 100 pictures from the clave, only need to
buy me a new slide scanner and I will have them online on the web page.
Send me an email before sending the pictures and I will provide you with an
email address that I can access with a faster connection.

/Roger

"The Leaping Frog" wrote in message
...
Hej Roger,
You lucky Swedes! I really enjoyed your report , even more because
Kultsjon
is in my shortlist if you see what I mean... Big browns are also allegedly
very much on the menu in the myriad of creeks in this area. For someone
who
has never caught a char, you report is very tempting.

But I guess your challenge now is to decide whether Miekak still wins for
next year or whether you are not so sure anymore!!!.. I have also read a
bit
about Ammarnas...

Any way, just meant to say a quick hello and was delighted to hear you had
a
whale of a time. I'd still like to buy you a drink and share a few cast by
the water sometime.

Tightlines
Jerome

Jerome,

There's a new trophy stretch in Vindel river close to Ammarnas. Actually it
is the first rapids below Ammarnas Village.
Had I but known about it during the clave I would have taken the guys there,
we were after all very close to the place during our day trip.
They have caught brown trout in this stretch up to lb11 this summer.
On the other hand, I would think that Vaughan was quite satisfied with the
stretch that we did go to.
I'm guessing that you will visit us (Sweden) again next summer?
Also I'm looking forward to hearing of this summers experiences.
About Ammarnas.....
I was in the region hunting for ptarmigan mid September. We stayed in a Sami
cabin high up the mountains, say 50 kilometers from the nearest road.
Brought my fishing gear, only got to fish for two hours but caugh the second
largest Arctic char of my life at 22 inches. TR is coming as number 6 of 6.
Next is number three, Pearl river.

/Roger

On the other hand, I would think that Vaughan was quite satisfied with the
stretch that we did go to.

Indeed - but where was Osmo with his camera when I needed him!

I was in the region hunting for ptarmigan mid September. We stayed in a
Sami
cabin high up the mountains, say 50 kilometers from the nearest road.
Brought my fishing gear, only got to fish for two hours but caugh the
second
largest Arctic char of my life at 22 inches.

You know, there are times when I really start to dislike you Ohlund.......
22" char and you get to hunt for ptarmigan as well? And I am stuck at
work................

Thinking of next year. I was up at Saxnas last weekend of the season but did
not fish. I was with Åsa and did not want my rings thrown at me :-). It
looks like a nice area for early in the season next June. If you and Jarmo
are still interested I would be keen as well. July will be difficult for me
next year as I have to go to Japan July 10-15 but mid summer - ish should
still work. Not sure when it would be best to try Miekak, if that is still a
possibility.

Vaughan