Fly fishing seminar  ( only on request from groups or compagnies)

This is a seminar where you will get to feel the nature right under your skin and learn how to use it   .
Most of all its a seminar in how to fish with a fly and all what´s necessary to know about the subject

Wilderness flyfishing seminar

Join Jens Pilgaard in Norway to learn :
Fishing with a fly and wading techniques ( incl. security)
Entomology ( learning about insects)
Flytying and casting techniques
Practical fishing for Grayling, Trout and Mountain Char
Timberfloating-boat trip ( fishingtrip from old Timberfloating boats with guide)
Goldpanning
and how to get along in nature and use it to the full extend.

Week seminars in  maximum 10 students per week

My name is Jens Pilgaard and I will be your guide and instructor on our Wilderness flyfishing seminar. The main purpose of the seminar is to learn you how to fish with a fly and all the other details that are necessary to know around the subject.

You will learn how to wade, some entomology and what influence the insects has on flyfishing . You will learn casting techniques, flytying, practical fishing and how to read the water before you approach it plus a whole lot of small " tricks of the trade" and details within all the above categories.

I have been fishing in Norway each summer since 1995 and since 1996 I have been running seminars and done some guiding up there. That's why I now is running a Wilderness flyfishing seminar, to make it all more interesting to flyfish.
I strongly believe that those who want to flyfish also want to learn to understand what it is that make the fish take the fly and learn how to use nature to its full extend without damaging it ore leaving any trace of having been there.There are so many wonderful things out there, just waiting to be picked up, but very often hidden away for the eye that don't see such things

You will learn how to make fire without a match or lighter. How to use natural sources such as roots, bark, berries etc. but most of all its a flyfishing seminar, where you will learn how to fish with a fly.
I have chosen one of the best spots in Norway for the seminar when it comes to grayling and trout fishing - The Femund river where all the conditions are optimal. Here you will find rapid white-water, current waters, quiet parts, a magnificent nature and lots of fish such as grayling, trout, char, pike, perch, white fish and more.

Price per week is 3000,-Danish kroner per person, off these you will have to pay 1000.-kr. when you sign for the seminar.
You will not be having a reservation before this deposit is paid. The deposit will not be refunded if you cancel your reservation . Payment is send to :

Goldpanning: There will also be a chance to try to wash your own gold. We are situated in one of Norway's most known areas for gold, so why not try yourself as a goldwasher in between the fishing. There will be washing pans and instruction at the camp. Personally I haven't found any gold yet, but for those who arrive some days before the seminar starts, there is a possibility to join a one-day seminar close by ( at Femund Enden camp ) where the chances of finding gold is big and its not very expensive.

Things to remember

Here you will find a list of things that will come in handy if you decide to join us at the seminar this summer:
Good backpack
Tent
Flyrod, floating line( double taper or weight forward, maybe also an intermediate line but not essential) and a wheel, all weight-class 3-4 to 7 ( weight 5 is a good all-round solution)
Flybox( Preferably with some of your favorite flies if you have some )
Leader material (ranging from 0.14mm. to o.22 mm.)
Wading net
Wading stick , not collapsible ( if you don't have one we can make one at the spot)
Sunglasses
Fishing west or -jacket ( If you have one with "life west " inlay its fine but ordinary west will do)
Waders , Feltsoles is a very good thing on waders in Norwegian rivers (  thermo-underwear if you don't have neoprene-, but ordinary waders)
Rainwear
Good boots , such as Gore-Tex, but the main thing is that you have waterproof boots
Warm clothes
Mosquito repellant and maybe mosquito net
Toilet equipment such as toothbrush, soap, etc.
Towel
Flashlight
inflatable madras ( Self-inflatable madras will do)
Good sleeping bag
Canteen or small thermo bottle
Plate-cup-knife-fork-spoon
A piece of strong cord, 5 to10 mtr ( such as flagline)
Knife
Good mood
Chocolate, liqueur, tobacco etc. by own choice or need.
Music instruments,song books and amusing elements are more than welcome ( here I think of Friday night )

The seminar during the week

This is how the seminar is planned during the week ( depending a little on the weather) :

Sunday:
12.00 noon :I bid you all welcome and we talk about practical things over a cup of coffee at the fireplace in the Lavvu
13.30 to16.00 : wading technique and casting instruction
16.00 to19.00 : we dine and do whatever each person prefer ( fish, casting, relax etc.)
19.00 to ? : Evening fishing at the river

Monday:
09.00 to 10.00 : breakfast
10.00 to 12.00 : we take a look at insects and plants
12.00 to 14.00 : free
14.00 to 17.00 : flytying of important patterns 
17.00 to 20.00 : dining
20.00 to ? : evening and night fishing

Tuesday:
09.00 to 10.00 : breakfast
10.00 to 12.00 : individual casting instruction and fishing
12.00 to 14.00 : free
14.00 to 17.00 : daytime fishing ( dryfly if the conditions allows it )
17.00 to 19.00 : dining and free
19.00 to ?    : evening fishing

Wednesday:
09.00 to 10.00 : breakfast
10.00 to 12.00 : leaning about nature and how to make and light a fireplace
12.00 to 14.00 : free
14.00 to 17.00 : flytying off important fly patterns ( match the hatch)
17.00 to 19.00 : dining and free
19.00 to ? : evening and night fishing

Thursday:
10.00 to 11.00 : breakfast
11.00 to 16.00 : free fishing with individual breaks
16.00 to 117.30.00 : dining and driving down to the Timberfloating boats
17.30 to ? : Timberfloating-boat fishing trip

Friday:
09.00 to 10.00 : breakfast
10.00 to 18.00 : Fishing for mountain-Char for those who is up to a bit of mountain- hiking , or fishing by own discretion in the lowland or river-region
18.00 to ? : Dinner and closing ceremony ,Hand-over of seminar diplomas etc.such as amusing elements provided by the students and seminar-holders (Fell free to bring instruments, good jokes and lots of good spirit).

Saturday:
Breakfast before departure, individual time-schedules taken into consideration regarding ferry- and flight schedule

In between the activities mentioned in the program we will try to wash gold and lots of other things like wood carving etc as a sort of cozy time-killer activity while drinking coffee around the fireplace and telling lies about big fishes that we never got. Its surposed to be fun and relaxing without any kind of stress - Right!!

On this seminar you will learn basic flytying and some streamside flytying as well. This mean that we will take a look at what the fish are eating right now and then copy it right away. That might sound difficult to some but it don't have to be that at all.

Off cause its not like sitting at home and tie flies at the bench but I chose this form of flytying to give you a true feeling of how easy it can be , to tie a fly that catch fish , here and now!!

Everyone is welcome to bring their own Flybox but it will be possible to tie your own flies at the seminar already Monday.

During the whole stay you will have access to tying materials and hooks, in case someone want to tie an extra fly for the upcoming evening / nights fishing.

The type of flies in question is mainly wet-flies, nymphs and dry-flies plus some imitation-flytying of terrestrials

You will also learn some new and innovative flytying techniques such as Ori´gami wings and Super-Floaters.

   Entomology

We will study the insects around us and the importance they have on fish and fishing. You will learn a great deal about the different species and their cycle of life and how this knowledge can be used within flytying and when planning your flyfishing.

Finally we will take a look at what the fish eat by studying what a fish- stomach contains. This very often brings surprising information to your knowledge, which again can be used in your flytying / fishing.

Camping a week by the riverside also means that certain things has to be taken into consideration such as clothing - toilet facilities - sleeping- and tenting facilities - food etc.

Clothing

Clothing is an essential factor to get the full value of a stay out in nature.That is why it is so important to take all kind of weather into consideration.
Off cause clothes can be washed by the riverside but that is of minor importance. What is more important is to have warm clothes and spare clothes, so if you get wet, you can go and change before you catch a cold or worse.
Good footwear is also important, and it has to be " old friends" and not totally new boots that haven't been worn before. Blisters on the feet will ruin the fun
Not that we will be walking a lot but good boots are always important.
Socks and underwear is probably the most important to be well equipped with on a trip like this.

Toilet - facilities

Near by the camp there is an old fashion toilet; you know, these wooden houses with a hearth on the door. This is the best bid on a modern toilet out here. When you take the alternatives into consideration I think this is a kind of luxury . These are the terms , being out in nature ,but this should not keep anyone, neither boy nor girl, from participating.
Personal hygiene is practiced in true wilderness-style by the riverside, or in the river, by each persons individual discretion, since this is the only kind of running water we have on the spot. there is also a small brook coming down behind the camp, which leaves you with the choice of practicing all this in a more private way
Besides that, there is always the possibility to take a trip to Sølenstua campsite ( approx. 25 km) to buy a shower if you want to do a bit extra for your own wellbeing. Here you will be able to buy an ice-cream and a postcard as well and a visit to the Cafeteria.

Tent and sleeping facilities

Every student / group provide his/her own sleeping-tent-, bag, and madras. I can recommend some kind of inflatable madras. The Norwegian underground can be a bit rocky. If there is still some space left over in your backpack it is a good idea to bring a small tarpaulin or piece of plastic to cover the tent in case of heavy rain.These don't weigh much and don't cost a lot.
Your sleeping bag should be of a good quality. It can get cold at night.
During the seminar there will be a big tent ( the Lavvu ) open for general purposes such as flytying, leisure time, woodcarving, coffee-cocking etc.. Here you can light a fire in the middle any time of the day or night if you feel cold. This will be to considered as our living room.For the same reasons its obvious that the tent are left neat and tidy when you leave the tent after using it.  You will be instructed in safety around making fire in a tent.

Food

Vagn Hansen is my faithful chef  and friend for a number of years now . He will take care of our meals, of which he is very good!! And then he always provide a smile on a rainy day. He might even catch a fish where you just left empty- handed !!

Included in the price is a breakfast and a evening meal which mean that the students are surposed to take care of themselves in the middle of the day. This will leave everyone with more possibilities to make some shopping and maybe try to eat some of the fish from the river / lakes that are caught.We will show you how to prepare your own, new caught fish by the riverside, only using what you will find in nature.
The main meals will not be fish, but solid, practical food, based on Norwegian products such as bread, milk, marmalade, cheese, coffee, the, smoked- and fresh meat, vegetables, fruit, juice etc.. As basics we will be serving rice, pasta and potatoes since this kind of food is most suitable for cocking over an open fire.
And should there be expressed a wish for a meal of fish, based on the students own catch, I am sure that Vagn is the man to serve you that. You wont believe what he can make out of a handful of Graylings or Trout over an open fire!!. You will be begging for more!!

Instructor

My name is Jens Pilgaard . I am the responsible  and instructor of the seminar.You can read more about me and my qualification for running this seminar at the beginning of this program. In general you might say that I will be in charge of all the practical things and all training.

Fishing license is not included in the price. The license is valid for a week and cost 170Nok the season of  2002.
License is available near by the camp all around the clock ( self-service). Governmental license in no longer needed except for salmonfishing in Norway.
The license are to be carried with you all the time while fishing due to regular inspection and should be provided without request to inspectors.

To fish with a fly its important to be able to tie a fly to the leader with a solid knot. The shown example is just one of many that can be used.Probable the most used in general when we talk about dry-, nymph and wetflies.

For those of you who haven't been flyfishing before, you now have a chance to sit down and practice all by yourself in your own pace, before we start fishing.
Its a good idea to spit on the knot before you pull it tight, to make it firm and solid.

Flylines

Above you will find the most common used types of lines for flyfishing. From the top you will see a double tapered line which is good for dry-fly fishing and other sorts of casting that require a nice and smooth presentation on the surface.
It is possible to turn a double- taper around on the flyreel when it is worn at the tip.

Next example is a Weight forward which is used for casting further away, but not for the more delicate casting. This line is good for the beginner, because a double taper can be a bit difficult to start with when it come to casting a bit further.

Third example is a Longbelly-line. This line have got the casting weight spread out on a longer part of the tip of the line. This type of line is not to be recommended to beginners.

Finally you will see a Shooting head, which is a short heavy head with an eye to be attached to the Shootingline ( long and thin smooth line). This type of line is the kind of which you will be able to cast the longest. It is not to be recommended for dry-fly fishing.

Within each type of line you then will have to choose among floating-, intermediate- or sinking line of which the last is to be found in different sink-speeds. You will also be able to buy special-lines  such as sink-tip and a few rocket- taper and more

Rods

To choose and buy a rod can be difficult! That is why you should always ask for permission to try casting with the rod before you buy it. That way you can decide whether it agree with you. If the shop wont allow you this, you probably should look around for another shop. There is lots of shops that is willing to sell a flyrod. Maybe ask fellow-flyfisher with some experience along so you don't become a victim for some young 5-star salesman with the experience of a 50-year old flyfisher who " use this brand himself all the time".

What is important is to choose a rod with the right action for the type of fishing that you want to perform. Here are some different options.

Top-action are rods that is very stiff and capable of casting far with heavy lines. These are mainly used for the more heavy type of flyfishing

Half-action  are rods where mainly the upper half of the rod will bend during casting.
This type is an all-round rood but not for dryfly fishing in general because it does not present the line gently on the surface.

Full-action are rods that bend all the way down to the reel during use. This type of rod is totally different to cast with because it has a slower reaction than other types of rods.
A top-action rod will follow your mows because it is stiff and a full-action rod will react slower, and can for the same reason not be used so aggressively. This can be of great importance when dry-fly fishing, so you don't scare away the fish when you present the line to the surface.

Look under " things to remember" for recommended classification of rood for this seminar.


Leaders

On the flyline you will need a leader to tie the fly on.
This leader has to be attached to the flyline.This can be done in different ways but as a beginner, the easiest way is to use a pre-made hose with an eye at the end. These you can buy in any shop dealing with flyfishing materials. This hose is pulled over the end of the flyline.It is secured from sliding of with a drop of magic.glue and over that a thin plastic tube.Now you attach a tapered monofilament leader to the eye on the hose.That way you can easily replace your leader
You can also sew your leader directly to the tip of the flyline but this requires a bit of practice.

The leader has to be tapered, being thinner towards the tip . You can buy these, but being the best solution, they are also the most expensive. You can also make them yourself by tying together 3  different dimensions of leader materials such as . 0,32mm.-0,25mm.-0,20mm. . Approx. 3 mtr. all together

At the end of this leader you tie another o,75 to 1 mtr of  0,14 to 0,16mm.for , depending on type of flyfishing.

    You will learn how to make these leaders during the seminar.

At this stage of the seminar I am pretty convinced that everyone is filled with new impressions and good memories, and no-one really wants to leave.That is why I have made sure that we get time enough celebrate the closing on Friday night and talk about all our hours spent together. Here you will receive a diploma for participating and we will look back on the week gone by. Maybe someone deserves some extra attention, whether it is for special achievements or maybe an unwillingly  swim in the river. All this is meant to be amusing and not very serious at all.

For this special occasion any contributions are welcome, as long as they are amusing, that being music-song performance etc.

Any kind of beverage is to be provided by each person themselves.

Saturday is day of departure and we will have to part. We hope that you have had a prosperous and memorable week and that we will see you again on this or one of our other seminars. Or maybe just some day by a river.
Under all circumstances we now have a memory to share on which we can reminiscence; and in all honesty - that is what it is all about; right ??.

Fugl & Fjer Fluebinding

Christinehøjvej 1, 9550 Mariager- Denmark.

Telephone : +45 98 54 24 61

Mobil : +45 40 98 54 24  

Road direction and " how to get there" will be send after deposit payment is made