Published Dec 22. 2014 - 9 years ago
Updated or edited Oct 12. 2023

Summit opener

This was one of those days where things just worked out, and I took advantage of it and behaved slightly out of order.

Butterfish - The autumn sea trout can be extremely beautiful
Butterfish
Henning Eskol

This was one of those days where things just worked out.
It was the third GFF Summit in 2008. We were fishing during a beautiful September weekend on the Danish island Fyn, and had gained access to some normally closed off roads. You can walk along the beach to access fishing water basically everywhere along the Danish coast. You can even walk over private land and fish along private property. But you can't drive your car everywhere, and this particular peninsula requires a pretty long walk to get to the good spots.
But we could drive. And we did.
We were a dozen cars and about 30 people from all over Europe who gathered on a Friday afternoon. Nice weather, drifting clouds, modest wind and good conditions. The water was dirty, but not overly so.
30 people, many never having met, many seeing each other for the first time in a long time, all eager to go fishing but some without experience on the coast. That results in some confusion, a lot of preparation and some explaining and pointing out spots to fish.

So I was ready late and didn't walk far from the cars before I started fishing.
Straight down to the shore, into the water, tie on a bright and flashy fly for the dirty water and start casting.
And lo and behold!
A take within the first few minutes.
And a good fish too.
Standing in ankle deep water, sun shining, rolled up sleaves, casting leisurely over the absolutely nearest water to the cars and catching a fish within 10 minutes. And a very beautiful fish too. What's not to like?
These autumn sea runs are staggeringly beautiful. Loosing their bright summer shine, they turn buttery yellow and brown and take on the colors of a typical stream brown trout. They are in extremely good condition and generally very strong. And here I am, on a nice September day, catching one within minutes, and even with almost 29 witnesses of which many have never caught a coastal trout... I should be ashamed of myself!

Pictures are taken, the fish admired and it's returned. I chat, laugh and fish on and boom! Another one. Now, that's not the proper behavior for a host. Leave the water to the others and let them have a shot. A few get in the water and fish next to me as I repeat the whole incident a third time.
Three very decent fish just after having arrived. Not a bad way of showing people why this Danish coastal fishing is (sometimes) worth traveling for.

Nice fish - Danish Henning Eskol with a prize
North coast - The northern part of the peninsula that we fished
The whole group - Almost everybody attending the Global FlyFisher Summit 2008
A trophy trout - Richard Maree with a grand Danish autumn trout
Shallow water fish - Danish Martin Joergensen with a fish taken in the very shallow water close to the beach
Summit images
Frederik Odelberg - Martin Joergensen - Henning Eskol
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