Kenneth Boström http://www.flytyingworld.com/PagesK/kennethbostrom.

htm

Kenneth Boström
Sweden

© Instructional pictures and text by Kenneth Boström 2001

Kenneth Boström is 56 years old (2001) and lives in

Helsingborg in south of Sweden. He is one the most famous
fly fishers, fly tyers in Sweden. The below introduction is in
his words...

For almost 40 years I've been passionately involved in fly

fishing and traveled widely, fishing famous and little known
waters all over the world. During this time I've been able to
test new ideas and techniques in regard to fishing tactics,
equipment and strategies.

It's been my privilege to be closely involved in the

development of fly fishing in the Nordic countries and I've
been especially interested in developing modern fly
imitations such as my successful "Rackelhanen" caddis
imitation. I've produced two books on the insects life to be
found in and around our Scandinavian streams, "Dagsländor i öringvatten" (Mayflies in
trout waters) and "Nattsländor i öringvatten" (Caddis in trout waters). In 1998 I
published my book on rod building, "Spöbyggnad på mitt sätt" (Rodbuilding, my way).

During the `70s I started to experiment with split cane rods, adding upper sections in
graphite. I was trying to combine the best of both materials, to create the "perfect" rod
action. At that time I couldn't imagine how far this technique would develop, or how
fast. All this experimenting resulted in my own rod creation: the Rackelhanen rod. I
think that they really do combine the best of both world and offer unique action.

This information is copyrighted so please contact Mats Sjostrand for permission before
using any information from these pages. Mats Sjostrand, Rackelhanen Flyfishing
Magazine, Sweden.

Visit Mats magazine web site at: http://www.rackelhanen.se/eng

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)
Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

1 van 8 19-3-2009 17:25

Kenneth Boström http://www.flytyingworld.com/PagesK/kennethbostrom.htm

Be sure to visit our on-line store at

http://www.flytyingworld.com/angling/index.html
for your tying needs.

Hatching Rackelhanen
Originators: Kenneth Boström and Tomas Olsson

Hook: Dry fly hook (sized to the caddis you intend

to imitate)
Thread: Same color as the body
Tail: Polypropylene yarn (color to match your local
caddis population and burned to shape with wing
burner)
Body: Polypropylene yarn (color to match your
local caddis population tied fluffy)
Shuck: Polypropylene yarn (color to match your
local caddis population)

Note: This fly is a variant of the Rackelhane

fly and imitates a hatching caddis.

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)
Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

Instructions
1. Start with a piece of beige
polypropylene yarn. Burn one end of the
piece so it looks like the one on the
picture. And tie it on the shank.
2. Dub the thread with medium brown
polypropylene yarn - 10 mm long cut
pieces of polyyarn that you have mixed
together and fluffed up.
3. Form a back body. Make sure that the
body is "airy," not compact. Leave 1/3 of
the shank length free for wing and front
body.
4. Tie in a piece of Grey polypropylene
yarn, spread it sideways, should be fairly wide.

5. Dub the thread again with medium brown polypropylene yarn - 10 mm long cut pieces
of polyyarn that you have mixed together and fluffed up.
6. Form a mid body. Make sure that the
body is "airy," not compact.
7. Fold the Grey piece of poly yarn

2 van 8 19-3-2009 17:25

Kenneth Boström http://www.flytyingworld.com/PagesK/kennethbostrom.htm

forwards and spread it sideways, should

be fairly wide. Tie it on the shank,
leaving a room for the head.
8. Again, dub the thread with medium
brown polypropylene yarn - 10 mm long
cut pieces of polyyarn that you have
mixed together and fluffed up. Form a
front body/head. Finish with one or two
whip finish knots.
Remember to impregnate only the wing before fishing, otherwise the fly will float too
high in the water.
© Instructional pictures and text by Kenneth Boström 2001

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)
Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

Rackelhanen
Originator: Kenneth Boström in 1967

Hook: Light dry hook #10-#18

Thread: To match color of yarn.
Material: Polypropylene yarn

Note 1: May be tied in size and color to

imitate your local caddis flies.

Note 2: Other names used for this fly:

Polysedge, Rackelhahn

Note 3: Pictured fly is tied with brown dyed

Polywing material.

Scroll down for instructions.

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)
Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

3 van 8 19-3-2009 17:25

Kenneth Boström http://www.flytyingworld.com/PagesK/kennethbostrom.htm

History
The construction and the idea of Rackelhanen was developed in 1967 during a hatching
of caddis in Vännån River located on the border between the counties of Kronoberg and
Halland in Sweden.

The fish was extremely selective on a special caddis, whose pupa hatched just below the
surface. The fish only took the hatched fly in the zone between, 10-20 cm below the
surface and up to the surface. The pupa, would be an easy target all the way from the
bottom to 10-20 cm from the surface. But this pupa didn't interest the fish, neither did
the hatched fly that rested on the water surface ready to fly away. This hatching kept
going on for several evenings.

I finally understood the problem, I found the right method to copy this hatching
procedure after a long time of experiments. It took some time, but when I had found the
right material (polypropylenyarn), the tying technique and the fishing technique - the
Rackelhane fly turned out to be deadly efficient.

The fly was not very beautiful, it's appearance was almost frightful. Because of this I
was very reluctant to show the fly to my fishing friends. I was always prepared for
laughs, but soon the laugh changed into other expressions, when they took the time to
try my creation. It was one of my fly fishing friends who named the fly Rackelhanen. He
thought the fly looked like a "bastard."

The name Rackelhane comes from the Swedish name of a cross between a Black Grouse
male (Heathcock - Lyrurus t. tetrix), and a Western capercaillie, (Tetrao urogallus,
female). They are two gallinaceous European gamebirds.

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)
Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

Fishing Technique
During the years I have developed many different fishing methods with Rackelhanen. I
will try to describe the most important methods. Rackelhanen almost always is fished in
the surface and with a floating line. But at certain times it could be better to choose a
sinktip line. A Rackelhane should always be treated with a floating substance. Many
people have misunderstood the quality of polypropylene, and believe that it floats well
without treatment, but it won't!

Caddis have many different ways of hatching. These ways must we, as anglers know
how to imitate. The Rackelhane makes a blurry silhouette when it is looked at from
underneath against the sky. This is most likely the best explanation why the Rackelhane
is so efficient. The material gives the impression of life, and the caddis are never still
either on or in the water, in contrast to the mayfly.

4 van 8 19-3-2009 17:25

Kenneth Boström http://www.flytyingworld.com/PagesK/kennethbostrom.htm

Technique 1. Stripping on the surface. Short and "nervous" pulls, 2 inch long, with a
short pause between them. This imitates the behavior of egg laying or drinking caddis

Technique 2. When I see the fish eating "swimming" "paddling" caddis pupae on the
water, I usually cut of the wings on Rackehanen and present it as a surface swimming
pupa heading for land.

Technique 3. A - Let the leader sink. You can gladly use a sink tip line with a short tip.
B - Pull the line so that the fly drags under the water surface. C - Make a short pause,
and the fly floats up again with a plopping sound. This technique gives a perfect
imitation of a caddis that is hatching just below the surface

Technique 4. You can also fish Rackelhanen completely free floating as a dry fly,
imitating a spent caddis.

During the years I have tested the Rackelhanen on many different species of fish, e.g.
trout, char, rainbow trout, cutthroat, grayling and many more, both here in Europe and in
USA. Everywhere the fish have taken my fly with the same confidence and trust as
Swedish trout. Because of this I strongly believe that you can find it worth your while to
try Rackelhanen on your next fishing trip.

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)
Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

Instructions
Use a prewaxed thread of the same color as the rest of the fly. Cover
the shank with thread down to the bend, turn here and wind a couple
of mm in the opposite direction. Wax the thread thoroughly, dub it
with 1 cm long cut pieces of poly yarn that you have fluffed up.

Wind the two first turns down against the bend.

Here you turn and wind in the opposite direction.
This way you can trap the fibers from the first turns (otherwise it's
difficult to have these stay in the right position) down under the
body material. Remember to leave space for the wings and front
body.

Cut a piece of the poly yarn and use the right amount
of fibers for the hook size you are using. Tie the yarn

5 van 8 19-3-2009 17:25

Kenneth Boström http://www.flytyingworld.com/PagesK/kennethbostrom.htm

on to the hook as shown in the picture.

Fold the other wing-half backwards and fasten it with a

couple of thread turns over the wing-base. Remember to
leave enough space for head and front body.

Trim the wings by cutting them

just behind the hook bend.
Important that you don't make them too long.

Dub the thread again with 10-20 mm

long bits of fluffed poly yarn and tie the front body. Finish the fly
by making a small head with tying thread. You can varnish the
head if you feel like it but it isn't necessary, because we used the
pre-waxed thread.

© Instructional pictures and text above by Kenneth Boström 2001

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)
Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

Streaking Caddis
Originators: Kenneth Boström and Lennart Bergqvist

Hook: Mustad 94840, size 8.

Thread: Monocord B, or any other strong thread.
Body Rear: Fly-Rite #20, dark tan.
Body Front: Deer hair.
Wing: Deer hair.

Note 1: Trim hair in a triangle shape as seen in

6 van 8 19-3-2009 17:25

Kenneth Boström http://www.flytyingworld.com/PagesK/kennethbostrom.htm

below photograph. Scroll down for Instructions.

Note 2: This Dry fly imitates the Phryganea Grandis,

the largest caddis fly in Scandinavia. You can also
use this pattern to imitate smaller caddis by
reducing the hook size. You can also use colored
deer hair to imitate your local caddis better, or mix
grey and brown deer hair.

Note 3: Impregnate the fly before use.

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)
Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

Instructions

1. Dub Body...

2. Measure deer hair and grip hair at tie in point.

3. Without moving hair from hook position, switch hands, and

tie in with 2 wraps.

4. Tighten thread to flare deer hair as shown.

5. Trim hair into shape. When viewing the finished fly

from the front, the front body should be triangle-shaped,

7 van 8 19-3-2009 17:25

Kenneth Boström http://www.flytyingworld.com/PagesK/kennethbostrom.htm

with a flat cut bottom (see top picture).

Finished fly should look like this.

© Instructional pictures and text by Kenneth Boström 2001

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)
Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

Be sure to visit our on-line store at

http://www.flytyingworld.com/angling/index.html
for your tying needs.

8 van 8 19-3-2009 17:25