the Bruche in Heiligenberg (1° catégorie-Private) on 16 juni 2023, with low water
On June 16, 2023, I went for an evening hatch on the Bruche upstream from Heiligenberg. the water was clear and very low on this hot, windy day. The river is suffering and we can only hope for the stormy rains expected in the next few days..
Arriving around 7:30 p.m., a few rare rise of small fish on the horizon. I started with an SHP-1, my fly of the month for June 2023. It was quickly successful with about fifteen fish: chub, bleak spirlin (which did not hesitate to swallow a spent on hook 12), graylings ( including 2 specimens of around 30 cm) and some little trout, the most beautiful trout hardly seeming to be interested in insects, yet numerous above the currents: imagos of heptageneids, submagos of ignitas, brown caddisflies and various gnats. I also caught some fish with the TOT, CBF and SEP-2.
A nice evening hatch, even if I hadn’t hit any big fish.
the chubs were hungryI caught aso some little troutsa grayling with 30 cm , who took my SHP-1 on the surfacethe spirlin bleaks take all flies they find..Selection of the season
Tuesday, May 12, 2020: Although I do not like its linearity or its environment, and because the end of confinement finally allowed us to go fishing, but the Bruche was soiled by a rainy day, I decided to go do a fishing session at the Rhine floodway canal. I found myself from 3 to 5 pm on the downstream part of the canal, near Plobsheim. (see photos 1 and 3). After talking with, Jean-pierre, a regular on the course, I decided to fish with a streamer because in these sunny hours there was no visible activity and the water was still a little too tinted for the sight nymph. I could observe a few brown caddisflies flying from here and there and a few small mayflies without causing any visible activity of the fish.
In two hours of fishing I had the chance to touch a dozen fishes. If I broke on a fish, for lack of concentration, and I took down 4 trouts after a few minutes of struggle, I would bring 5 with in the net. These were magnificent rainbow trout, measuring between 52 and 58 cm, spilled at the end of containment by the Federation. Very well-shaped, powerful and brawling fish who put the equipment to the test before going into the net. The trout had bitten on my CBO and WBM-2 streamers, the fact of having quickly recorded touches on the olive convinced me that it was “the right color of the day”
Two other fly fishermen met at the water’s edge had also caught beautiful trout with a streamer and it is with a lighter heart that I have finally tasted again the simple joy of holding a (big) fish at the end of a fly rod that I took the way back.
A large rainbow trout, caught with the streamer CBOJean-Pierre, a other flyfiherman with the streamer tooThis 12 mai 2020, the rainbow trout were active
I am fishing with the fly since 1982, and in 1998 I created my website with the idea to promote flyfishing in Alsace. At the end of 2009, I published the book “ombres d’automne” (graylings of autumn), about the search of trouts and graylings in the Bruche and other rivers from Europe. Since year 2005, some people asked me to initiate them about flyfishing, or to buy some of my flies. So I decided in 2010 to create the little enterprise C.B.F. (Claude Behr Favorites)
You will find in my online shop what C.B.F. offers to the fishermen: a collection of 63 models of artificial flies, some basic equipment for fishing, flyfishing introductory sessions, and holidays for fishing in Alsace and some other european countries.
If you are interested to order flies or (and) material, please come to my Online-Shop !
Pierre Kuntz at a national competition on the Dore
Pierre KUNTZ, born in 1994, grew up in Lampertheim (67) and now remains in Grenoble (38), where he graduated from a school of engineering in science materials. He is currently carrying out a thesis on Li-ion batteries. He was very young won by the passion of fly fishing and embarked on the adventure of the competition in 2011. He quickly became one of the best French competitors, despite his young age.
As a competitor, Pierre is a member of the Meribel Sports Club (73), section of fly fishing.
But if he fishes very regularly in reservoirs and river as a competitor, his passion brings him to the edge of the water as soon as he has a moment of free. I am fortunate to have known this sympathetic young man since his adolescence. I have seen him evolve in his technique and approach to the river or reservoir and continually seek to progress. He knows how to challenge himself and adapt effectively to all conditions, which is the brand of the greatest fishermen I have had the pleasure of meeting.
Pierre Kuntz with a beautiful grayling of the BruchePierre with a browntrout from the no-kill route of Muhlbach on Bruche
If his record is already impressive as a competitor (cf. infra), he also became a captain with the youth teams, demonstrating qualities of leadership of men. He has not lost his natural humility and is always willing to share an observation or technique with those who meet him on a fishing spot. If you have this chance, do not hesitate to ask him for advice. He will be happy to share any of his competitor tips with you.
His way of practicing fly fishing
Flyfishing beginning: 2008 (Competition in 2011)
Techniques Flyfishing: Dry, dry/nymph, nymph in sight, nymph with thread, streamer, wet flies, boobies
Preferred Flyfishing Techniques: The dry without hesitation, but “the vagaries of fishing conditions and the mood of fish” make him fishing the majority of the time with nymph.
Rods preferred for this technique: Maxia MX4 9 ‘ 4 silk of 3
Favorite reels for this technique: JMC Yoto
Preferred lines for this technique: Scientific anglers VPT n ° 3
Preferred tippet for this technique: 9 or 12 foot 5x rat tail
His favorite flies:
Dry: caddis tyed of duck with a hare collar
-Wet fly: Hopper
-Nymph: Pheasant tail, gold/silver/copper ball, with and without tag
-Streamer: “Pouic” Bunny, Sparkler
Favorite Rivers: The Bruche (67), the Dranse (74), the Aude (11)
Preferred reservoirs: the Stork reservoir in Seltz (67), the Landie (63), the Mouille (74), Barouchat (73)
Favourite fish: Brown trout and grayling. He particularly likes to be able to catch these two species in the same place
Best souvenirs of fly fishing: his first World Championship title in 2016 in Spain, as captain of the French youth team. On Today’s Day, France is the only team to have won the title of world champion as well as the first 3 places of the individual ranking in a world championship.
Caddis in duck feather and hareModel of nymph of Pierre Kuntz
His palmares in competition
-Champion of France D2 Rivière 2013 -Vice-champion of France D1 River 2017 -third D1 River 2018-Third World Youth Championships Team 2012 (France) -World Young Team champion in 2016 (Spain) and 2017 (Slovenia) -Champion Senior European Team 2017 (Portugal) -Vice-Champion of individual Europe senior 2017 (Portugal) -In december 2019: world champion with the french team in Tasmanie.
Pierre in his works on the Bruche in MolsheimPierre with a beautiful rainbow trout on the no-kill course of the Bruche in Schirmeck
On October 30, 2023, I went to the storkreservoir in Seltz, where I met my friend André for the pleasure of a day of fishing. The weather was gray all day, with a fresh N/E wind rippling the surface. Given the weather conditions (east wind, atmospheric pressure dropping suddenly) and the lack of trout activity, we alternated streamer fishing and knitted nymph fishing, dry fishing being excluded given the lack of surface activity.
By using an intermediate line and knitting my flies, alternating models and colors, I finally managed to hit five trout defending themselves ardently. The flies that got me the bites were the targeted “reservoir” nymphs and wets from the C.B.F– Kollection: HNC-1, DBR and CRF-1.
The discussions between us and a friendly German fisherman we met at the water’s edge and at the club house which sheltered us for a delicious warm picnic contributed to making us appreciate this autumn outing to the Seltz reservoir, where the rain arrived in force at 4 p.m.
a nice rainbow trout, caught with a HNC-1low water levelautumn colors on the reservoir
Here you will find news of fly fishing that is not necessarily related to Alsace: fishing trips, events, tests of equipments, trade shows, fly or tying competitions, discoveries, various experiences …
FLY FISHING – Stories from 2000 years of fly fishing
Dear fly fishermen,
I would like to introduce you to a book about fly fishing with very interesting and entertaining stories to read. The book, written in german language, is called FLY FISHING – Stories from 2000 years of fly fishing. It was written by a good friend of mine, Peter Schmidt (with Gerd-Peter Wieditz), who has been dealing with the history of fly fishing for many years and he also described me and some of my flies in a story in the book.
With well-known guest authors, Peter and Gerd-Peter have presented important events from the approximately 2000-year documented history of fly fishing from very different perspectives. Informative and gripping at the same time, the book is not only a journey through time, but also the reports of fly fishermen, the dramatic life lines, informative practical stories, descriptions of ingenious inventions and the extraordinary depictions of unique flies. The book is a very special reading experience!
Peter Schmidt, who uses flies from the C.B.F. collectionfor many years (with a predilection for large-size TOT) traces, with the help of Gerd-peter Wieditz, a real encyclopedic history of fly fishing, highlighting portraits, interviews, storiesand anecdotes of many figures of this art.The book is well documented, perfectly illustrated, and highlights both the glorious past of fly fishing and its modernity.
I had the honor to bring my (small) contribution to it, and I am very honored to appear among certain legends of fly fishing.
The book is published by the German publishing company Müller Rüschlikon.It has 369 pages and its price is €39.90It is available on the publisher’s website.
If you want to get it from me, with a personalized dedication, you can also contact me.
You want to announce a fly event? -> Write to me !
The flies for Slovenia and other european countries. Here you find the flies that have been by the best duringmy fishing trips in Europe since 1983. Advised and used by my customers since 2009, they are very regularly in Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, as in Norway (Glomma). You will find them in a selection of flies from the collection C.B.F. entitled Europe.
a nahdfull CBF
Formany years, the CBF has been giving a lot of rising fishes and catches from spring to the end of autumn, even making move fish that do not eating and even taking off the big graylings, which obviously do not always take it. In case of infidelity, we always return to this fly, because the biggest rising fish rarely let it pass without honoring it with a climb…
Petit Diablotin Rouge
The PDR is an excellent imitation of caddisfly (trichopterae) and it is often very effective when the river is overflew by swarms of small dark caddis. Moreover, it is well visible in the currents, even from far.
Spent Hepta Perdrix
The SHPhas been tested and improved over several years. Initially with the assembly of wire on the body and a grey CDC wing, it became more visible with a clear CDC wing, and more addictive with a red dubbing body. Floating low like natural insects, it regularly allows me to deceive the most beautiful fish that take the imagos of the great héptagéneidae coming to lay and die, becoming spents, in the late evening
Tip Vert Casquée-1
Even if I fishless by nymph, from time to time I try a trophy fish in the depth at sight, or when no fish is active on the surface I sometimes fish the water with a nymph. In these cases, my first choice is this nymph/ wetfly, the TVC, which is my favorite model. Itregularly interests the beautiful fish and has earned me, on a particularly difficult day, my only (big) catch on the Idrijka.
Renegate Tête Rouge
TheRTRis one of the models that earned me the greatest number of catches in the fall of 2009, when the graylings were not inclined to rise to the surface. Perfectly imitating two coupled gnats, it is a fly that floats well and remains visible to the fisherman despite its small size. His red butt and his head of the same color really seem a plus compared to the classic rénégates. Since 2015, it has been very regular on many European rivers or the hatch of small black gnats make the fishing often very complicated for flyfishermen.
Peute Hommage Bresson-1
The PHB-1 is the most consistent model for the graylings in the late season since 2010, while the PHB-3 model is most effective on trout in late spring and summer. It is sometimes particularly effective at evening hatch.
Klinkhammer Montage Maison-2
ThisKMM-2allowed me in June 2011 to catch a rainbow trout of 65 cm, getting it out from under the hedge where it was hiding. And two days later its attractiveness did not contradict itself when a large trout turned around to fetch it 3 meters behind it, the steel it to one of its congeners to whom I had just presented it. It is so regular that it appears in good place in my selection of essential flies.
Terrestre Orange tag
TOT is an imitation of terrestrial insect, floating low but not easily flowing, remaining very visible despite its small size. In recent years she has surpassed the CBF several times by fishing for water. Particularly effective in the absence of aquatic insects, from April to October. Sometimes also surprisingly effective at summer evening shots. This one is also in good stead in my selection of essential flies.
Other models are regularly successfull during the C.B.F. stays, including EBF-1 and EBF-2, for the large mayflies emerging in spring, CTC-1, on Hook 18 and 20 when fish are sitting on micro midges, and of course the NTO, nymph/wetfly Indispensable when the conditions are particularly unfavourable for fly fishing.
In anticipation of a trip to Slovenia, Italy, Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, or even Germany, Austria, Norway, as many flyfishermen who trust me, you can rely on the selection for Europe of 52 flies from the collection C.B.F. that I propose for these destinations.
A beautiful trout that did not resist a EBF-1 presented along the opposite shore
