The Dutch angler Hans Van Klinken originally tied this fly as an emerging caddis pattern to catch grayling as they floated in the surface film and called it the "Klinkhammer". However Klinkhammer flies can also be successfully used imitating other emerging nymphs. Hans also fished many of the rivers in Scandinavia as well as in his native Holland. His mentor was a Swedish fly fisher, Kenneth Bostrom who had created a fly called the Rackelhammer to imitate hatching sedge. It floated when cast upstream but Hans found if it was tweaked, to suggest life, it sank. Hans adapted the idea and made the Klinkhammer as a fly that still floated after it had been tweaked. It became known as the 'Klinkhammer Special' . At first he bent the hook of a parachute fly so that the abdomen would sink below the surface and the thorax would float. Later he developed a special hook that did the same but imitated the curved body angle of the insect as it hangs below the surface just as it starts to emerge. This is what makes klinkhammer different from a regular parachute dry fly. The abdomen serves as a primary trigger, penetrating the surface film and getting noticed by trout from a great distance, well before they pick up on the above surface footprint features.
Klinkhammer Flies - An Iceberg
Klinkhammer flies are a fantastically popular fly pattern that has caught trout and grayling all over Europe and now is gaining popularity in North America. The Klinkhammer is just like an iceberg: it gives it's best results when 90 per cent of it is under the water. The white top hackle makes it more visible to the fly fisher. We highly thesse flies. It does what it is designed to do. It imitates the natural insect and catches fish. If there is only one dry fly in your box, it must be klinkhammers!
Fishing With Klinkhammer Flies
Use a tapered leader for correct turnover of the Klinkhammer when casting, it should drop grently into the water when cast. A Klinkhammer fly is designed to have 90% of the fly under water so stick the fly in your mouth (carefully) and apply spittle to the body, this will help it sink in the water. The parachute of the Klinkhammer and the top hackle should have Gink fly floatant applied (unless it is a cdc post in chich case only apply Gink or floatant to the parachute!). The fly should now sit with the body in the subsurface and the parachute sat on the surface film.
Techniques When Using Klinkhammer Flies
Plan the first cast don't cast immediately
Watch where the rises are, they may be fish cruising forward or solitary fish stationary.
Once you understand if it is a moving or stationary fish try and cast 12 inches to 36 inches ahead of the fish
Maintain Make sure the fly line and leader do not drag the Klinkhammer fly making its passage appear un-natural, if they start dragging the fly then upstream mend, i.e. flick the flyline and leader upstream so it stops dragging the fly. This will enable the fly to continue naturally to the end of the drift