Christian Kölle

Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear fly fishing friends

My name is Christian Kölle. I originally come from Ravensburg near Lake Constance and love my Upper Swabian home very much. It was there that, already at a young age, I watched my grandfather hand-fish and could together with my uncle gain my first experience with SPROK, which is perhaps not an entirely familiar name to fly fishers. These caddis fly larvae were collected in a small stream and then baited on the beautiful pre-alpine river Argen between the upper and lower lip. A ticklish affair, I just want to say. My father's regular hut holidays in the Bregenzerwald always took us past a "drawing pond" where I was allowed to supply the family with fish. Then came the youth fishing licence and my first attempts as a worm fisherman. After a lot of trial and error, spinning with rubber and jerk was my speciality for a long time. The first balsa wood plugs were produced and lures were modified to suit my own needs. However, fishing for salmonids in beautiful streams and rivers never let me go. A first fly fishing holiday in 2013 with two friends who already knew something about fly fishing ensured that I am still fascinated today by spotting a fish with a little skill and finesse and then outwitting it with my own fly imitations. The following year, I was magically attracted to a particular stand at a fishing fair. Two gentlemen sat there and showed me how to create a fly with a few feathers and fur twisted onto a hook. Thank you Manfred and Vitus for this moment! I was infected!! The former then showed me the art of building a fly rod from a piece of bamboo cane... Since then I have fished almost exclusively with spliced home-made rods and prefer fishing with dry flies for grayling and brown trout. I have also had success with the fly rod from the belly boat for pike, which is always a super exciting fishery!

What motivates me to take part in tying competitions?
A fly fisherman once looked into my fly box. He said that nothing could be caught with these flies and told me how to tie "my" flies. Maybe this person would like to visit me at the stand at the fair?!
I'll buy you a drink ;-)

I feel honoured to be here!
Your Christian