Fishmadman Newsletter June 2026
We at Fishmadman wish you a great salmon season.
As always, we’ll spend it chasing fish, testing ideas and occasionally overthinking the finer details of fly fishing.
This month’s newsletter became a little too interesting for its own good.
What started as a few thoughts about leaders, loops and fly lines somehow turned into four separate articles covering everything from hand-tapered mono leaders and sinking polyleaders to welded loops and fly line modifications.
How do you end up writing articles about fly line loops, welded coatings, leader tapers and a man who spent evenings sanding 0.9 mm mono by hand?
The answer is simple.
Because these things matter.
Some of the topics in this newsletter deserved more space than a newsletter allows, so this time you’ll find links to additional articles, photos and background stories on the Fishmadman blog.
We hope you’ll enjoy exploring them as much as we enjoyed putting them together.
On behalf of Per and Las,
Jesper — Fishmadman
In This Newsletter
- 25% OFF selected categories – offers and links below
- Why we use sinking polyleaders for surface fishing
- The ideas of Ken Milton Svendsen are still shaping our fishing today
- Building stronger and slimmer fly line loops
- A simple modification for bulky factory-welded loops
- New in the shop: Wingman & Wingman Moose
- New in the shop: Angel Hair
Summer Offer – 25% OFF Selected Fly Categories
We’re offering 25% off selected categories for the summer salmon season, including Salmon Dry Flies, Riffling Hitch Flies and Large Tube Flies.
Read more about this further down in the newsletter.
Or
Sinking Polyleaders for Surface Fishing? Yes
Sometimes the best surface presentation starts below the surface
Most anglers assume floating leaders belong with dry flies and riffling hitch flies.
We disagree.
For years, we have relied on clear hover and intermediate polyleaders for both dry-fly and riffle-hitch fishing. Not because it sounds clever, but because it provides better turnover, better presentation and often a more controlled fly.
In this article, we explain exactly why we use them and how we build our own systems.
Before Poly Leaders – The Ken Milton Story
Part fly-fishing history. Part technical rabbit hole.
Image Caption:
Ken Milton with a rainbow trout caught on a dry fly in Lerkenfeld Å during the 1980s.
Long before modern poly leaders became available, my late friend Ken Milton Svendsen was already experimenting with leader systems built from thick monofilament nylon, sanded and tapered entirely by hand.
I spent countless hours back in the 80’s learning from Milton. Looking back, many of the principles he worked with decades ago still form the foundation of modern leader design.
If you enjoy the history, theory and development behind fly fishing tackle, this is probably the most important article we have published in a long time.
For Those Who Enjoy the Technical Side of Fly Fishing
If you would like to explore Ken Milton’s ideas and technical thinking in greater depth, you will also find two of his original technical articles published 1:1 on our blog. Preserved in their original form, the articles cover topics such as fly line and leader matching, taper design, energy transfer, loop control, braided leaders and casting dynamics. Together, they offer a rare insight into the mind of one of Scandinavia’s most original fly fishermen and fly-casting theorists. – Direct link to those technical articles here
Why We Build Our Own Fly Line Loops
Because “working” and “working well” are not always the same thing.
Most factory loops work.
But “working” and “working well” are not always the same thing.
A slim braided loop creates smoother guide transitions, less disturbance and a cleaner overall connection between fly line and leader.
Small detail?
Perhaps.
But fly fishing is often decided by small details.
The Welded Loop Modification We Still Use
One small modification we’ve quietly used for years
Modern shooting heads are better than ever.
Yet one thing continues to bother me on many heavier lines: bulky welded loops.
For years, I have quietly modified many of my own lines by removing excess coating from the welded section.
The result is a slimmer, more flexible and cleaner connection that passes more smoothly through the guides.
This article shows exactly how and why.
Now Available: Wingman & Wingman Moose
Back in our February newsletter, we introduced the Wingman concept and shared the thinking behind the fly.
Since then, many of you have asked the same question:
“When will it be available?”
The answer is now.
With water levels already dropping in many rivers, there is a good chance that surface fishing will play an important role again this season. For many of us, few methods are more exciting than watching a salmon rise to a riffling hitch fly.
Wingman was developed around balance, lift and flow. Not to create the biggest wake. Not to create the most disturbance. But to create control and consistency on the surface.
The original Wingman is built around a compact and highly controlled wing profile.
Wingman Moose follows the same philosophy while adding selected Moose Mane fibres and our Pixel Head concept to create a slightly stiffer wing with the same mission.
New in the Shop: Angel Hair
A little flash goes a long way.
We’re pleased to introduce Angel Hair to the Fishmadman shop — an ultra-fine translucent flash material developed for modern salmon, sea trout and tube fly patterns.
Angel Hair creates subtle flash, depth and movement without adding unnecessary bulk, making it ideal for hitch flies, lightweight tube flies and modern Scandinavian salmon patterns.
A simple material that has quickly found its way into many of our own flies.
14 colours available
Write Us
Thank you to everyone who shared thoughts and ideas following our last newsletter on dubbing materials. We genuinely enjoyed reading them.
This month, we’re heading down a different rabbit hole: leaders, loops, fly lines and presentation.
If you have experiences, ideas or opinions on any of these subjects, feel free to write to us.
We’re always happy to connect and compare notes.
Limited Time Summer Offer
To help prepare for the summer salmon season, we’re offering 25% off three categories that many of us rely on when water levels drop, and surface fishing comes into its own.
- Salmon Dry Flies
- Riffling Hitch Flies
- Larger Tube Flies, including Sunray Shadow patterns
No coupon code is needed.
Add the flies to your cart, and our shop system will automatically apply the discount at checkout.
As always:
- Free shipping on orders over $125
- Extra 15% off when your order exceeds $170
A good opportunity to stock up for the season ahead.
Offer valid for a limited time.
