n AT THE COAST WITH THE GODFATHER OF THE BOMBARDA

Since the 90s, Martin Buch – the man behind the Inno Bombarda – has developed casting floats for coast flies. In actual fact, he was the first to manufacture and fish stream- lined casting floats of varying density along the Danish coastline – long before the Southern European bombarda floats even made it to Denmark. We had a chat with him about the ”snarl- proof” floats which have become increasingly popular. Martin Buch with the most recent version of the Inno By Lars Østergaard Jensen Bombarda - Inno Click.

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This handsome 85cm and 6.65kg sea trout was caught by Thorbjörn Forsberg using the small Inno fly ”Magnus Redtag” caught using an L- and a small Owner hook, No 14. – It is super-efficient. I don’t believe I have lost a single fish in the two years I have been tube fly, L- rig and a small treble hook, he says.

COASTAL FISHING with casting Martin promises that when using After having cast and fished for Vejle Fjord. However, on having floats or bombarda and fly may his types of bombarda you will nearly two hours without experi- read the paragraph on bubble result in nice takings. However, almost never experience that encing any snarling, I have to floats and flies in the book of Jan many anglers give up after a few issue and that, depending on the surrender. Now, it has suddenly Grünwald, “Sea trout – spin and attempts due to snarled lines. For density of the float, you can fish become funnier and much easier – fly in saltwater”, I felt like trying this reason, I have made an deep or shallow, slowly or and also much more efficient – to this method, says Martin. How- appointment with Martin Buch at quickly and, thus, fish as much fish the bombarda way. ever, I soon tired of the then re- the shore of the Little Belt to water as when using a spinning commended slow and boring learn more about his new rod. JAN GRÜNWALD LIT THE SPARK fishing and the floating bubble bombarda float which is well- - A new and positive experience float which caused a wake on the known for causing very little WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? added, I meet Martin on the surface. Add to this the issues of snarling when casting. Accompanied by the frisky mew- beach. He has brought a bag with landing the fish because the float, ing of seagulls across the water, an array of his earlier prototypes on its long lead, caused an ob- In several areas, there are steep Martin attaches an inter-mediate – and casting floats. I ask him to struction! underwater slopes with very deep or slowly sinking – float from his tell me about the long develop- waters near the coastline and the new series, Inno Click Bombarda, ment process from the start For these reasons, it was not long stretch is therefore suited for onto my line. To me, it looks like around 1996 and to this day before Martin started to expe- Martin demonstrating his new any other bombarda float and I when he has established his own riment with his own casting intermediate and sinking sceptically ask the difference. firm selling these products via floats. The first prototype had an bombarda models, as I am a - While the line traverses other www.Bombardashop.com as well inner release system to allow for complete novice in fishing casting bombarda floats – here, the as through a number of shops in the release of the float during the floats. Many years ago, a couple leader is attached at the base of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and fight with the fish, making it of times, I did try to lure sea the float stick while the fishing Germany. easier to handle a longer lead trout with the bubble floats of the line is attached at the top by a during the actual fishing. time and later with ordinary lure lock, he explains. – This MARTIN BUCH grew up in the bombarda floats – however, I fixed attachment ensures that you small town Grejs near Vejle. Not Based on his good experiences quickly lost patience when, using nigh on never experience snarl- unexpected, during the initial from with interme- the slow retrieve prescribed at ing of the line when casting or years, he fished the streams of diate shooting heads, he had the the time, every third or fourth retrieving – and if you want to Grejså and Vejle Å. However, idea of constructing floats from cast ended with me retrieving fly, cast a lure or a wobbler, you can before long, coast fishing drew plastics of varying density, as he casting float, leader and fishing quickly switch, thanks to the lock! him. – At that time, I fished both worked in the plastics industry line – all in a snarled mess. spinning gear and fly rod in with Uni-Chains and Lego. ➛

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The best exposure of the hook – and thus the high landing rate – is achieved by tying the small treble hook to an L rig, so that the hook is positioned as show here with one prong pointing in intake direction. See how to tie the rig in the book ”Havørred – Refleksioner på kysten” (“Sea trout – Reflections at the coast”).

➛ – I will never forget the first time a plastic-covered traversing line too complicated, he smiles. of the line. I cast a sinking prototype at the and a loose release-thingy at the When the Italian bombarda floats Little Belt and saw how I could base of the casting float, explains came on the market and quickly For normal coastal fishing, the lead easily fish deep and quickly at Martin. – Now, I could fish using became very popular, despite their is tied with a knot at the base of the the same time, he says. – I then a 5-meter-long lead but when the built-in line-snarling issue, Martin INNO float, while the really felt that I was heading in fish had tired, and the Fight put on his thinking cap for a is tied to a lure lock at the top – so the right direction as floats of Bubble hit the top eyelet of the couple of years. you can quickly switch from your varying density provided me rod, you simply retrieved the line bombarda tackle to a lure – and with the choice of deep or by hand until the float slid off the First, I dropped the Fight Bubble back again. shallow, slow or quick fishing, line and down to the fish! which only a few understood and thus efficiently imitating how to use, he says. – Then, I INNO BOMBARDA was then introdu- many different baits. The Fight Bubble was a stroke of threw out the idea of the line tra- ced by Martin five years ago after genius and Martin sold 25,000 to versing the float like in the ordi- long consideration. Thanks to its THE FIGHT BUBBLE Svendsen Sport. – Unfortunately, nary bombarda floats. Instead, I aquadynamic shape, this float re- - After this eyeopener, I con- it never quite caught on as many chose to use a fixed attachment tains retrieval depth even at quick tinued to develop the so-called anglers did not understand the of the lead and fishing line – retrieval – and only extremely Fight Bubble which consisted of idea which may also have been which almost eliminates snarling rarely is the lead caught by the ➛

One characteristic of the Inno bombardas is that they cause very Here, the history of Martin’s development of bombardas is illustrated – little snarling which makes them the perfect choice for the starting at the top-left and culminating with the 2019 Inno Click at the inexperienced coastal anglers. bottom-right.

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Here are the most recent bombardas from www.bombarda- shop.com - Inno (top) and Inno Click (bottom).

Martin designed and fished Another trout fooled by a tube casting floats/ bombardas fly with L-rig. well before the official arrival of the bombarda in Denmark - so he has many years’ experience in this particular field.

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➛ float, causing snarling. The most float along the coast or in the recent addition is the new Inno lakes – without the float sinking Click Bombarda which was too far into the soft bottom. Read launched this year. The advantage much more about all this at of this over the old version is that, www.bombardashop.com, where due to its oblong shape, it is you will also find advice on the possible to cast longer. Both types best knots, models and accesso- are available as floating, slow ries. At the website, you can also intermediate, intermediate and study various float test results. sinking – and loose INNO sticks are also available. The floats are LOTS OF NEW DRIVE – After the available in weights of 15 – 35 long talk on the beach, it is nice grams. to once again stretch out one’s winter-sore limbs, wade into the GREAT FLEXIBILITY: sea and cast at the horizon in the - The Multirig System, which is secret hope of outwitting the first part of the Inno concept, means sea trout of the year. Unfortu- that the floats may also have nately, this afternoon, the coastal other uses, he reveals. – In waters are a tad too cold. addition to traditionally attaching However, while on the way to the the fly or maybe a mini lure car sans fish, I manage to sneak a behind an Inno bombarda float, couple of last-minute tips from other set-ups may be tried thanks Martin. – I prefer fishing with to the lock system. You may, for small-hook tackle such as L-rig example, use a floating float with or the hook in a small Rapala a red sticker as an ordinary ang- knot on my own Inno Tube Fly ling float or fish spinner fly in System. My clear favourite is currents with a heavy inter- one of the small tube flies attach- mediate/sinking Inno Click float. ed to a small Owner treble hook An entirely different use is These are some of Martin’s first prototypes which means that considerably bottom with a sinking from the mid-90s of casting floats of various fewer fish are lost, he ends. densities.

Here, you see how Martin coils his bombarda tackle around a small piece of foam plastic when they are not in use.

Martin in action along the East Jutland coastline..

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