Hans Van Klinken

I retired from the army in April 2012. After a 35 year career, I left his position as Commander of the Royal Dutch Army Gunnery School. I was born in 1956 in Eindhoven in the Netherlands. I started fly fishing at the age of 15 in Norway. I immediately fell in love with the unbridled beauty of the Northern or Arctic Regions. I continued to regularly travel to Scandinavia which offered a vast array of river systems and lakes that allowed me to hone my fly fishing skills. My first venture into fly-tying occurred in 1976. Within three or four years, I was creating my own designs. My preference for parachutes, led me to develop several unusual patterns and tying techniques. Unlike most noted European fly-fishers, my first salmon and sea trout were being caught on dry flies.

In 1982, for small groups of individuals who loved to fish in Scandinavia, I conducted my first private workshops in Bremen and Hamburg. In 1986 I joined as a member of the editorial staff of the Dutch Fly fishing magazine, and remained there for fifteen years. In the same years I also became the Dutch-area secretary of the Grayling Society in Holland. And I remain there today.

The Klinkhåmer Special's first real success outside Scandinavia occurred in the UK on the Welsh Dee where I fished with Ian Small. The stories of my unimaginable success on a beautiful stretch of the River Dee began to spread faster than a wildfire.

Today, I frequently travels to Canada where I spend my long summer holidays. I enjoy sharing my knowledge about fly-fishing and fly-tying, and am particularly skilled in the taking of Atlantic salmon and grayling on dry flies. My favourite patterns are parachutes, emergers and realistic nymphs.

Since 1986 , I have given several classes and workshops in the Netherlands, Wales, England, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Canada, Asia and U.S.A. I have written for many international and club magazines as well as contributing to books by my friends, such as: "Tying Flies with CDC" by Leon Links, The World's Best Trout Flies by John Roberts, Fly Tyers of the world volume 1 by Steve Thornton, Fly Tyers Masterclass by Oliver Edwards, The Complete Book of the Grayling by Ron Broughton and many many more. Today Hans write his own columns in magazines in Europe, and Canada. He also works on several new fly fishing projects.

Finally, I support and sponsor wildlife and environmental projects close to my heart. Since 1986 I have returned thousands of dollars to different charitable projects and wildlife organizations.