Fishietales

If you are interested flytyer, I've got a begginers manual that I've sent to one or two of the FFC members, it has ten patterns and step by steps for them in it, maybe you could send each participant a copy highlighting the fly they have to tie, and it will also give them an idea of what the other ones should look like, have a think and let me know if you want to use it and PM me Hope this helps John

Don't ever worry about the quality of your tying, as long as you do the best you can then thats fine, I've known great fly tyers who have been stuck over a swap pattern they've not seen before, or a technique they've not used before, I'll fish any flie I'm given and be greatful for it as I believe that person who tied that fly has done her or his best and it deserves to be fished, and a response as to it's fishability, god I've had fish on bare hooks, so don't be frightened to put yourself forward for a fly swap, we can all learn something from each other, thats what fishing is all about T/L John

Well done SD, it's got to be one of the best salmon and sea trout patterns I've seen in a long time, but a well done to everyone that entered, A good standard of tying all round, and a brilliant competition, look forward to the next one.

Tell me when, tell me what, and I'll have a go, just need to know where to send them really, and how many to do, can have them in the post by day after tomorrow, mind it takes about 6 days to get to Canada, but if you don't mind that I'm up for it. john

It represents many of the baetis family as well as small fry if tied in larger sizes with a bit of pearly tinsel wraped around the thorax, plus you can trim the pheasant tail butts of and use a dubbed body of a different colour, it makes a two tone nymph, even a CDC body, you can adjust the length of the tail easily to make long or short, the possibilities are endless, its just a simple way of dressing nymphs, that works well.

Islandguy, you're a man after my own heart, tradition is everything in fishing, I've recently became a member of a local fishing syndicate, very exclusive, but it keeps the tradition of flyfishing alive, no bonny coloured lures, and nothing bigger than a size10 hook, dries, wets and nymphs are the order of the day, turkeys are only good for eating in this syndicate, and I think you're very lucky to now own a new sharpe's cane rod, I would try to get hold of an old Bouglé, or Cascapedia, it would set the split cane off a treat, and there's no sound on earth that beats the sound of line being run off a Bouglé when you've hooked a 2 or 3 lb sea trout Tightlines my man, and many days of fine fishing to you John

I hope this might help, when in the past I've been asked for a pattern for a stillwater nymph I always give them this, it's the traditional pheasant tail nymph, but I've change the build slightly to make it easier for the novice to tie, firstly run a bed of thread down the hook to opposite the barb next tie in a bunch of pheasant tail fibres, but with the tips over the eye like so next tie in a length of copper wire next wind the phaesant tail butts up to a point 1/3 the hook length from the eye, like so, and tie in a strand of peacock herl next, form a thorax with the peacock herl next, fold back the pheasant tail tips and form a whip finish Finally, tie the pheasant tail in at the hook bend using the copper wire, and wind the cooper wire forming a rib up to the thorax and form a two turn whip finish with the wire at the base of the thorax ,like so. The finished product is a small brown nymph that will take fish on any stillwater at any time of the year, Hope this helps

I use a DT #3 on my 3# I fish the river Aln in Northumberland, have confidence in the DT, it will give you a better presentation of the fly as it rolls the leader over more smoothly, and with small river and stream fishing presentation is everthing, you'll have great fun using light tackle, it give's you a buz you wouldn't believe so enjoy the expierience.

I suppose I'm lucky really, I only live about 3 miles from the Hardy factory in Alnwick and I'm in there every week at some point so know most of the staff and fish with best part of them, so when new equipment comes along I get to see it and use it before most other folk, like there new demon reel, a spectacular piece of kit, very well designed, and extremely functional, but as a cassette reel far too expensive, I would rather pay for three mid priced reels ,say the sirrus, or gem, and spool them up with three lines, a better proposition to me, designers I think must first look at what will bring in profit for the company, long before they think of what is the best tool for the job, so they sometimes get a bit carried away, my old fibre glass patek morton is slow and heavy compared to the new generation of rods, but it is light compared to the split cane I started with, times change and we change, i still use both my old split cane , and the patek morton every now and again, because I like a bit of nostalgia in my life, and it does open eyes when folk see me with them, so much so sometimes you can't get a line out for folk asking questions, but it's a pleasure to fish with older kit, it's more tactile, and in my humble opinion it has fish-ability

God, I'm pleased it's the ice yarn he's on about, at first I thought he meant the lead

A comment from across the pond, "we've always been a bit under the thumb of the U.S of A since the last world war" we were screwed by them then and have played catch up ever since, the land lease deals were scams we got out of date world war one frigates, and destroyers they got prime real estate, Germany and Europe got rebuilt, we were left to do it ourselves, we still had blitzed sites in the mid sixties, our government couldn't afford to re-build because of the massive war debt owed to the yanks, our only real help came from the Commonwealth countries like yourselves, and Australia, South Africa New Zealand, and the Indias, west and asian, and to those I extend a deep gratitude for it, but as to a NWO, well I'm to old for it to matter to me, but all i can say is that the Scot's like myself will always fight against anyone taking away our independence, hell we've just got it back after nearly 400 years, we're not aboot to give the up again, especially to a bloody yank banker, better they spend there money buying our football teams, can't do nee harm there, in the mean time, I sharpen the claymore and have it ready, next to the firery cross, it's a while since we had a gathering of the clans, bit cauld for the auld plaid though, the wind blaes reet up tha gonads d'y ken

Completely agree, I sometimes loose sight now and again of the facts, and you are perfectly right, not everything is about distance, I should maybe of said that you must firstly get used to the action of the rod, it being a fast action, I know when i first tried out the new Angel TE I had difficulty getting used to the ultra fast action, it was very unforgiving, a little either way and you lost it on the forward cast, or put the haul in a little to quick or to slow and plop! same again, but once you got it right it was a dream, but I couldn't get away with the colour, "silver" yuk! but everyone who starts using a fast tip rod for the first time would be better concentrating on getting the loop formation right and forget about distance, a straight line is better, distance will come with practice and patience, and islandguy is correct you may only use a distance cast maybe one in ten as fish are normally just in front of you maybe 15 or 20 yards at most, get a line out consistantly staight at 15 to 20 yards and you'll catch your fair share of fish

Dressing as follows, Hook: kamasan B830 #10 Thread: Black uni 0/6 Tail: Black marabou with a few strands of crystal flash Rib: fine copper wire Body: Veniards Pearly Ice Yarn over Fine lead wire Back: 1/8" pearly tinsel Thorax: Green Glister dubbing Head: 4mm gold bead The ribbing could easily be done with mono, and would probably last abit longer than the fine copper Oh, and btw I loaned the fly to a friend today and first cast he puts it up a tree on the island in the middle of the lake, I'll have to go retrieve it on friday, but I'll tie a dozen tonight just to make sure i've got them to hand

I use a hardy angel, arguably the fastest around, and I wouldn't go past a hardy mach2, very responsive and goes out as straight as a knitting needle, the large front taper will increase distance, provided you concentrate on tight loop formation to maintain line speed, you will get distance with any line though, the distance lines only improve on it really

This is something I made today, Imade it to fish a lake which was pretty coloured, the fish over the last few days have been slow to take most winter patterns, firstly because of the cold weather, and secondly because of the limited visibility, so hence this little devil came into being, it took two fish on it's first two casts, it then proceded to take another five fish in the next 45 mins, but the thing was I was getting pulls every cast, sometimes three and four tugs on every retrieve as the fish followed the fly, but judge for yourselves, I've included the original so you can see the result after an hours fishing,

Just started using rhea herl, got it by chance, there's a guy in a village near me breeds them, and I was given a few feathers from the moult, absolutely brilliant, very strong, not as heavy as ostrich, and easily dyed, I've even started using it for pheasant tail replacement, and it works fine

Only when they sprout their legs, up till then they're fine patterns, but even after the legs have came I've known trout take them, on the fishery I bailiff on we spoon the trout regularly just to check what the fish are feeding on, mind they don't like the tads from toads, but frog tads are fine hence the old marabou tad pattern it's been around for years

PM me an email address and I 'll email you a copy of a beginers guild I have on disc here in the UK, it's what we use to teach flytying in the clubs, the document is in Word format, and you just print it out

Try these for fun patterns http://gameangler.eu/index.php?topic=1819.0 don't forget to scroll to the bottom http://gameangler.eu/index.php?topic=1392.0

Och, am only pleased tae help Big yin

Try this one it makes a change to see something different, just remember, you have to scroll to the bottom of the page, we do things opposite over here http://gameangler.eu/index.php?topic=1482.0

Tako mate, thats the most awsome fly I've seen for a while, the simplicity of the build make it a classic, it's a sort of in between hares ear/prince nymph, both wicked in there own right, but together, wow!!!!!

The hook is a size #8 heavy weight medium shank, but you can use any size hook you want, make it as big or as small as you need for the fish you're going after, and yes the sequin makes the fly move somewhat like a popper only under the water and not on the suface, the sequin can be placed on the hook either convexed or concaved, each gives a different degree of movement, concaved it will move water to the side like a bow wave, convexed it stutters pushing the water ahead of the fly, it would be like trying to swim with a dinner plate glued to your head.

Imagine the damage one of these could do to your rod

Most productive dry fly I've ever fished with has to be the Gray Duster, and next to that is Goddards Last Hope, in the chop of a fast current then look no further than a Griffiths Knat or a Bi-visible all in size #18 - #14, early season I would think a Pale Watery Dun, and don't forget a very small Black and Peacock dry, for those breezy days when small beetles are getting blown on the water