Daddy Long Legs

This Daddy Long Legs pattern is taken from Malcolm Greenhalgh book, The Floating Fly. The fly sits beautifully on the water and can be deadly at this time of the year. The takes are often very savage and spectacular, however for one reason or another there seems to have been very few around this year.

I have used ginger rabbit dubbing for the body on this fly, using a little squirrel belly to enhance the colouring. The grey poly-yarn wing has been tied in as two small wings and the hackle wound front to back between the wings and tied off at the end of the body to give the effect I was looking for.

Malcolm’s book is well worth reading, describing the most recent develops in dry fly design. The book contains a chapter on the flies that Malcolm uses, however tying instructions are not included. The book is written in a very engaging manner and is very readable, giving the tyer plenty of food for thought.

Perch

I tied these after a friend told me about some large Perch in a lake that he fancied tackling with a fly.

The flies are not my normal type of thing but I thought they might do the trick with the Perch. The left fly is grey frosty fish fibre and black calf tail and the right fly is white antron, green streamer hair and a hint of black calf tail. We fished one evening and caught plenty of Perch but only small ones, it will be interesting to have another go, but it will need to wait until the end of the trout season.

The Stimulator

Having returned from holiday in the Lake District, I visited the Windrush this week.

The river was fairly low but retained a good flow, however the water was quite coloured after some recent rain. I fished through the afternoon into the early evening without success and barely saw a rise in the time I was there. One memorable moment occured when a very large chub rose to a Stimulator but failed to take the fly, the spot has been noted for a visit with coarse tackle in the autumn.

Interestingly the Stimulator also did the trick a few weeks ago on a lake when the Rainbows were striking at Damsel Flies.

I first saw this fly demonstrated by Stack Scoville at the Fly Fair in 2008. I may have changed a few colours but it is basically the same fly. I see that Stack is demonstrating at the Fly Fair again this year, it's well worth taking a look a his flies if you get the opportunity.

Beetle

The beetle pattern is based on a fly tied by Chris Watson. The underbody of peacock herl was intended to to give the blue/green colouring of the beetle. When tying this pattern you must use a fine wire hook and not overstretch the foam to prevent the fly from sinking. It worked like a dream on Friday as you can see from my previous post, but I imagine it will very effective after plenty of rain.

River Leach

I fished the River Leach on Friday evening. The river is very much in need of some rain, but thankfully the flows are holding up nicely.

I took 3 fish during the evening all on a beetle pattern. It's possible the fish don't see these flies very often as they were taken fairly readily or maybe it was just a going night.

Blue Flash Damsel

I fished the lakes at Albury a few weeks ago with a friend. The lakes are well kept and stocked with plenty of fish. Many fish are taken on the Blue Flash Damsel, a fly I have not come across before. I have tied a few flies for him as a thank you and created a few variations,with varying amounts of blue in the body.

River Windrush

I fished the River Windrush yesterday morning and took two nice Brownies. The first to a Sawyer Pheasant Tail and second on a Black Klinkhammer. The Sawyer really is a great fly, so simply yet so effective. It was a very wet morning and I saw nobody else on the river. Although there is still a good flow on the river, this rain is much needed and will freshen everything up.

Sawyer Pheasant Tail and Stuie's Olive

I have been tying a few more flies this week for Keith Passant's Fly Tying Marathon in August. The first is Stuie's Olive, featured by Charles Jardine in the April 2009 Fly Fishing and Fly Tying Magazine and the second is the Sawyer Pheasant Tail. The Sawyer really is a very underated fly, so simple but so effective, often overlooked in favour of more complex patterns.

Griffith's Gnat

Griffith’s Gnat

Hook – dry fly, size 14
Thread – black, 14/0
Body – peacock herl (x3)
Rib – grizzly cock saddle hackle


I have started to tie a few flies for a Casting for Recovery fundraiser. My friend Keith Passant will again be undertaking a 24 fly tying marathon in aid of this great charity at the Orvis shop in Burford. Any donations in terms of sponsorship and raffle / auction prizes would be gratefully received by Keith.

Not much posting recently. The final results of the Fly Tying League were published last month, I finished 7th in the Open Class, I was over the moon.

I have been tying some Mohican Mayfly's from Oliver Edwards Masterclass. The flies not only look superb, they sit on the the water upright every time and they are great fun to tie.

I'm looking forward to putting them to use in the next few weeks.