Blog

We are often asked about colour shasdes and how much they vary between manufacturers, especially on Wires.

Here you can see a collation of our most popular wire manufacturers, matched by colour (the closest match possible anyway) and photographed outside on a sunny day as studio light can alter the visible colour as well as computer screen variation in pixels.

Tying guide for Blanton Whistler Orange Pike Deceiver

Tying Guide for Black Magic

Tying Guide for the Assassin Emerger

We take a look at the mayfly compara dun, a fly you need in your box for the mayfly season!

There’s countless mayfly patterns out there, which decorate our fly boxes and granted most of them are killing patterns. However, it seems many of them fall into one of two camps, those for stillwaters and the others for use on rivers. There are some though that cross the divide and appeal to trout on both lakes and running water. One such dressing is the Compara Dun Mayfly. And whilst it trades on being a ‘adult dun’ pattern in essence, such is its low riding profile it will easily pass off as an emerger.

Accessories and kit you need to up your dry fly game this trout season!

When dry fly fishing it’s essential your fly is behaving and presented how it should be to maximise your chances of fooling a trout to take your dry fly! In this newsletter we’re going to take a look at what you need to help keep them flies where they should be!

Perhaps the most celebrated period for us fly fishers’ is the month of May when we prepare ourselves for the arrival of mayflies. Appearing from the middle of May and through to early June, Mayflies are our largest and most graceful upwing species. The sight of the first mayfly of the season never fails to excite and is something both trout and angler revere.

Buzzers

Paul Procter follows on form his previous newsletter and talks all things emerging and adult buzzers Including his top fly patterns and fishing tips!

In our last Newsletter we discussed the pupal (pupa) and larval (bloodworm) stage of buzzers. Here, we’ll look at the emerging buzzer and the winged adult. Granted, the pupa stage of buzzers is extremely susceptible to trout, but the emerging pupa is perhaps even more vulnerable.

Paul Procter's Top Tips About Tapered Leaders!
Including all the information you need about tapered leaders. River and lake recommended leader lengths.
Not so long ago, fly fishers’ used level lengths of monofilament as leaders, which were referred to as ‘casts’. These worked well enough when using three flies on short levels of mono, like a team of wets positioned some three feet apart, as the flies provided sufficient impetus to generate turn-over. However, when it came to delivering a single fly on leaders of more than 8ft there were definite problems, especially if the imitation in question was small and wispy.

Paul Procter brings you all you need to know for early season buzzer fishing Including Paul's top buzzer picks, leader lengths and how to fish them!
There’s no question buzzers (chironomids) form the cornerstone of our fishing on stillwaters. This is especially true during spring when daytime hatches of the humble buzzer are more prevalent and of course, trout are keen to pack on weight.

April Stillwater Lure Fly Collection
Hand picked by our inhouse experts especially for you! Land more fish with these flies!

Included in the April Hatch Chart Fly Selection are the following

Fly In Focus - March Brown. Paul Procter talks all things March Browns, methods to fish them and fly choices to fool them fish! The fabled March Brown is considered by many as one of our most icon upwing flies. And whilst they don’t occur everywhere, they are one of the first upwings we experience during the opening weeks of a trout season. Naturally, as their common name implies they appear during the month of March. That said, some of the best hatches are often experienced throughout April.

The doors to the Trout season are mostly all open and we are all itching for some dry fly activity Whilst hatches can be sparse, if you find your self in a the midst of a hatch you could be in for a good session! It's worth mentioning that whilst we would all like some early season dry fly sport dont dismiss March Brown Nymphs in between hatches as these can bring some seriously good sport too!

Starting your fly fishing journey using a single fly is never a bad idea has it helps build confidence before progressing to set-ups that include two or three flies. As you’re no doubt aware, traditional wet fly tactics (loch style fishing) involves using three flies. Generally speaking, these flies are positioned some 3ft apart with a short tapered section of 3ft to provide turnover (overall length leader of 12ft). Referred to as a “team” the flies work together, hopefully attracting trout to one of the patterns and ultimately if the fish doesn’t seize this particular fly, it may grab one of the others.

According to many “Black is All things to All fish”…and there’s a lot of sense in that statement given the amount of black imitations at our disposal these days. Whilst they all have their day the humble black spider is nothing short of the perfect all-rounder in my eyes.

Whether you choose to fish on rivers, or lakes/reservoirs this dressing has saved many a blank. As fly tyers habitually tinker with fly patterns, it’s not surprising then that many variants of the Black Spider exist. Yet, in its simplest of forms the black spider consists of nothing more than black tying thread and a black hen hackle. Personally, I like them sporting a rib, with silver being the obvious choice though a pattern using red wire is extremely attractive too. And, if it boosts a wee thorax of peacock ice-dub then all the better. You see, instantly I’ve moved the goal posts from the original dressing!

Get your Grayling fix before the season comes to a close! Keep reading to hear Paul Procter's back end Grayling season tips and tricks, including his top fly choices!

Very much like pike discussed a couple of Newsletters ago the grayling season too ends on March 14th. Of course this is dependant on landowners and angling clubs, as some choose to close their doors at the end of December. There’ll be individuals too, who do similar by taking a wee break before the trout season gets in full swing. However, for those who are still keen to waft a fly rod about the remaining days of February and first two weeks of March can provide us with memorable grayling fishing.

Unboxing of the Airflo Polyleader Trout 10 foot set for fly fishing.