Here is a dabbler pattern I created some years ago to use during the mayfly hatch on Lough Carra. It’s proved to be a consistent killer and has taken trout from the other lakes too, so I can vouch for its effectiveness. A calm start to a day on Lough Carra I used to keepContinueContinue reading “Western Lakes Dabbler”
Category Archives: fly tying
A sedge for Lough Mask
I recently tied up a small dry sedge pattern for one of the lads. Think this is one of the late Rod Tye’s patterns and the style is the same as the Simulator. It looks good and I will make a few for my own fly box too. The fly has natural deer hair wingsContinueContinue reading “A sedge for Lough Mask”
Tying for Carrowmore
‘Tis the season for fly tying and my thoughts have turned to what to try on Carrowmore next season. When fishing that lake I firmly believe I could get by with a cast of a Claret Bumble, a Green Peter and a Bibio and catch just the same number of fish but that would takeContinueContinue reading “Tying for Carrowmore”
Repurposing
€5. A fiver. That’s all I spent to buy a box of old flies and lures on fleabay. There were some photos to accompany the listing and staring at it I homed in on one fly in particular. It was tied with feather which are rarely available these days. The blue elver fly is aContinueContinue reading “Repurposing”
Yellow Green Peter
I have written about this pattern before but since it has been working well on Lough Mask this year I thought I would give it another mention. An easy fly to tie, most experienced Irish tyers will have the materials in their collection of fur and feathers. No special techniques are required either, the onlyContinueContinue reading “Yellow Green Peter”
Wickhams variant
For almost as long as I have been fly fishing the Wickham’s Fancy has been a favourite of mine. Rainbows used to love it and brownies accepted it willingly either as a small dry or the wet version, especially in the evenings. Sea trout fell for its undoubted charms too and it could frequently beContinueContinue reading “Wickhams variant”
The Gull
The day we walked the Erris Loop provided me with a couple of new fly tying feathers. As we neared the end of our walk I spotted two snowy white breast feathers from a gull just lying there on the sheep nibbled grass. Picking them up I pondered the possibilities and the seeds of anContinueContinue reading “The Gull”
Sanctuary
Of all the many things I dislike in this world, sitting in the waiting room at a doctor’s surgery is right up there near the top of the list. It was my misfortune to find myself in just such a hell-hole yesterday through no fault of my own. My new employer required me to haveContinueContinue reading “Sanctuary”
Jenning’s Dabbler
I was contemplating the Jenning’s Nymph the other day and decided to make a Dabbler based loosely on it. I already have plenty of Claret Dabblers in the box but none sporting a peacock herl body. The more I thought about this the stranger this omission looked. We all know how deadly flies with peacockContinueContinue reading “Jenning’s Dabbler”
Sooty Olive
Picture the scene if you will; it’s early season on the Western lakes and the urge to fish has brought you to the shores of Lough Mask. Still too early for the gorse to bloom, everywhere in sight is coloured in sombre duns and greys. That joyous rush of prescient life, that hope and expectationContinueContinue reading “Sooty Olive”
Claretbumbler 