OK so there is nothing even remotely new about these two patterns but they are so effective that I think there is no harm in reminding you about them both. Let’s start with the Poult Bloa. Yellow tying silk with the faintest mist of water rat or mole’s fur dubbed on it form the bodyContinueContinue reading “A couple of old spiders for this time of year”
Category Archives: fly tying
Messing around with the Hare’s Ear
A standard Gold Head GRHE nymph The GRHE gold head nymph is one of my standard patterns but I thought I would tie up a variation, so here it is: This is dressed on a curved grub hook and I added some chopped up fl. lime floss and red fur to the HE to formContinueContinue reading “Messing around with the Hare’s Ear”
Bibio’s
Bibios are so widely used that you may be forgiven for thinking that you know all about them. A great fly early in the season when you need something dark and a handy pattern if there are salmon around. What else is there to know? A hell of a lot is the answer! Let’s startContinueContinue reading “Bibio’s”
fr. Ronan
Despite the ecclesiastical name I don’t know of any particular connections with the church for this fly. It is a dabbler style pattern for use when fishing for sea trout and salmon but I can see no reason why it would not work for brownies too, especially around the time of the mayfly hatch. ItContinueContinue reading “fr. Ronan”
Who remembers the Bodie Special?
Not many is the answer! Who or what is a Bodie Special? Sounds like it could be a Glasgow cocktail based on fortified wine, but no, this is a trout fly with a small but ardent following in Scotland. Here is how it is dressed and, as always, I have a small variation to theContinueContinue reading “Who remembers the Bodie Special?”
A typical spring day on the river
16th of March. A Monday, blessed with an overcast sky and light winds from the North East. By 11.30am I have cleared the desk and can hit the river for a few hours. A west wind would be better but beggars can’t be choosers at this time of the year so any day that isContinueContinue reading “A typical spring day on the river”
Killdevil Spider (great name for a fly)
What a name! ‘The Killdevil Spider’. It’s like something out of a 1950’s ‘B’movie. In practice it is a confusing little pattern which some anglers swear by and other rate as highly as Jeremy Clarkson’s diplomacy skills. Personally I think this is one which is misunderstood (the fly, not Clarkson) and you should make aContinueContinue reading “Killdevil Spider (great name for a fly)”
The Snowdrop
It is freezing outside this morning, a heavy frost overnight has given way to a bright cold morning here in Castlebar. Car windscreens are being scraped and morning travel news is full of warning to take care on slippery roads. A trip to the river is in my plans for today but I am inContinueContinue reading “The Snowdrop”
Black Doctor
I think I would right in saying this is a fly which does not get used as much as it used to. More modern patterns has taken its place on the cast of most anglers and it is slowly but surely slipping into oblivion. This is a shame as the Black Doctor can still foolContinueContinue reading “Black Doctor”
The Beltra Badger
Picture the scene, you are drifting on a salmon lough in the West of Ireland. It is a bright, breezy day with a little high cloud and the water levels are good after recent rain. There is a bit more sun than you would like so what fly do you reach for? It has toContinueContinue reading “The Beltra Badger”
Claretbumbler 