Tactics
Arbor Knot
In fly-fishing the Arbor Knot is used to secure the backing to the spool. It works with braided backing as well as mono and gelspun… Continue reading
Dry Fly Fishing Tips
During almost every fishing trip I learn something new. It may be something that I pick up from a fellow fly fisher, something that I learn from making a mistake, or it might be that a light suddenly goes on… Continue reading
Non-slip Loop Knot
Use this loop knot to tie your fly on and leave it loose for maximum action. As the name implies, once you’ve eased the knot tight, unlike the Duncan Loop, this loop cannot be adjusted. The Non-slip Loop works well with… Continue reading
Winter Trout
As water temperatures cool and the winter season looms, the prospect of fantastic winter sport with rainbow trout is fixed firmly in my mind. At this time of year, many anglers turn to lures to tempt fish feeding aggressively on… Continue reading
Fall Trout & the Generalists
Fall Trout & the Generalists, sounds like a band emanating from 60′s psychedelia, but actually, I’m getting at something a little more profane than that, or do I mean less!? Autumn is a time of mixed blessings. Seasonal rainfall sets… Continue reading
Carping: Fly Fishing’s Crack (Part 2)
This is it. Carping with the Carpfather, Part Deux. This is when I tell you how to employ all your trout fly-fishing gear – all those nymph patterns, dry flies, streamers and wets that you usually use to chase after… Continue reading
Daddy Long Legs
The editor looks at the patterns and techniques needed to catch when the fish turn on crane flies. Though crane flies appear sporadically throughout the fishing season, late summer sees the peak of emergence. And while the small numbers seen in… Continue reading
Carping: Fly Fishing’s Crack (Part 1)
Judging by the amount of ink fly fishing for carp is now getting in magazines, many fly fishers are finally starting to see the merits of pursuing Cyprinus carpio.… Continue reading
Trout, Fry, & Stillwater
All you need do, is make a drag free presentation down the appropriate feeding line. “Yeh, I know, that’s no mean feat!” All the same, a fry feeder can behave in so many ways that presentation and pattern selection are even less straightforward. If you’re up to the challenge, I think you’ll find the rewards worth your while.… Continue reading
The Caddis Hatch
The Sedge, or caddis as it is known to many, is of interest to the river angler through all of its lifecycle, from larva, through pupa, to adult. Now, I like nothing more than taking fish on an upstream dry… Continue reading
Overhead Cast (Lesson 3)
False casting! This is one of the hardest things next to double hauling to get right and it is the biggest killer of a decent cast because it is over-used. Why use a false cast? It is used to extend… Continue reading
Super-sized Smallmouth
I was only ten and the fish barely 10 inches, but it’s still a vivid image. So bold and powerful, yet so beautifully colored and proportioned. That little smallmouth bass was great, but when I started catching bigger ones… Continue reading
The Drake Hatch
“I love Mayfly time.” I’ll say it again “, I love Mayfly time.” Its funny, lots of anglers will scoff, and say ‘even muppets can catch during duffers fortnight,’ and to an extent I agree. That said, this time of… Continue reading
Duncan Loop Knot
Use this loop knot to tie your fly on and leave it loose for maximum action. Tighten by pulling slowly on the tag. Ease the knot tight and adjust the loop size by sliding the knot up or down the… Continue reading
Overhead Cast (Lesson 2)
Inevitably when overhead casting there comes a time when more distance is required. The difference between fishing and casting now becomes a problem of sorts. When practising casting it is easy to get into the habit of lifting a full… Continue reading
Undercover Olives
First I’d like to explain that olives are not a single species, or even a single family of insects. They are in fact a collection of species from a number of genera of insects from the order Ephemeroptera or the upwinged flies… Continue reading
Your First Rod
Your first fly rod is an important purchase at any price level. We need to consider: length, line size & cost! Do not be too concerned about nuances of rod action at this stage, ‘middle vs. tip vs. slow etc.,’… Continue reading
Blood Knot
The Blood Knot is good for building leaders where line of similar diameter and material are to be joined. The blood knot is one of the best for producing a leader with droppers. When creating droppers remember to allow extra… Continue reading
The Hawthorn Fly : Bibio Bounty
If you have fished before, and as you’re reading this I’ll assume you have, the chances are you’ve heard of the Bibio. This may be in its proper context, as a terrestrial fly, or you may have heard the name… Continue reading
Chironomid Tactics
To many North American fly fishers, chironomids are those very tiny patterns imitated on hook sizes #18 to #24 or smaller that are also found in lakes but are more common in rivers and especially productive tailwaters. However, the larval and pupal… Continue reading
Overhead Cast (Lesson 1)
As a fly casting instructor, I find that the most frequent comment I get (after – “Blimey you’re a woman!”) is, I can cast ok at short distance but it all goes to hell when I try to get distance!… Continue reading