Sunday 26 June 2011

Upside Down again - USD Red Spinner

This is a design I have been using since I refined it in 2003
It is the EasyPeasyUSD, so named as it is simple to build.
The wing is soft enough to fold down and hook fish effectively
... well most of the time anyway
The footprint on the surface is excellent and it is an extremely versatile floater for upstream or down.


Time for Caenis and midges

These are on size #20 Mustad 1665 hooks, barbs flattened

Despite being on the small side, if you degrease the tippet these present
a very clean surface image and they make for good hookups too.
The big-eye hook allows use of 5x mono.


Saturday 25 June 2011

IIFF 2011

I have prepared a box of specials which will be auctioned in benefit of the Dibney River Conservation Trust
who run the Irish International Fly Fair at Killyleagh, Co. Down, Northern Ireland next weekend.
All in aid of an excellent cause - the restoration of the local Dibney River.

The box contains Reversed Parachute emergers from #22 Caenis to #8 Mayflies
and some Partridge and Orange, Black Spiders and Clear Cure Goo Caddis;
a couple of French Partridge Mays and some Olive nymphs.

For further details of the show, see

There are some serious talents coming from across the planet
 to help our restoration efforts for which I thank you all;
 see you there, Roy.

Friday 24 June 2011

Iron Blue Emerger

This little guy is built using a natural Iron Blue Dun hackle
The neck came from Cookshill Fly Tying and it is a thing of rare beauty.
I will endeavour not to lose these in the trees

Iron Blue Reversed Parachute emerger
The hook is a size #20

Monday 13 June 2011

Blue Winged Olive emerger size #18

This Blue Winged Olive emerger is often effective in the evening in summer.

I tie a dozen colour variations of the BWO from size 16 to 22.


Sunday 12 June 2011

Smuts

It is again smutting time as the days grow longer and warmer toward midsummer.
The fish have had time to fatten up and are now taking advantage of nature's generosity.
As they sit sipping flies from the surface trout become engrossed with minutiae.
Here is a design which gives the all-important presentation,
 sinks the tippet on impact for clean presentation of a struggling bug stuck in the surface.
I fish this on 5x tippet and am confident of takes - if I can get the fly on target.
Here is the deadly smut on a size #22 larva hook.
  This one will be a reliable tool for the next two months.

Wednesday 8 June 2011

Tricoptera

Here is a little caddis fly I caught the other day
A stunning beauty 7 millimetres long

Saturday 4 June 2011

Summer time - time for a Tup's Indispensable

A Tups on an 18 iron with 5x tippet does excellent work on a summertime small stream