fins

Yes, folks,

just fins

 

these wild browns are so beautiful.



This little guy took my dry Sulfur #18 first cast through a long ninety second drift.

Now, that is one long slow drift alright.

It was the first time this year that I had fished my Hardy Fibalite glass 7ft #3/4

Crisp as the day she was built and spot on accuracy this is a classic 1960's glass,

plays fish softly and positively, almost as good as bamboo

The thing is those little trouty teeth can wreck a fly.

First cast, one fly, one fish, fly gnarled beyond recognition

 

I can see the satisfaction in his eye for the perfect wreckage of a good dry fly

 

 

The river was high  so I took a trip toward the headwaters.

I found a pool where some small browns were taking emerging baetis in a slick,

 a dozen or so fish rising freely and gently.

My offering of a #18 reversed parachute Greenwells yielded five in ten minutes.

I then changed to a #20 revpara Rusty emerger with a tiny slip of bronze mallard

 for a hint of wing, tied by my neighbour and friend at Small Fly Funk, Andy Baird,

result...

another pretty brown.

I had a dozen for the evening and returned to my open fire.

The local streams are low and clear

I have moved home from London to Armoy,

Northern Ireland

The streams have beautiful, sometimes fussy brown trout

taking BWO, caddis olives and Tups Indispensibles

I'm home



Mayfly time again

It's Mayfly time again.

Here is a selection which will do the job

French Partridge Mayflies,

Black Gnats

Reversed parachute Danica

and some dries.

Dibney River Conservation Trust annual Fly Fair

http://www.irishinternationalflyfair.com/
A date for your diary
June 30 - July 1, 2012

An excellent show in aid of river restoration.

You know, this sort of stuff
  http://www.sexyloops.com/articles/puttingbacktherocks.shtml

E. Danica Flat Spent Spinner

Built for floating sidelong

- the fly, that is.

Anyone at the Dutch Fly Fair next weekend, come say hello

  

USD Olive

Late spring small stream flies

These are mainly 16s and 18's for general olive impressions

for small streams and brooks

UpSideDown Flies

Occasionally I feel a need for a very specific design.

This is a size #18 Olive

built to roll cast up a small stream.

It is extremely water resistant by design and always lands correctly

Thus you can roll cast it in narrow confines without having to repeatedly false cast.

This enables also a less frightening approach to the prey.

Hope you like it.

End of the season for grayling

On my last day out for grayling before season's end

I had a treat from the bounteous stream

beauty

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 20

20

  Rick Takahashi ; TAKS Crystal Chironomid

This fly and the nineteen below comprise the ninth SnoFly Swap

organised and run by my friend John (Alpinefly) Larson

Scroll down for the full set

sizes from 14 thru 30's

My thanks and respect to all participants

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 19

19

Jerry Hubka UL Red Riser     

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 18

18

John Larson Size 28 Baby Rootbeer Buzzer 

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 17

17

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 16

16

Krystal Emerger 

Gus Strand

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 15

by - Jimmy K. Crain Jr.     

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 14

14

Anthony Naples - size 18 Upsidedown Emerger

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 13

13

Gary Hitterman  - size 20 Floro chironomid

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 12

12

John Larson - Sabasa Kabari (Yusurika) Adult Size 20

       This is a Tenkara Pattern

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 11

11

Ian Christie - Olive with Flame Orange Cheeks Buzzer

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 10

10

tied by Anthony Naples
whose blog is www.castingaround.com

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 9

9

John Larson - Tanytarsus Adult Cripple Size 24

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 8

8

John Larson - Size 18 Glo-Lite Series Blood Chironomid Larva

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 7

7

John Larson - Size 18 Glo-Lite Series Blood Chironomid Larva

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 6

6

John Larson Size 24 Transluscent Series Flash Chironomid (Red)

  Tied also in Orange, Pink, Olive, Tan, & Chartreuse

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 5

5

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 4

4

tied by  Reelsister (Avril)

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 3

3

John Larson - Size 16 Virtual Horse Fly

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 2

mine

2

This is a reversed parachute emerger.
It is tied to match the hatch, change the body and hackle
to mimic midge, mayfly, caddis or any other creature stuck
at the surface of the water, grasshoppers, craneflies or whatever
This fly is designed to sink the tippet on impact at the surface

Fly Swap SNOFLY IX the flies No. 1

1

Wiggle Nymph

Damsel wiggle nymph

CCG Large Dark Olive

Large Dark Olive

Blue Dun hackle

Olive sealfur thorax

Quillbody with Mylar tip

coated in Clear Cure Goo

Tails - Blue Dun hakkle fibres

Danica emerger

Reversed Parachute Danica emerger

on a #14 Klinkhamer hook

I am tying a few flies for the start of the season

and getting some practice tying for the year's events

Looking forward to the Dutch Fly Fair

and BFFI and the Irish International Fly Fair.

 

Olive midge #16

Olive midge #16

Antron breathers

fluor orange wingbuds

ClearCureGoo over pearl mylar body

ribbed orange silk

Honey dun hackle

Olive seal fur thorax