A Large Dark Olive & A Small Glass of Malt

by Richard Fieldhouse
After last weekends escape to the moors on a little fishing trip, it really perked me up and I was looking forward to a similar trip this weekend, but a quick check on the weather app has put a stop to all that - rain, again!
I remember when I was younger, and the weather was not conducive to the outdoor life, my attention always turned to my 'crafty' side - I've noticed, that as I get older (I'm only in my early 50's) I've reverted back to type - a little! When the rivers are not playing ball I now find immense satisfaction in two things - fly tying & Whisky (not necessarily in that order):
Earlier this year we launched our Feathersmith range of pattern-specific fly-tying kits over on our sister site feathersmith.co.uk - it didn't take long before we knew we had something of a hit on our hands:
Red-Neck Hare's Ear Tungsten Nymph
They are the perfect distraction when the weather is not on your side and you still want a bit of a 'fishing fix'. With each new kit we release, they are gaining more and more popularity, we always notice an upturn in kit sales when the weather turns for the worse!

Fishing is always a pleasure, but it's all the more satisfying when you catch a fish on a perfectly presented fly which you've spent time tying yourself.

The majority of flies you will be using on both Rivers and Stillwaters in the coming weeks will be either very small 'gnat' style patterns or imitating a hatch of upwinged flies (Large Dark Olive / March Brown).

We've decided to give you a bit of a Special Off

Fishing is always a pleasure, but it's all the more satisfying when you catch a fish on a perfectly presented fly which you've spent time tying yourself.

The majority of flies you will be using on both Rivers and Stillwaters in the coming weeks will be either very small 'gnat' style patterns or imitating a hatch of upwinged flies (Large Dark Olive / March Brown).

We've decided to give you a bit of a Special Offer - flies you can tie this weekend and successfully fish next week:

For today only we are reducing the price of each of the above kits to only £25 - exceptional value at only 83p per fly.

All of our kits are stuffed full of the best quality materials available (Ahrex, Semperfli, Whiting etc) and if you can order today before 2pm we will get it to you, ready for your weekend fly tying session!

*** Go on, you know you want to. Our Feathersmith kits are perfect to while away the hours when the rivers are unfishable***

I'd Love To Start Tying Flies ... But Where Do I Start?

We know that our Feathersmith kits appeal to both the beginner and more experienced fly tyers, and since launching our first kits we've had quite a few enquiries asking if we could provide a 'basic set of skills' course to help those of you just starting out on this fantastic hobby.

Kenan Haseta is a professional fly tyer and keen fly angler, he's also 'our man in Bosnia' and has been tying stunning 'one-off' creations for us for the last few years, his tying skills are second to none.

We've asked Kenan a few times if he would share his experience and skills in video format - he's pretty shy and always wanted to be behind, rather than in front, of the camera. So we twisted his arm a little and he agreed:

Kenan has created a set of 'basic skills' videos for us covering all of the aspects of fly tying knowledge you need to get started - tools, vices, hooks, materials and how to dress a hook.

Kenan's 'Fly Tying for Beginners' video series is available for FREE for everyone - just click the button below. We've even got some advanced video lessons from Kenan - which we are editing now and will be releasing over the coming weeks.

Kenan's 'Fly Tying for Beginners' video series is available for FREE for everyone - just click the button above. We've even got some advanced video lessons from Kenan - which we will be releasing over the coming weeks.

Fancy A Beginners Setup?

It's all well and good watching Kenan's videos, but where do you start when buying a vice and the essential tools?

We've made that very easy for you, Kenan has recommended a toolkit and vice to us - we've sourced them all and put together a starter set which includes (a Stonfo Flylab Pedestal vice along with all the essential tools), this includes everything you will need and will last you a lifetime - the only maintenance will be to sharpen your scissors every few years!:

*** Go on, you know you want to start a new hobby this year ***

Treat Yourself To An 'All Singing, All Dancing' Vice?

For those of you who may not have come across Renzetti vices before, they are revered worldwide for their quality (especially the jaws) and ease of use.

All Renzetti vices are made in the USA and are true rotary (i.e. the fly can be rotated around its axis perfectly). We currently have the below Renzetti vices in stock, the range starts with the Traveler 2000 Series, at only £280 and continues to the Presentation Series at £479.

Please Note: Due to dealership restrictions, we can only deliver our vices to UK addresses.

All Renzetti vices offer outstanding value for money when you consider they will last you your fly-tying lifetime and they are works of art:

Image of Renzetti Traveler 2000 Series Vice

Renzetti Traveler 2000 Series Vice

£280.00

Image of Renzetti Traveler 2200 Series Vice

Renzetti Traveler 2200 Series Vice

£349.00

Image of Renzetti Presentation 2000 Series Vice

Renzetti Presentation 2000 Series Vice

£479.00

If you would like to see all of the vices we have available, please click on the button below - there are some stunning vices!

In the meantime, tight threads and have fun at the vice this weekend.

 

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