Bosnian CdC Olives & Mayflies - Direct from our man on the ground!

by Richard Fieldhouse May 23, 2023

On my small local stream (Yorkshire Derwent), it's been quite hard fishing of late, especially with the recent spells of wet weather and higher-than-average water levels we are experiencing in North Yorkshire.

It's looking pretty good for this week, so hopefully I will be able to bring a few more to the net, especially using these CdC Olives from 'our man in Bosnia'.

Even with the higher river levels, I am still finding that when the fish are playing hard to get, the "go-to" tactic is to go long and keep disturbance to a minimum.

Using a longer leader allows for a more gentle presentation, especially when combined with a longer lighter rod (my go-to rod for this situation is the wonderful Maxia SX 9'5" 2wt - of which. we have our last one on offer at the moment - for only £499) employing this method I've caught in mornings, afternoons and evenings. I've been following these simple rules and it really has upped my success rate:

DO NOT get into the water and wade, not unless you really have to - As the fish have less natural cover from predators, they are really spooky. Any disturbance in the water (or noise from your studded boots) will transfer its way to the fish.
Use a longer leader - I generally use a longer and lighter leader, this will allow you to land the fly with a more delicate presentation - experiment with using a French Leader setup - they really come into their own at this time of year.
Look for deep holes & behind any obstructions - If there is no surface activity these will be the places the fish are holding. Try experimenting with a Klink 'n' Dink setup (use a small beaded nymph - size 16 or smaller - we have a wide selection of these - as you may have guessed!).
See the end of this email for one of the best tips you will ever read - to get you ready for the Winter Grayling season. But you need to act on the tip now (you will see why when you read it)!

so, what sort of flies should you use? We asked 'our man in Bosnia' what he would use - and here they are, these stunning early summer dry flies (CdC Olives & Mayflies) - which are perfect for the post-Mayfly sport, or in our case the pre-Mayfly sport as we are expecting the Mayfly to start hatching in quantities sometime in the next week or so.

These flies have been specifically tied for fishing in the early summer conditions and are ideal for both rivers and stillwaters.

Take a look at the below:

Our Bosnian CdC Olive Selection consists of 12 flies, 3 each of 4 separate patterns:

Indicator Olive patterns:

Upside-Down CdC Olive - Size 12 - Ahrex FW451
Light Yellow CdC Olive - Size 12 - Ahrex FW503
IOBO Olive - Size 12 - Ahrex FW525
CdC Emerging Olive - Size 12 - Ahrex FW525

These flies are all tied on one of the best lightweight hook ranges in the business, Ahrex.

Please Note: As always with flies tied by 'our man in Bosnia' we only have a limited amount - 40 selections - they take ages to tie to this quality. They will sell pretty quickly, so if you would like a selection you will need to be quick!

We are supplying 3 of each of the above patterns, that's 12 flies in total for £24 - I know these are some of the more expensive flies we sell, but the quality is outstanding.

This premium Bosnian fly selection is very limited (we only have 40 available - I'm keeping a few sets for myself!) and once they are gone, we will not have any more until next year. Just click on any image or button in this email to view details and buy your selection.

If you would like one, you will need to be quick off the mark!

Here are a few more detailed images to really tempt you:

USD CdC Olive

Tied in a unique upside-down style, this means that the fly fishing with the hook point upwards - out of the water completely. We are supplying 3 each of these in this selection, tied on a size 12 Ahrex FW541 barbless hook.

Light Yellow CdC Olive

A light yellow thread body (with yellow ribbing) and hare's mask dubbing around the wings. We are supplying 3 each of these in this selection, tied on a size 12 Ahrex FW503 barbless hook.

IOBO Olive

With a hand-stripped rooster feather body overlaid with a class 1 CdC tail , body and wing post, this is a deadly fly It Ought to Be Outlawed. We are supplying 3 each of these in this selection, tied on a size 12 Ahrex FW525 barbless hook.

CdC Emerging Olive

With a yellow ribbed body, slipt-wing CdC and hare mask shuck (still attached) this fly imitates the emerging insect, just at the point the fly takes it from the surface of the water. We are supplying 3 each of these in this selection, tied on a size 12 Ahrex FW525 barbless hook.

These flies are only available as a selection of 12. We are supplying 3 of each of the above patterns, that's 12 flies in total for £24 - I know these are some of the more expensive flies we sell, but the quality is outstanding.

If you would like one, you will need to be quick off the mark!

Go on, you know you want to!

CdC (meaning Cul De Canard - or the feathers around the preen gland of a duck) is a very buoyant and delicate feather, this is due to natural oils which are secreted from the preen gland - how many ducks have you seen that don't float!

It is important to care for these feathers in the correct way, otherwise, the fly will sink after the first fish is caught. Here's a few tips on how to get the best out of any fly tied with CdC feathers:

When using a gel floatant, always check that it is suitable for CdC feathers, as many of them will clog up the feather and make it unusable. In my experience, the best gel floatant I have found for CdC feathers is either Roman Moser Miracle Float (which is quite difficult to get) or Loon Lochsa.
Only apply gel floatant to a fly when it is fresh out of the box, i.e. when it is bone dry.
Once the fly is wet, dry it with a towel or piece of kitchen roll / elastic band (see below), and apply a powdered floatant to it, brushing it as deep into the feathers as you can. This will keep the fly floating, once it starts to sink again, then rinse and repeat this step.

How do you dry a fly with an elastic band I hear you ask?

It's a trick the competition guys use to quickly dry their flies.

Loop an elastic band onto your vest/pack.
Hook your fly into it and stretch it holding onto the tippet.
Twang the elastic band a few times (channelling your best Jimi Hendrix).

This quickly removes any water from the fly, ready for powder floatant to be re-applied. Neat eh!

Tight lines & have fun.