Let me tell you about Jim Estes.

Back in the late 90s, Jim walked into a dollar store (the American equivalent of our pound shops) in Bryson City, North Carolina, probably looking for cleaning supplies like the rest of us. But Jim wasn't like the rest of us, he was the sort of bloke who looked at a microfiber mop pad and thought, "that'll catch fish."

Most people would've bought the mop, gone home, and cleaned their kitchen floor.

Jim tied one onto a hook and went fishing - and in the process turned the stillwater fishing scene on its head.

Fast forward a few years and the "Mop Fly" became so devastatingly effective it got banned from multiple fly fishing competitions, even The Wall Street Journal wrote about it! Competitive anglers whispered about it like it was some sort of secret weapon. Purists called it 'cheating' and complained it didn't represent anything.

Except it did.

It represented exactly the sort of fat, wriggly, protein-rich grub that trout go absolutely daft for in cold water. Specifically, it looks like the various larvae that carpet the bottom of UK stillwaters all winter long.

*** There's no getting past the fact that all these flies work well - and we mean REALLY well! Order yours today (before 1pm), choose 1st Class delivery, and you will be fishing with them tomorrow afternoon ***

And here's what matters for you: those larvae are everywhere in your local reservoir right now, and through to the end of March they'll be the primary food source for lethargic, cold-water trout that won't waste energy chasing anything.

Which brings me to ...

We originally launched these last year, and it quietly became one of those flies that just works when nothing else does. It's our version of Jim Estes's dollar store discovery - a bead-headed mop fly tied in colours that match the naturals living in the silt and weed beds.

Why does it work so stupidly well in February and March?

Three reasons:

1. It looks exactly like what trout are eating. Those larvae are chunky, segmented, and slow-moving. The Mopster's microfiber material creates that same bulky, grub-like profile that cold-water trout recognise as easy calories.
2. It sinks differently. The material is dense but slightly buoyant. Once it reaches the depth where trout are sitting, often just inches from the bottom, it hangs there, hovering like a natural larva. It doesn't drag across the lakebed. It doesn't rush through the water column. It just sits there, looking absolutely edible.
3. Cold water trout don't chase. They conserve energy. They'll only move inches to intercept food. The Mopster gets down to their level and stays there long enough for them to make the decision. No flash. No panic. Just a fat grub waiting to be eaten.

We've just received these NEW for 2026 Mopster flies in the office - now tied with Semperfli's specialist Mopster Chenille (an entirely new chenille with multi-coloured guard hair tinsels protruding from the material) and on the best barbless hooks available - AHREX.

The specification for these flies just shows their quality:

• AHREX FW541 Size 10 (Barbless of course!)
• 4.6mm Brass Bead - we don't want them to sink too quickly!
• 0.4mm Lead-Free Wire
• Semperfli 8/0 Classic Waxed Thread
• Semperfli Mopster Yarn
• Ice Dubbing

These really are stunning flies and we are really pleased to add them to our expanding range of Stillwater focussed patterns:

Love them or hate them these bright-coloured Mopsters are sure to provoke a response on those days when nothing else seems to work.

We have our NEW Mopster patterns available individually for £2.15 each, or as a selection of 10 (2 of each of the 5 colours) for only £19.00.

We are also making our NEW Mopster patterns available as a boxed selection for only an additional £12.50. That's the full Mopster Selection, plus one of our Slimline Silicone Fly Boxes, with magnetic closure, for only £31.50:

*** There's no getting past the fact that all these flies work well - and we mean REALLY well! Order yours today (before 1pm), choose 1st Class delivery, and you will be fishing with them tomorrow afternoon ***

I'm not saying the Mopster is going to revolutionise your fishing. I'm not even saying it represents the pinnacle of fly tying artistry (it doesn't - it's a bit of mop material on a hook, let's be honest).

But I am saying this: if you're heading to a stillwater either this month or next and you don't have at least a couple in your box, you're fishing with one hand tied behind your back.

Jim Estes figured that out in a dollar store nearly 30 years ago.

I'm just passing on the message.

Reel Recovery UK @ The BFFI

This weekend sees the 2026 British Fly Fair open its doors once more.

Unfortunately, we will not be there this year - it's a significant family birthday, and I'm under orders!

However, if you are going, please pop along to see Michael and the guys at Reel Recovery UK. We help and support them all we can.

Their mission is to help men in the recovery process by sharing with them the healing powers of fly-fishing, while providing a safe, supportive environment to explore their personal experiences of cancer, with others who share their stories. Weekend Fly-fishing Retreats are offered at no cost to the participants, they are led by trained facilitators and experienced fly-fishing instructors.

Reel Recovery UK provides all meals, lodging and fly-fishing equipment - no previous fishing experience is required. They work closely with Cancer Care and Clinical Psychology Teams within regional NHS Foundation Trusts, who refer participants to them.

And ... they've got something a little special you can win at this year's BFFI ...

The Prize - Fish the River Test at Kimbridge, on the ORVIS flagship 'Ginger Beer' beat, in prime Mayfly time, on Sunday 17th May 2026. For Two Rods with an Orvis Guide and use of the charming, thatched fishing hut. Generously donated by ORVIS

The draw will take place on each day of BFFI, so two rods on the Ginger Beer beat can be won on Saturday and another two rods on Sunday. Tickets for each daily draw cost £10 and can be purchased at the Reel Recovery stand in Hall 2. All proceeds will help Reel Recovery UK to teach men with cancer to fly-fish.

If you do enter ... and win ... I'm free that weekend!

Also, in true 'Summer Fete' style, there's a Guess The Number Of Flies In A Jar fundraiser - it's really simple - £5 per guess, nearest wins the jar full of flies (they are all our flies as well!)

How Many Flies Are In There?

Also, in true Summer Fete style, there's a 'Guess The Number of Flies In a Jar' fundraiser - it's really simple - £5 per guess, nearest wins the jar full of our flies. There's a jar per day and the winners will be anounced before the show closes.

All proceeds will help Reel Recovery UK to teach men with cancer to fly-fish.

Tight Lines & good luck.

P.S. If you'd like to know how to get the best from your Mopster, keep scrolling ...

How To Fish The Mopster Fly

There are two methods used when fishing this style of fly:

Method 1 - With A Floating Line:

1. Use a floating line with a leader of about 5ft or longer, this is up to you always use the length you feel most comfortable with casting, remember presentation is better than distance.
2. Where possible, fish more than one fly, remember to make your dropper a more drab colour - this allows each fly to act as an attractor so if the fish don’t want the drab fly they will take the shiny fly etc.
3. After you’ve cast out your flies, give the line a pull to straighten it out, this allows you to keep in touch with the flies and easily detect any takes. Then countdown down for 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 seconds to allow your flies to sink through the water column. If you get interest repeat that count again.
4. Always keep in mind that when you are fishing a mop-style fly static this can lead to deep hooking the fish so keep in touch with the flies so you can feel the most gentile of takes.