Flies From The Dark Side
Flies from The Dark Side
We've something for all of you intermittent Stillwater anglers this week. With the
majority of the UK rivers now nearing the close - until March, the Stillwaters will
be more popular with anglers wanting their fishing fix.
We are in a pretty fortunate position as a fly supplier - we get to see the trends
of which flies are popular at all times of the year. I noticed a big uptick in the
below Stillwater flies over the last week - we also received lots of feedback from
customers saying they are working really well, so I thought I would dedicate this
week's email to flies from the 'Dark Side'.
There are certain flies, which in some quarters are very much frowned upon. It
is not our place to judge anyone, and as far as we are concerned, so long as
the fishery allows it, it's fair game. These flies seem to be unpopular with the
‘stillwater purists’ but they undoubtedly work really well in certain situations.
Here we aim to give you an idea of what these flies are and how to use them.
The Blob
It is thought by some that the blob fly is used to represent blooms of daphnia
(very small plankton like animals which trout feed upon in stillwaters), however we are not really convinced by that, but the blob is a very successful fly – that’swhy you will see it in every competition Stillwater anglers fly box – because itjust works. We are more of the belief that the blob is a fly pattern that actssimilar to a lure, in that fish are naturally inquisitive and are attracted to
anything which enters their world and causes a bit of commotion. There are two
styles of blob generally used, a standard blob and a foam-arsed blob (or FAB).
Both styles of blob are essentially tied with lots of colourful fritz on a wide-gape
strong hook:
The Jellyfish is an updated variant of a Blob - think of them as a more
streamlined and mobile Blob, they are tied with a slightly longer fritz. We all
know that the 'Blob' is a marmite fly and produces a whole range of responses
from fellow anglers (never mind what the fish think to them).
The Booby
The booby fly is often very misunderstood, as its main use is to control the
depth at which other flies fish – although it is a very successful pattern in its
own right – especially when making a wake on the surface. Once you see the
fly you can understand why it is named the way it is. See towards the end of
this email for info on how to best fish this style of fly.
However, there's no getting past the fact that all these flies work really
well - especially in the colder conditions we are currently experiencing!
Love them or hate them these bright coloured Jellyfish are sure to provoke a
response on those days when nothing else seems to work.
Our Barbless Jellyfish Selection contains 10 flies (5 different patterns, 2 of each
in size 10). We are offering this selection today for only £15.
These are your more traditional styled blobs, originally devised and designed
by Paul McLinden the blob caught on in the Stillwater competition scene very
quickly. The blob is best fished in a team of three - a blob on the top dropper
and two other more imitative flies below - like a Cruncher and Diawl Bach. The
key to this method is that the blob attracts the fish, which then take one of the
other flies on offer.
Our Barbless Blob Selection contains 15 flies in total. We are offering this
selection today for only £20.
We have a selection of barbless boobies, especially tied for Stillwater fishing,
ideally targeting rainbow trout. Best either fished deep on a sinking line (these
boobies are specifically tied in the slightly larger sizes), stripped across the
surface or used to hold a team of flies in the water column, these flies do catch
fish (and divide opinions!).
Our Barbless Booby Selection contains 15 flies in total. We are offering this
selection today for only £20.
How To Fish The Blob/Jellyfish
using:
Floating Lines – Use as an attractor pattern in a team of
buzzers/nymphs, try tying the blob on the top dropper – this attracts the
fish, they usually turn away and take one of the more imitative nymphs on
the lower droppers. Or, attach the blob to a long tapered leader, cast out
as far as you can, count the fly down and then retrieve quickly – with short
pauses.
Sinking Lines – similar to a ‘pop-up’ rig in carp fishing when used with a
sinking line the blob or FAB can be fished just above the bed of the
Stillwater, generally works really when retrieved using a very slow ‘figure
of 8’.
How To Fish The Booby
The most common use for a booby fly is as a part of a Washing Line setup,
where the booby is placed on the point and a team of buzzers/nymphs are
suspended between it and the fly line on droppers. The booby holds the
buzzers/nymphs up in the water column and also acts as a bite indicator. You
can also employ the booby on a sinking line and fish it the same as you would a
blob, I.e. popped up just above the lake bed and retrieved very slowly.
Tight Lines & Stay Safe.
