I hope you're waters have been topped up with all the rain we've seen over the last few days - typical of a Bank Holiday weekend!
I want to take you back - just a few weeks - to the baking hot temperatures we experienced in July. When the grass was brown and the rivers had hardly seen any water in months and the majority of Stillwaters were closed (due to the water temperature) - the fishing outlook was pretty bleak!
Just as I was tucking into my ice-cream (trying to keep cool), a parcel arrived from France.
It was packed full of 'grub' style patterns - just what you need when there's no water to be seen anywhere!
It was from good friend and French fly designer, Stan (of Nymphèvolution fame) - all tied to his usual exacting standards and that little bit different.
I decided that July was probably not the right time to advertise them - so I filed them in the 'Autumn' pile and finished my ice-cream.
Fast forward to today - and as it's now Early Autumn - I've decided to let them loose on the unsuspecting fly angling public ... that's you!
I've not had a chance to test them yet - I had some all ready to go in the fly box I lost last weekend - but I think you will agree, they do look very 'fishy', as a general representation of the type of grubs you find on and around the river/stillwater bed.
Also, if you squint, they are a very passable impression of a maggot - ok, it's not necessarily in the spirit of pure fly fishing, but they do represent an insect.
Anyway - here's what Stan actually sent over.
I've called them Stan's Gallic Grubs - they are all tied on Dohiku HDG645 Size 16 barbless grub hooks, with an Ultra Solid Textile Fibre body and a semi-translucent Seret ribbing material - properly buggy, and light enough (0.04g) to be perfect for the our Autumn water levels.
They come in three 2mm glass bead finishes: Chocolate, Copper, and Metallic Olive or as a Mixed Pack (4 of each, 12 flies total), if you can't decide, which, let's be honest, is most of us. Images for each of the colour variations can be found at the very end of this email.
We've only got 120 of each bead colour tied up for this first release, so once they're gone, that's it for now.
If you're the sort of angler who likes to show the fish a new pattern before everyone else has one in their box, these are definitely worth a look.
Stan's Gallic Grubs comes in three coloured variations:
• Chocolate Brown
• Copper; and
• Metallic Olive
It's a light nymph at just 0.04g, built to imitate the kind of dislodged nymph that trout, grayling and rainbows can't resist gorging on through September & October.
Please Note: This is a limited first batch of only 120 of each colour, tied to Stan's usual exacting standards.
We are making them available in packs of 4 for £10, and with only 120 of each colour available in this batch, if a colour catches your eye, don't leave it too long to decide - or you could go for the 'full monty' Mixed Pack which includes 4 of each colour - for only £27!
Grub patterns like this earn their keep whenever trout or grayling (and rainbow trout, if you're on a stillwater) are picking off dislodged nymphs along the riverbed - which, after this weekend's rain, is exactly where we're headed.
Fish it as a dropper or point fly, or sight-nymph it through the slower glides. On stillwaters, a slow figure-of-eight on a floating line keeps it moving naturally.
Here's all of the different variations we have to offfer:
I hope one of Stan's Gallic Grubs earns a place on your leader over the coming weeks - I know I will be getting them wet this weekend.
Tight lines.
P.S. If anyone finds a fly box floating somewhere on the Derwent - it's probably somewhere near York by now - no questions asked, no reward offered - just send it back my way. I'll even throw in a free pack of Gallic Grubs for you.
