The Ginger Tom - Version 2.1

I was rifling through my fishing book collection back in September, looking for some inspiration for the coming Grayling season - specifically the "Nymph Fishing Techniques" section (yes, they're categorised, don't judge me) - when I stumbled across an old copy of Oliver Kite's "Nymph Fishing in Practice".

Now, Kite was writing in the 1960s, long before tungsten beads were a part of our nymph patterns, but there was a passage that struck me. He was talking about the importance of getting a nymph down to the fish's level as quickly as possible, particularly in faster water. His solution was creative weighting with lead or copper wire, but the principle was what caught my attention: "The difference between success and failure is often measured in mere inches of depth."

That got me thinking about our Ginger Tom Jig - it's my 'confidence' pattern at this time of the season, i.e. the one I turn to when nothing else is working:

You might remember when I introduced it back in 2024 - it's my northern adaptation of Steve Skuce's "sheer magic" fly from his excellent book "Grayling Flies" (below). Our Ginger Tom v2.0 has been an absolute workhorse for me ever since. That combination of the jig hook and ginger flash in the body has consistently produced the goods in our coloured North Yorkshire rivers, proving itself time and again when other patterns have left me scratching my head.

But Kite's sage words kept nagging at me.

Since October, I've been fishing our original Ginger Tom in various conditions, and whilst it's performed brilliantly, there were times - particularly in faster, deeper runs - where I felt it could get down just that crucial few inches quicker.

You know those moments: you can just see shadows of the fish holding tight to the bottom, you're getting your fly down as fast as you can, but by the time it reaches their level, you've drifted past the sweet spot - it's especially prevalent in the smaller sizes (16 and smaller).

The solution was simple enough: upgrade to a denser tungsten bead. Not just any bead though - a much higher quality one that gets the fly diving faster without adding unnecessary bulk.

And that's it - that's the Ginger Tom v2.1

Same proven pattern, same jig hook, same ginger flash that works so well in our northern waters - just a much more efficient delivery system to get it to where the Grayling (and Trout when in season) are actually feeding in February, March & April.

Sometimes the best improvements are the ones you barely notice ... until you're saying "hello" to fish that were previously just out of reach.

Here we present our NEW Ginger Tom v2.1 Selection, the selection contains three each of sizes 12, 14, 16 & 18 - all tied on barbless jig hooks (in total there are 12 tungsten Ginger Tom's v2.1's in this selection).

As we're pretty anal about our nymphs, we've even weighed them:

• The Ginger Tom v2.1 in a size 12 weighs 0.48g
• This Ginger Tom v2.1 in a size 14 weighs 0.34g
• This Ginger Tom v2.1 in a size 16 weighs 0.27g
• This Ginger Tom v2.1 in a size 18 weighs 0.20g

That's a total of 12 Ginger Tom v2.1 tungsten jigs at a heavily discounted price of only £20.00 (bought individually, these would be £23.40), supplied in our eco-friendly packaging and includes FREE delivery to anywhere in the UK.

*** We only have a small number of these selections available (40 to be exact), so you will need to be quick ***

 *** I've already got my seasons supply safely stashed away in my fly box, otherwise, we would have had more! ***

The beauty of the Ginger Tom v2.1 is its versatility - it'll work in most Grayling (and early-season Trout) situations, but it really comes into its own in coloured water and faster, deeper runs where that denser bead earns its keep.

Setup: I fish it almost exclusively as my point fly on a two-fly rig. That extra weight from the upgraded tungsten bead does the heavy lifting (or should that be heavy sinking) for the whole team. If you're running a trio, pair it with something lighter and more subtle on the dropper - a Disco Shrimp works nicely. The Ginger Tom gets everything down to the zone, whilst your dropper can work the mid-water.

The Drift: This is where that faster sink rate really matters. In pocket water or faster glides, you need to get down quickly before you've drifted through the lie. I'm looking for a near-vertical presentation in these situations - high rod tip, tight line, rod tip following the drift downstream. You want to feel every tick and tap on the riverbed.

Presentation: Don't be afraid to fish it right on the bottom - that jig hook rides point-up, so it's far more snag-resistant than you'd think. In fact, if you're not occasionally ticking the bottom, you're probably fishing too high. Grayling, especially in coloured water, aren't going to move far for a fly. You need to put it on their nose.

The Take: In coloured water, takes can be surprisingly aggressive - a proper thump that you'll feel rather than see. But equally, in clearer conditions or when fish are being finicky, the take might be nothing more than a slight hesitation in your drift. This is where that tight-line contact pays dividends. Any pause, any slight check in the drift - lift into it.

Conditions: The Ginger Tom v2.1 really shines after a bit of rain when the rivers have a touch of colour but are still fishable. That ginger flash in the body gives just enough visibility without being garish. Water temperature doesn't seem to matter much - I've had fish on it in everything from late autumn chills to milder winter days when the Grayling are properly on the feed.

The key thing to remember - this isn't a searching fly for covering water at pace. It's a precision tool for working known lies and likely holding spots methodically. Slow down, fish it through properly, and let that denser bead do what it's designed to do - get you down to where the Grayling are actually living.

Get out there, show the fish some 'ginger' and have fun!