2wheels1rod

Rude Awakenings & Staying Seine

I'm not one to always practice what I preach - I'm usually fishing a water I know really well so just go with what worked last time. But, over Christmas last year, I had a rude awakening ... I had a day planned to fish for Grayling on a small North Yorkshire river with a good friend (it's probably one of the few waters locally which holds a good head of Grayling). A customer had sent me a seine net which fits onto my scoop net, so I thought I would give it a go. After a good minute kicking the gravel, I peered into the white netting. -- Intermission -- Please check out the very end of this email - we have a few 'Parish Notices' which we'd love you to read - all about what we have planned for the coming season, and a new product launch next week! -- Intermission Ends -- At first glance there didn't seem to be much life in there, just a mass of grey detritus, but at second glance it all seemed to be moving! I emptied it out onto my hand, to see what looked like hundreds of small shrimps. I swiftly reached for my fly box from my vest and tried to 'match the bug' - it was something similar to this (one of our Bacchus Bugs - which were partly inspired by that trip): This week I am turning my attention to one of the most overlooked fly patterns - the humble shrimp (or Gammarus to give it its correct genus). Read the full email for loads of tips for fishing shrimps at this time of year. Gammarus (or the freshwater shrimp) forms the basis of the Grayling's diet in the colder months. They may not be the main food source every day but they do make up over 90% of the diet at this time of year. The freshwater shrimp is usually found in all our UK rivers throughout the full year, making a Shrimp / Gammarus / Scud pattern one of the first to try when the going gets tough - especially at this time of year. Freshwater shrimp are much more abundant in waters with higher pH values (for this read - chalk and limestone streams). As a part of the Riverfly Partnership's Monitoring Scheme on a local North Yorkshire beck, it's not uncommon for thousands of freshwater shrimp to be captured in a short 3-minute kick sample. These shrimp are a fantastic indicator of how healthy the river is - as they are very sensitive to pollution. One of the most popular (and VERY successful) fly selections we've done recently is our Bacchus Bug Selection - because they seem to work everywhere, and at all times of the year ... I know that we only launched these at the beginning of last month, but the Silver ones sold out almost instantly, we've just got them back in stock, so we can now make up the full selection again: As you've come to expect from any of our Artisan range of flies, they're all tied on the best scud/shrimp hooks available, the AHREX FW541 in sizes 14 & 16. Each of our Bacchus Bugs have been tied with: A weighted underbody (covering the middle 1/3rd of the hook). Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - The same colour as the bug A 0.1mm Wire Rib in the same colour as the bug A 3mm Nymph Skin shellback - colour-matched to the bug A UV/Synthetic dubbing for the body And, we have them in 4 very fishy colours - more detailed images of each can be seen below: Dirty Pink Olive Rainbow; and Silver Please Note: These bugs are unusually heavy for their small size: Size 14 - Length: 9.9mm, Gape: 4.25mm - Weight 0.18g Size 16 - Length: 8.0mm, Gape: 3.44mm - Weight 0.10g These Bacchus Bus are a derivative of the popular Disco Shrimp, which in turn is a variant of the well-known Czech-style nymphs. A typical characteristic of a Czech-style nymph is the slim profile (to allow it to sink quickly), a back covered with latex/shellback and a wire rib. *** Go on, treat yourself, it's Christmas! *** Our NEW Bacchus Bug Selection contains 16 Bacchus Bugs (4 different colour variations, 2 of each in sizes 14 & 16) all tied on specialist AHREX FW541 barbless shrimp/scud hooks. Our full selection is now available again for only £26. We like to cater for all budgets, so we've also made these Bacchus Bugs available to buy individually, for: £1.80 each, or £5.00 for a pack of 3, or £9.00 for a pack of 6 *** All orders from Barbless Flies are shipped FREE of charge to anywhere in the UK *** During the Grayling season and once the river trout season opens, it is essential that you have a selection of shrimps in your armoury - these are the most common invertebrates in the water at all points of the year - but especially the spring and early summer. Gammarus Shrimps Behaviour: Shrimps do not like really bright daylight - the become docile when it's really bright. Fish with them during lower light levels - when it's overcast, dawn or dusk, this is when they will be more effective. Shrimps are very good swimmers (but their sense of direction is appalling), they swim in really short bursts (often around in circles), so there's no need to worry too much about presentation, just make sure you fish them on the river bed. Shrimps need to be fished as close to the river bed as possible - in deeper rivers try a sinking line with a short (4ft) leader. On shallower rivers use a floating line and longer leader. How to fish Gammarus Shrimps: Try casting around gaps in any weed beds and to the heads of pools which are just below the weed Gammarus shrimp love weed, rocks and silt Try using 2 x Gammarus shrimps of different colours (one bright & one dark) on droppers spaced 2ft apart Cast these above the target area, let them sink and then track them back downstream Keep in touch with the shrimp at all times by raising your rod tip as the fly comes back towards you I usually fish these using an indicator (as my nymphing skills still need a bit of work!). Typical Nymphing Leader Setup: Shrimps are fished as you would any other nymph - just remember the golden rule "if you're not getting snagged on the bottom, you're not fishing deep enough". A normal nymph leader setup would be to add a short (12") indicator tippet section to your fly line, to this add 1.5 x the depth of the water you are fishing of tippet (4x or 5x), then the shrimp (or a team of 2 or 3). Xmas Parish Notices Last Posting Dates For Guaranteed Christmas Deliveries As we are now ever nearing Christmas, we always experience a rush of orders (and numerous phone calls), from anglers wanting their flies, books etc for Christmas. In order to receive your order for Christmas, our last posting dates are below (based on which postal service you prefer): FREE Delivery (2nd Class) - Wednesday 18th December 1st Class Tracked - Friday 20th December Special Delivery (Guaranteed) - Monday 23rd Decembe Our collections from Royal Mail are usually around 3pm, so we would ask that where possible please order before 1pm and the Fly Fairies will make sure your order goes out the very same day. Please Note: I am planning to give the Fly Fairies a few days off in the break between Christmas and the New Year, therefore any orders placed between the 27th December and 1st January will be shipped to you on the 2nd January. Tight lines.

Fly Fishing Rappers - The LL Cool (J)ig

During a clear out of our stock room at the beginning of this season, I came across a few left-over nymphs which we first sold over 8 years ago - in fact, they were the very first fly which we designed ourselves! I'm not into rap music at all (i'm a bit of an aging psychobilly/punk), but Jack, who is a good 25 years younger than me, is a bit of a fan.

Bacchus - The God, The Nightclub & The Fly ...

Our Artisan fly tyers have been 'on the tools' again - with some very tempting shrimp/scud patterns - fly fish food for Grayling, Stillwater Trout - and the local trees! These have been specifically tied for success as the colder weather approaches (November through to February), when a fishes main source of food is the Gammarus Shrimp.

A Nymph That's Cleaning Up Over The Pond - Tweaked & Now Available Over Here

Now that we have a little more water in the rivers, it's the ideal time to target those early-season Grayling. So we thought it's about time you had a bit more tungsten in your life with a fly you may not have heard of before ... The Sow Bug - the perfect nymph to tempt those early-season Grayling.

Very Late Trout & Early Grayling Tactics - Swing Some Spiders

I'll start with the flowing water: Spiders (or Soft Hackle flies as our cousins from across the pond refer to them) are one of the most popular flies in rivers today, and for good reason - they are very easy to fish and a really effective method when there is no activity on the surface - especially useful in the river conditions we are currently experiencing.

As the leaves start to fall ... The 'Gangly Ones' appear

As the leaves start to fall ... The 'Gangly Ones' appear Be it Rivers or Stillwaters - This time of year (September & October) is the prime month for these larger terrestrials. Daddy Longlegs (Crane Fly): Generally seen from August through to October, they hatch in the ground on cool humid mornings. It pays to fish these when the wind is blowing, the Daddy Longlegs is not good at flying and are always blown onto the water. The legs on these flies seem to act as a trigger to the fish (especially when twitched). Hopper Patterns: Really productive flies throughout the UK and equally effective in both rivers & stillwaters. Hoppers are generally fished as you would a dry fly, or as a point fly in a team of buzzers. See below for a great deal on our Hopper Selection. All of our Daddies & Hoppers are tied on size 10 and 12 barbless hooks with slender hackles (more aerodynamic - less leader twist), this allows them to create a wake on the surface when retrieved, again another trigger point the fish home into. The gangly flies (Daddies and Hoppers) are your main line of attack on both Rivers and Stillwaters at this time of year. Both patterns are tied in very similar styles - with long gangly legs tied facing backwards and long buoyant bodies. For much more information on all our Daddies and Hoppers and a few tips on fishing with 'Gangly' flies, Read on McDuff ... Plus we've a great offer on our Hoppers - see below: Our Barbless Hopper selection is a selection of 16 barbless hoppers, comprising 4 different patterns (in 2 sizes). The hopper fly is tied as a suggestive pattern for a number of different insects, it can imitate a Hawthorn Fly, Heather Fly, Daddy Long Legs/Crane Fly and even an adult buzzer, these are great flies to try when searching stillwaters & reservoirs. The legs on these flies seem to act as a trigger to the fish. These flies are tied on size 10 and 12 barbless hooks with a bushy hackle, this allows them to create a wake on the surface when retrieved, again another trigger point the fish home into. Bibio - The classic traditional fly, believed to have been first developed by Major Charles Roberts. The Bibio is tied with a swept-back black hackle, black body, pearl rib and red fur to the eye of the hook. Our selection contains 2 each of sizes 10 and 12. Yellow Owl - This is a bit of a hybrid hopper, a cross between a small mayfly/lake olive and the lighter-bodied daddy long legs. It features a dark yellow body with a black rib, topped with a CdC feather, with the legs kicked back this fly will disturb lots of water when retrieved. Our selection contains 2 each of sizes 10 and 12. Claret Hopper - Tied with a claret swept back hackle, a claret body and pearl rib. With the addition of a target point of a red tag at the end of the body, a great choice when the water is coloured (also great for Grayling on rivers!). Our selection contains 2 each of sizes 10 and 12. CdC Bibio - A small twist on the classic traditional fly. The CdC Bibio is tied with a CdC feather to the top of the body, a black body, a pearl rib and red fur to the centre of the hook. Our selection contains 2 each of sizes 10 and 12. Hoppers are really effective flies throughout the UK in predominantly stillwaters (but are equally as effective in rivers) and are at their most productive from July to September. Hoppers are generally fished as you would a dry fly, or as a point fly in a team of buzzers. Our Barbless Hopper Selection, containing 16 flies is available as a selection for only £20 (was £22), including free delivery. We only have 25 of these selections available today, so if you would like one you will need to be quick! What about the Daddies ... All of the below Daddies are really buoyant and will hold up a team of buzzers (using the Washing Line technique - see below). These Daddies are particularly streamlined and will not twist your leader as much: Daddyhog £1.60 Aero Daddy £1.60 We also have our full Daddy Long-Legs / Crane Fly Selection available which includes 16 flies in total (4 different patterns, 2 each of sizes 10 and 12) for only £20 (was £22), including free delivery. We only have 30 of these selections remaining, so if you would like one you will need to be quick! Or, why not take a look at all of the Daddies and Hoppers we have to offer: "Go on, you know you want to" When Daddy Long Legs are hatching in the area, use these flies with a slightly heavier tippet than you would normally use - it will reduce the amount of twist in the leader as these flies are fairly big and wind-resistant. Daddy Long Legs and Hoppers are also surprisingly effective when fished as a wet fly, so don't be too quick to keep these flies dry, once wet and submerged. If on a Stillwater, gently "figure of 8" them back to create a small wake, on a river try fishing them in the surface film, and hold on! Hoppers are really effective flies throughout the UK in predominantly stillwaters (but are equally as effective in rivers) and are at their most productive from August to October. Hoppers are generally fished as you would a dry fly, or as a point fly in a team of buzzers - in a washing-line configuration. Also, hoppers are surprisingly effective when fished as a wet fly, so don't be too quick to keep these flies dry - once wet and submerged, if on a stillwater, gently "figure of 8" them back (on a river try fishing them as you would a spider), and hold on! What's the 'Washing Line' method you mentioned above? The washing line method is a technique designed to let you fish an buoyant fly on the point with a team of buzzers/nymphs suspended just below the surface of the water, using a floating fly line - it hangs just as a washing line would - suspended by the floating fly line at one end and the buoyant point fly at the other. Normally when fishing with buzzers or nymphs, they would descend down through the water column slowly (which is a good way of searching to find the depth the fish are feeding at). However, the 'Washing Line' method allows you to keep all of your flies just below the surface where the trout are most likely to feed. Using this method requires you to use a much longer leader (in excess of 10'). As a general rule, use a leader of around 12' to 14' (this also makes it much easier to net the fish once you have caught it, as you will not end up with any of your flies hanging in the top ring of your rod). A good initial setup when starting out is to space your flies on short droppers (about 12" long) each one 3 feet apart - this makes it easier to cast. If you're having problems casting it, just use a buoyant point fly (like our Stillwater Dinkhamer) and two droppers. I like the sound of that, when should I use it? Always use this method when the fish are high in the water and sipping buzzers or taking the insects as they emerge. Check out the rise form of the fish, and look for a 'head and tail' rise - think of the way a dolphin breaks the water surface, first you see the head, then the dorsal fin, followed by the tail. This will be the first indication they are taking buzzers. Tight lines & have fun.

A Frespañol Creation - By José Carlos Rodríguez

A Frespañol Creation& A FREE Gift This is quite a long email, you may want to grab a brew before you start reading! Our emails take lots of planning - I always want to make sure that they are: Entertaining (hopefully), Educational; and Relevant That's why, when it comes to the planning stage (we always plan at least 6 months in advance for all our flies - due, in part, to the length of time it takes our guys to tie them!) I sit down with a pencil and a big notebook and start to jot down ideas. As you may imagine, I get through loads of pencils (if you're interested I prefer to use Blackwing pencils - quite expensive and very traditional, but I find the ideas start to flow as soon as I pick one up!). As a consequence of using a traditional wooden pencil, you need to have a good pencil sharpener handy. It was whilst using said sharpener and discovering where it was invented - down a YouTube rabbit-hole! - the idea hit me for the email you are reading now ... I'm sure that you were not aware the humble pencil sharpener was invented by a spanish guy - called Ignacio Urresti. Just like the pattern this email is concerned with - it is the product of a Spanish fly tiers imagination (José Carlos Rodríguez) devised in 2002 - he took inspiration from a Catalan nymph devised by José María Cros and a micro-nymph tied by the renowned French angler Pascal Cognard - very Frespañol. It is of course one of the most successful Autumn & Winter nymphs, a Perdigon: Our tyers have really out-done themselves with these - yes, they are some of the more expensive flies we sell - this type of quality is never cheap, but hopefully you will have the same excitement when using them as I do when I reach for my Blackwings! We've loads of info on the Perdigon below - no matter if you want to buy them from us or tie your own (with the launch of the Perdigon kit from our sister site, Feathersmith - see below). Please Note: I've also included a section at the very end of this email on how to get the best presentation when fishing with perdigon flies and a special offer for the first 30 orders placed today! SPECIAL OFFER - for today only - if you are one of the first 30 orders, we will include a 'hand-tied' (by myself) indicator leader - made from bright-red 12lb Amnesia mono - which are great to detect any subtle takes, I use these myself, they are easy to see & ultra sensitive! TL;DR - Too Long; Didn't Read I know that some of you are pressed for time and save our emails to read later in the day, by this time our selections are sometimes sold out (I get lots of emails from customers pointing this out to me). I've put this section at the beginning, so you can grab your flies now - and save reading my musings for later, safe in the knowledge that you have already secured your Perdigon nymphs. This email is all about the Perdigon nymph, a fly pattern specifically designed to sink fast, and catch fish! These flies are all tied on one of the best jig hooks available (the Hanak H450BL). In this email, we are launching our Autumn & Winter Perdigon patterns, all available in sizes 14 & 16. We are making them available as either individuals (including packs of 3 or 6), two separate selections or as a full 'Ultimate' selection. Click the button below to grab yours now: SPECIAL OFFER - for today only - if you are one of the first 30 orders, we will include a 'hand-tied' (by myself) indicator leader which you can use to detect any subtle takes - I use these myself and they are easy to see & ultra sensitive! Perdigon flies were developed in the early 2000's by Spanish fly anglers and are usually used in fast flowing rivers. These flies have tungsten bead heads and thin bodies, made of thread and tinsel. They have a very slim profile, allowing a very fast sink rate compared with classic beaded nymphs. The lighter coloured (sparkly) perdigons are ideal for both very clear or coloured water. So what makes these patterns so special? We posed that exact question to Nygren (the designer), and his reply was - "These are tied on strong Hanak wide-gape hooks, they sink quickly with very little disturbance and due to their bright bodies are perfect when fishing at less than 6ft deep - as the sunlight will 'activate' the coloured bodies. Their mass also allows you great feel through the line when fishing a single nymph - you should be able to feel the gravel on the river bed!" That was us sold on them, and we're launching to you, our fantastic email community, today. These flies have been specifically tied for fishing in the water levels and flows we experience through Autumn and Winter here in the UK and are ideal for both rivers and stillwaters. As well as the ability to buy each of the flies individually, We have three distinct selections for you to also choose from, see below (each selection is available either with or without a Tacky Double-Sided silicone fly box): Nygren's Metallic Perdigon Jig Selection £32.00 Nygren's Grayling Perdigon Jig Selection £33.00 Nygren's Ultimate Perdigon Jig Selection Sale price£81.50 As you probably know by now, we're pretty geeky when it comes to nymphs! Here's the specification for the size 14 & 16 Perdigons: Size 14: Weight: 0.35g Hook Length: 12.6mm Hook Gape: 5.3mm Tungsten Bead: 3.3mm Size 16: Weight: 0.22g Hook Length: 10.2mm Hook Gape: 4.5mm Tungsten Bead: 2.8mm Each fly has a red hot-spot tied in just before the Coq de Leon tail and is tied on a Hanak H450BL Jig Superb barbless jig hook. The colour variations we have available are: Black (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead) Copper (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead) Gold (with Gold Slotted Tungsten Bead) Light Pink (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead) Metallic Blue (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead) Metallic Green (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead) Metallic Orange (with Orange Slotted Tungsten Bead) Peacock (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead) Pearl (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead) Rainbow (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead) These are not cheap flies, but we do have something to suit all budgets, how much I hear you ask - £2.25 for each individual fly (including packs of 3 for £6 or 6 for £11.25) or £32 for each selection of 18 (The Ultimate Perdigon Jig Selection including all 36 flies and a Tacky Double-Sided fly box is £81.50), but I think you will agree that the quality is outstanding. We only have 38 of these selections for sale - they will never be produced in large numbers due to the time taken to tie/make each fly. SPECIAL OFFER - for today only - if you are one of the first 30 orders, we will include a 'hand-tied' (by myself) indicator leader - made from bright-red 12lb Amnesia mono - which are great to detect any subtle takes, I use these myself and they are easy to see & ultra sensitive! *** As always, all orders are shipped free of charge to any location within the UK *** If you would like a set, you will need to be quick off the mark! Here are a few more images to really tempt you: Go on, you know you want to! Launched Today ... The Quill Perdigon kit This eleventh in our series of kits celebrates the Perdigon - a pattern original concieved by the Spanish Fly Fishing team back in the early 2000's. Then, made popular by the French fly fishing team in competition use. The word 'Perdigon' is Spanish for "pellet" or "shot" and is very apt! This style of fly sinks like a stone. Our kit comprises of all the materials you need to tie 30 Quill Perdigons - 10 each of the most used sizes 12, 14 & 16: Our 'Hot-Spot' Quill Perdigon kit includes: Hooks: AHREX FW541 hooks (10 each of sizes #12, #14 & #16) Beads: Tungsten (Black Nickel) 3.2mm, 2.8mm & 2.4mm Wire: Solder Wire 0.3mm diameter Thread: Semperfli Classic Waxed (Black) Tail: Strung Cock Hackle (Grizzly) Body: Full Peacock Eye (Natural) Hot-Spot: Glo-Brite No. 4 Scarlet Resin: Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Pre-Tied Sample 'Hot-Spot' Quill Perdigon All of the above high-quality materials combined make a quality fly which is straightforward to tie, with full easy to follow step-by-step video instruction. Contained inside each kit is also a leaflet which will direct you to a secret page on our website where all the videos (including all of Kenan's Fly tying tutorial series) can be accessed. Our Feathersmith Quill Perdigon kit is now available for only £30. At less than £1/fly, that's great value for money. The Perdigon nymph is designed to catch fish, at depth. Therefore it is important when fishing with Perdigon nymphs to follow these few tips to make sure the presentation of the nymph is as realistic as possible. The key to fishing with any Perdigon style of fly is the make sure the fly is presented in the best way possible. Here are a few tip to allow you to get the most when fishing with this style of fly: Choose Your Water: This style of fly is particularly proficient when fishing small pocket water, i.e. lots of short runs where you need to get the fly down quickly. Fly Presentation Techniques - 1: To get the fly as deep as possible, as quickly as possible, you need to make sure the fly enters the water before your leader - to do this make sure to stop your rod tip much higher than usual. This will force the fly to enter the water first and also put the rod in the correct position to keep you in contact with the fly as soon as it enters the water. Fly Presentation Techniques - 2: For the fly to sink as quickly as possible, it needs to enter the water at its maximum velocity. To do this add a single haul to the final cast before presenting the fly - this will speed up your line and in-turn the flies entry to the water. Fly Presentation Techniques - 3: When fishing with a Perdigon, you need to present it on (or near to) the bottom, when the fly enters the water it is usually better to lead the fly through the water - keeping in contact so you can detect any takes. The speed with which you lead the fly varies depending upon the speed of the water, but I usually lead it through just slightly slower than the water is flowing. Remember, that the water on the bottom will always flow slower than the water on the surface and you need the nymph to react as normally as possible. Perdigon nymphs are generally used in the faster stretches of water, due to their slim, smooth profiles, they sink very quickly and can get to the river bed quickly. This allows you longer drifts each time you cast. However, using these flies will also allow you to fish those slower parts, which anglers usually pass by. Tight lines & have fun in the sun. P.S. Don't forget about our Special Offer - for today only: SPECIAL OFFER - for today only - if you are one of the first 30 orders, we will include a 'hand-tied' (by myself) indicator leader - made from bright-red 12lb Amnesia mono - which are great to detect any subtle takes, I use these myself and they are easy to see & ultra sensitive!

Late Season River Essentials - Late Season Fly Selection Ideas

Late Season River Essentials Fishing in September can be very challenging - adapting to the different weather conditions thrown at us - take last weekend as a perfect example: 09:00 - Bright Sunshine - I decide to venture to the river for a couple of hours later in the day (after my household chores are completed!) 15:00 - Slightly Overcast - Gear deposited in the car, quick stop at the garage for some Jelly Babies - apart from a Pork Pie, they are the perfect river snack. 15:05 - Still Overcast - Arrive at the river, setup up rod and step into waders 15:06 - Still Overcast - Looks like there's an Olive hatch in progress, tie on a JT Olive 15:10 - Getting A Bit Breezy - Step into the river and make my 1st cast 15:11 - Monsoon Conditions - Get out of the river and shelter under a tree, it's bound to pass soon. 15:45 - Still Monsoon Conditions - Half an hur later and I've finished my Jelly Babies, the river is up by about 1ft and coloured, time to head back to the car 15:50 - Bright Sunshine Again - Tie on a size 12 Endrick Spider, there's a favourite pool (just near the car) which is perfect for Euro Nymphing when the river is high. 15:51 - Still Bright Sunshine - 3 casts & 1 fish, not too bad! 15:55 - Monsoon Conditions (again) - Quick run back to the car, it turns out my waterproof jacket is not quite as waterproof as it used to be! I'm sure you have all experienced something along the same lines as the above, although I was washed off I found that by adapting to the conditions presented to me I was able to still enjoy a cast (or two) and spend some quality time besides (if not in) the river. Over the next few weeks, I will be bringing you some tried and tested fly patterns and selections, specifically for late-season trout (and early-season Grayling) fishing - we've just received some cracking patterns which I will tell you more about on Tuesday! I thought I should start today with one of the most popular selections we have available: The Late Season Selection - it covers all the most popular patterns used in September - if you were to get just one selection, this is the one! The majority of late-season success will be fishing flies sub-surface, that's the reason for our selection mainly consists of spider patterns (both weighted and unweighted) - with a really nice olive imitation included for when those afternoon hatches occur. We've also included a handy primer on Spider fishing for you to download towards the end of this email - happy clicking! The patterns included in our Late Season Selection are: We previously extolled the virtues of the Endrick Spider (which is included within this selection), so here's a rundown of a few of the other patterns included in our Late Season Selection: The JT Olive A dry fly imitation of a hatching Olive - originally devised by John Tyzack. Tied with a mole fur body, Coq de Leon tail and a sparse CdC hackle. This fly can be used in all seasons, there's nothing better than this on a warm late-season afternoon, on its own with a long tapered leader during an Olive hatch. Snipe & Purple A great sparse spider pattern for the early season. Fished on a long leader teamed up with the Waterhen Bloa & Endrick Spider, these can be deadly. Dressed in appropriate sizes and weights, the Snipe & Purple can be fished successfully throughout the late-season. Our selection contains two each, of sizes 14 & 16. As with most of our emails, we only have a limited number of these Early Season Selections available, so if our previous offerings are anything to go by, you will need to be quick off the mark! These flies are available as a selection (20 flies in total) for only £26.00 - saving you 10% on buying the flies individually. Click any button or image above to view each of these flies and the selection in much more detail. A Specialist Autumn Pattern The Sherry Spinner (or Spent Mahogany) is a pattern which comes into its own at this time of year, it's a great imitation of any spent Olive and it great when fished in the smaller sizes (size 18) later in the day. Tied on an an AHREX FW503 barbless hook with a stripped peacock herl body and Z-Lon flat/spent wings. Tied on a size 18 AHREX FW503 barbless hook with a stripped peacock herl body and Z-Lon flat/spent wings. Our Sherry Spinner features: Hook: Ahrex FW503 Size 18 Body: Stripped Peacock Herl Wings: White Z-Lon Tail: 3 Paint Brush Fibres We've just received these patterns from our Artisan guys, and the quality is outstanding. Grab your's now - while we still have them in stock! Click on the image or button below to download your FREE copy of our Spider Fishing Manifesto: FLY: Book Series - Restock The guys at the printers have been hard at work - re-printing all of the FLY: series of books that were out of stock - the good news is that we now have them all again! If you want to get a head start on the Grayling season, why not pick up our "Fishing For Grayling" book, it's great to get you started on the right foot for the Lady of the Stream. Tight lines, pack your Jelly Babies & keep dry.

It's been a warm one ... 🔆🔆🔆

It's been a warm one ... In our previous 'Artisan' email a few weeks back, I mentioned that we were the sole supplier in the UK for these fantastic flies. We have already started to receive our 2025 fly orders from them, ready for the beginning of next year's fly fishing season - it always pays to plan ahead! As a part of these pre-season orders, we had planned a 'Spring' Selection (containing 8 dry fly and 4 nymph patterns) - ideal for those warmer pre-summer months. Looking at the weather for the coming weeks, these patterns are also perfect for the conditions we will be experiencing - if the forecasters are to be believed - so rather than wait for 6 months until we let them loose on those unsuspecting trout, we're releasing them six months early, and calling them our Artisan 'Indian Summer' Selection**. ** I know the true definition of an Indian Summer is a spell of unseasonably warm weather after the first frost, but these flies will be perfect on both rivers and stillwaters until the end of the season - and I like the name! All of the flies contained within this selection are superbly tied - using top class materials and attached to AHREX barbless hooks by a master of the tying art. I'm sure you can tell the quality from the images above and below: As you will be no doubt aware this type of quality does not come cheap, these flies cost us quite a bit more than we usually buy flies in at - due to the very best quality materials and hooks - but we just couldn't resist, the quality is that good: "The highest quality flies, tied with the best materials and hooks money can buy." The last time we offered flies from this tyer the response was the best we've ever had from any of our flies, so here we present to you our Artisan 'Indian Summer' Selection: The Artisan 'Indian Summer' Selection Our Artisan 'Indian Summer' Selection consists of 24 flies, 2 each of 12 separate patterns: Dry Flies: Green Dream - Size 18 - Ahrex FW525 CdC Midge - Size 18 - Ahrex FW525 Mosquito - Size 16 - Ahrex FW503 Fluttering Little Black - Size 16 - Ahrex FW503 Fluttering Little Olive - Size 16 - Ahrex FW503 Sparkle Sedge Pupa - Size 16 - Ahrex FW541 Kayleigh - Size 16 - Ahrex FW525 Freebird - Size 18 - Ahrex FW503 Nymphs: Caddis Larva (Tan) - Size 12 - Ahrex FW511 Caddis Larva (Olive) - Size 16 - Ahrex FW541 Little Olive Stone Nymph - Size 16 - Ahrex FW531 Snowfly Stone Nymph - Size 16 - Ahrex FW531 These flies are all tied on one of the best barbless hook ranges in the business, AHREX. Please Note: 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 2 of each of the above patterns, that's 24 flies in total for a price of only £40, which is outstanding value for the quality - I know these are some of the more expensive flies we sell, but the quality has to be seen to be believed, and at only £1.66 per fly they are fantastic value. Please Note: On the product page, you also have the option to include one of the fantastic Tacky Daypack silicone fly boxes (for only £15), bringing the total for flies and a silicone box to £55. Our Artisan 'Indian Summer' Selection is very limited - we only have 40 available. Just click on any image or button in this email to view details and buy your selection. If you would like a set, you will need to be quick off the mark! Here are a few more detailed images to really tempt you: Detailed images (and specifications) of each fly contained within this specially curated selection can be found on our website, here. Go on, you know you want to! Warm Weather & Fish Welfare The majority of fishing within the UK is Catch & Release, which is the reason for the popularity of barbless flies, the hooks just fall out of the fish once they are in the net. When fishing in warmer weather, always keep the welfare of the fish at the forefront of your mind and adhere to the main Keep Fish Wet principles: Minimise Air Exposure - Just like humans, fish need oxygen to support essential bodily functions and keep them alive. What’s different is that fish get their oxygen from the water (it is dissolved), not the air. Fish respiration (“breathing”) involves moving water into their mouth and over their gills, whether by pumping it or when swimming with their mouths open. Eliminate Contact With Dry Surfaces - Fish have a layer of protective mucus (slime) and scales that protects them from disease. Contact with dry, hard, or rough surfaces (such as hands, rocks, sand, and boat bottoms) can remove slime and scales making fish more susceptible to diseases, especially fungal infections. Keeping fish in or over the water, and holding them with clean, wet hands or a soft rubber net will help keep their slime layer and scales intact and the fish disease free. Reduce Handling Time - Fish are wild animals and handling is stressful for them, whether they are in your hands or in a net. Most fish that are brought to hand are still amped up based on the release of glucose to fuel their ‘fight or flight’ response to being caught. It can take hours for a fish to physiologically return to normal once it is released. The longer you handle a fish, the more stressful it is for them, which compounds the stress associated with capture. You can read more about the ‘Keep Fish Wet’ principles here: www.keepfishwet.org Tight lines, have fun & Keep Fish Wet. P.S. We also just received a restock of our Artisan Summer Dry Selection, you can find those here:

Prime Time Fishing

Up here in our little corner of North Yorkshire, we are pretty well off for river fishing, but 'day ticket' Stillwater's are very few and far between. You would think that being a holiday town, our area would cater for those who want to escape the beaches and amusements for a couple of hours peace, casting a fly. Earlier this year that changed, with a once popular local stillwater re-opening again - now called North Yorkshire Water Park Fisheries (aka Wykeham Lakes), this is right on our doorstep - literally. TL;DR - Too Long; Didn't Read I know that some of you are pressed for time and save our emails to read later in the day, by this time our selections are sometimes sold out (I get lots of emails from customers pointing this out to me). I've put this section at the beginning, so you can grab your flies now - and save reading my musings for later, safe in the knowledge that you have already secured your Lures. This email is all about fishing in stillwaters with Lures. We've created a Taster Stillwater Lure Selection which includes the most successful patterns at this time of year - 11 flies for only £15 - click here to grab yours now. If there's a river nymph that should be in all anglers boxes in September it is the Mercury 'Hot-Head' Midge - these are perfect for all Autumn nymphing techniques. Plus - we've also given you access to download our FREE guide on how to get the best from your Lure & Streamer fishing this Autumn in both Rivers and Stillwaters - click here to download your copy. I always stop off at the lake - to see how it's fishing - needless to say it has been very difficult over the summer months (just like all small stillwaters), but with the Autumn conditions starting to bite, the fish has followed suit! If you are venturing out to your local stillwater in the next few weeks, you will need to search the water to find fish. As in the cooler months, you will have to keep moving and target the areas where the bank drops off to deeper water (or any structure in the water). Depth is key, make sure your flies are fishing at the depth the fish are (I know it sounds obvious), most anglers underestimate the depth at which their flies are fishing. To some extent not knowing the depth is not an issue – so long as you know how long you've let them sink for when you get a take. Top Tip: Count your flies down as they sink – increase the count for each cast until something happens (you have to take into account the weight of your flies and adjust accordingly – a 4mm beaded tungsten lure will sink much faster than an unweighted Woolly Bugger). At this time of year any resident Stillwater trout will be starting to feed up in readiness for the sparser months ahead, what better way to target them with an 'active' fishing method - lures. This method keeps you on the move - and keeps you warm! With that in mind, we've put together a taster selection of the most popular (and successful) lures, in sizes 10, 12 & 14, specifically for targeting those Autumn fish - as most will be more than willing to chase a fly once the water starts to cool. These Stillwater Lures are ideal for your next trip out. Top Autumn Tip: It's often quite windy at this time of year, you will also notice that most anglers like to fish with the wind at their backs (it makes their casting look good!), the only problem with this, is the wind is blowing all of the surface food to the other end of the lake! Try fishing with the wind on your left (if you're right-handed) and let the wind work your flies on the surface towards the leeward bank - you can virtually guarantee there will be fish patrolling for surface food! For more tips when fishing lures in Autumn and the cooler months, see the bottom of this email. Here we introduce to you our Stillwater Lure Taster Selection: Why Use Lures? A lure style of fly is not really imitating any specific life in the water (although some could be said to imitate small fish), they are more used to arouse the fishes interest and they take it more out of curiosity/anger. To a trout these patterns seem very much alive when any action is imparted to them - therefore these are fished quite actively. What Tactics To Use? Which technique you use depends largely on the depth of the water you are fishing: Shallow Water (< 10ft) - A floating line and long leader can be used - just remember to count down your lure and fish/retrieve it slowly. Short pulls, followed by large pauses to let the fly sink again. Deeper Water (> 10ft) - Go for an intermediate or sinking line with a short leader - this allows you to present the lure at depth and any retrieve will pull the lure parallel to the Stillwater bed. These lure patterns should be fished as close to the Stillwater bed as possible. Lures are ideal patterns to use in shallower water, close to weed beds. *** See below in this email for many more hints and tips on fishing lures in Autumn *** We only have a limited number (50) of our Lure Taster Selections, so if our previous offerings are anything to go by, you will need to be quick off the mark! In total there are 11 flies supplied in our eco-friendly. packaging. All of these flies are tied on barbless hooks, in sizes 10, 12 & 14 and available as a taster selection (5 patterns, 1 of each pattern in various sizes) for only £15, click any button or image to view the selection in more detail. Each of the patterns contained within the Taster Selection are also available to buy individually - so you can 'top-up' your boxes: *** We've only 50 of these taster selections - so if you want one you will need to be quick *** Early Autumn Nymphing These Mercury 'Hot Head' Midges we originally devised by Pat Dorsey, a fly fishing guide, writer and co-owner of The Blue Quill Angler in Colorado, USA. We've taken Pat's original design and added a vivid red 'hot head' under the small glass bead. All of these Mercury 'Hot Head' Midges are tied on AHREX FW451 barbless hooks in sizes 14 and 16, topped off with a vivid red hot-head under a 2.4mm glass bead. Our Artisan Mercury 'Hot-Head' Midge Selection includes two each of two different sizes and 4 different colour variations (Black, Pink, Purple & White) - in total there are 16 flies in the selection: The trick to the technique when fishing these is to use the heavier nymph or lure as an attractor, and then trail a smaller and more imitative nymph behind it - the theory being that the fish initially shows interest in the 'attractor' nymph but ends up taking the smaller more imitative nymph. For this method to work, the trailing nymph needs to have the following properties: Fairly imitative, Lightweight, Have a uniform weight distribution - so they don't sink head-first; and Incorporate some form of trigger point We now have our Mercury 'Hot-Head' Midges back in stock again - all ready for the Autumn sport. How to Fish Lures When fishing lures it's all about control and your connection with the fly. A shorter leader helps you keep better control of the lure at depth and control how it fishes. When using sinking lines, start with a level piece of mono 3 to 4 feet long - when in doubt, go shorter. There are 2 main types of retrieve employed when lure fishing: the strip-pause-strip retrieve (do exactly what it says on the tin) and the swing (cast out, let it sink and let any water movement take the fly - always keep in touch by retrieving any slack line). Just remember to keep in touch with the lure, slow down any movement and try to impart some action into it as the fly moves in the water. Tippet & Knots When fishing lures the main difference is the way the fish takes the fly - savagely! This means tippets and knots need to be up to the job. You shouldn't be using any 5X or 6X tippets here - this calls for the big boys. The lightest tippet material you should use is 4X. If you’re fishing a larger Stillwater that has a bit of current and larger fish, it makes sense to step up to 2X. This allows for the strength of the water and the savage strikes that generally happen when the fish takes your fly. When using larger tippet diameters it is even more important to get your knots tied correctly and securely. Knots typically used to tie a lure to the tippet are: Orvis Knot Uni Knot Non-Slip Loop Knot The first two are basic knots that can be used for any fly fishing scenario (with the Orvis Knot being the simplest and quickest to tie). The Non-Slip Loop Knot is ideally suited for lure fishing as the lure is secured using a loop - where it is free to move and more movement can be imparted to it. FREE Lure & Streamer Download Tight lines & keep warm! P.S. Don't forget the Daddies & Hoppers - they are the go-to flies right now on both Rivers and Stillwaters (especially if there is a wind blowing): Daddy Selection £22.00 Hopper Selection £20.00 £22.00

A Summer Fly Fishing Day Barbless Flies

On my local small stream (The Yorkshire Derwent), it's been quite hard fishing of late, especially with the recent spell of hot weather and the lower water levels we are seeing in North Yorkshire. Even with the low 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 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 are working at the moment? In this email I'm going to share with you the patterns which I have had personal success with over the last couple of weeks, and point you towards some which should be a staple of your Summer fly box in the coming weeks. Mornings Let's start with the basics, flies which will catch fish virtually anywhere (and at any time of day) and really come into their own during August - Gnat's & Midges: I was using the Black/White Midge Pupa nymph up until around lunchtime (or when I started to see clouds of flies above the water), then I swapped to the CdC Midge and RS2 Midge patterns - drifted under the swarms to great effect. Our Gnat & Midge Match The Hatch (MTH) Selection will help you throughout the summer season, Gnats and Midges are generally the most common flies on the water throughout the summer months, and with this selection we have you covered for all of their lifecycle stages: Black/White Midge Pupa - tied on an Ahrex FW501 - Size 18 Black Gnat - tied on an Ahrex FW503 - Size 18 CdC Midge - tied on an Ahrex FW525 - Size 18 RS2 Black Midge - tied on an Ahrex FW503 - Size 18 Please Note: Each of the flies contained within our "Match The Hatch" Selection above can also be bought individually - just click on the relevant link above. The CdC Midge is a fantastic and very versatile pattern, if you want it to act as an emerger, just apply a gel floatant to the tips of the CdC, whereas to fish it as a high floating dry fly, apply a powdered floatant to the whole fly. Afternoons Following on from the Midges, as the afternoons were drawing to a close I switched over to a few CdC emerger patterns from our Shuttlecock CdC Emerger Selection: The patterns I had the most success with from this selection were the Micro CdC Emerger and the Holo-Butt CdC Emerger - in sizes 18 and 16 respectively. I also had some real success yesterday with a couple of the Bosnia Balon Loop-Winged Emergers - so if you were lucky enough to grab some when we had them, now's the time to get them deployed! The patterns I had the most success with from this selection were the Micro CdC Emerger and the Holo-Butt CdC Emerger - in sizes 18 and 16 respectively - I only applied floatant to the CdC above the eye of the hook. Evenings As the day started to draw to a close, I would always try to make sure I was on the river for the fabled evening rise. Sometimes it never really seemed to get going, with only a few splashy rises, but at other times the water came alive at around 9pm and fish were taking all around me. My most successful patterns at this time of day were all from our "Easy To See" Selection - as the dusk started to form, each of the patterns really stood out against the dark water and takes were really easy to spot - just as the name suggests! The patterns I had the most success with from this selection were the Black Magic Klinkhamer and the Greased Lightening - both size 14. One interesting thing of note was that the Greased Lightening seemed to be the only pattern which brought the juvenile Grayling up from the depths - you had to be really quick with the strike to make contact with one though! Please Note: All orders from our website now qualify for FREE Delivery to anywhere within the UK, just pop some flies in your basket and proceed to the checkout where you will see the FREE Delivery option, if you can order before 1pm you flies will be shipped on the very same day! Go on, you know you want to! Take advantage of the Low Water If you are a keen Grayling angler, then now is the time to survey the river you fish. If you regularly fish the same stretch for Grayling, now is your best chance, whilst the river bed is exposed, to take a look and note where the contours, deep holes and drop-offs are, and spot the likely fish holding places. This information will come in really useful when the water levels rise again and the Grayling season starts in anger. Tight lines & make the most of these longer fishing days.

Knock ... Knock ... Who's There? - A Bloke With a Another Box Full Of Stunning Flies

I love this time of year ... Don't get me wrong - the summer is great, but not that conducive to fishing. As soon as September rolls around it means the start of some really good fishing on my local waters - the temperature is usually just about right, the days not too bright and the fish are (usually) eager to look up. So it's the perfect time to get your last 'dry fly fix' before the season all too quickly draws to a close and we start plumbing the depths for Grayling! This time of year is a little like Christmas for us here at Barbless Flies HQ - with delivery vans queuing up, and guess what ... We've had another package arrive ... And, we've a Very Special set of flies available to you today, specifically for fishing in Autumn: On opening our Artisan tyers latest package it was once again full of the best quality flies I've seen in a very very long time - well, since the last package they sent us in July! I'm sure you can tell from the image above that these flies had been tied with the best quality materials (Semperfli, AHREX, Whiting etc.). Flies from this specialist tyer were so warmly received the last time we offered them, we just had to get some more patterns, ready for the best that autumn fishing can bring us. As you will be no doubt aware this type of quality does not come cheap, these flies cost us quite a bit more than we usually buy flies in at - but we just couldn't resist, the quality is so high: "The highest quality flies, tied with the best materials and hooks money can buy." The last time we offered flies from this tyer the response was the best we've ever had for any of our flies, so we've heavily invested and commissioned this Artisan Autumn Dry Selection: The Artisan Autumn Dry Fly Selection Our Artisan Autumn Dry Fly Selection consists of 16 flies, 2 each of 8 separate patterns: Deguello Black/Chartreuse - AHREX FW503 size 14 Deguello Black/Grey - AHREX FW503 size 14 Deguello Yellow/Brown - AHREX FW503 size 14 Dyret Tan - AHREX FW503 size 16 Spent Caddis - AHREX FW503 size 14 Last Chance Cripple Midge - AHREX FW503 size 18 Elk-Hair Caddis (Tan) - AHREX FW503 size 14 CdC Shuttlecock Midge - AHREX FW503 size 18 These flies are all tied on one of the best hook ranges in the business, AHREX. Please Note: 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 2 of each of the above patterns, that's 16 flies in total for a price of only £30, outstanding value for the quality - I know these are some of the more expensive flies we sell, but the quality has to be seen to be believed. Please Note: On the product page, you also have the option to include one of our Tacky Day Pack silicone fly boxes (for only £15 - RRP £19.99), bringing the total for flies and a Tacky Day Pack box to £45. Our Artisan Autumn Dry Fly Selection is very limited - we only have 40 available. Just click on any image or button in this email to view details and buy your selection. If you would like a set, you will need to be quick off the mark! Here are a few more detailed images to really tempt you: Detailed images (and specifications) of each fly contained within this specially curated selection can be found on our website, here. Go on, you know you want to! Tight lines & have fun. P.S. The delivery contained more than just one set of flies, watch this space ... P.P.S. If you would like our Artisan Indian Summer Selection - perfect for those warmer Autumn days, you can find those here:

Innovative Scuds

The Bacchus Bug Selection

Barbless. Clothing