2wheels1rod

A fly designed to represent "any of the black stuff that appears from time to time on the river

You may remember from Tuesday's email that we had quite a few flies arrive with us earlier this week. We we really excited to receive three of our most popular patterns for this time of year (September & October) - The Endrick Spider, Ginger Tom v2.0 & The Milroy. I will give you an in-depth look at each of these patterns - they are perfect for this time of year, so grab yours while you can before we run out again (it's the first time we have had The Milroy back in stock for nearly 2 years - we had a very large waiting list for them and lots have gone out already)! For those of you who are short of time ... 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 chosen flies. This email is all about the restocking of three of our mosts popular fly patterns at this time of year: The Endrick Spider - click here to grab you selection for only £15 The Ginger Tom v2.0 - click here to grab your selection for only £15 ; and The Milroy - click here to grab your selection for only £12.50 Grab yours today, before we run out again! Let's start with the one we get asked about most - The Endrick Spider: The Endrick Spider This fly pattern was originally devised by John Harwood, and used extensively in the larger sizes on the river Endrick (hence the name) to tempt Salmon and Sea Trout. Most anglers now recognise this pattern in the smaller trout sizes, it is a fantastic pattern to use in September and October, either as a part of a team (used as the point fly on a Spider rig) or as a single nymph to explore pocket water. Here we present our Endrick Spider Selection, the selection contains three each of sizes 12, 14, 16 & 18 - all tied on strong barbless hooks. As we're pretty anal about our nymphs, we've even weighed them: The Endrick Spider in a size 12 weighs 0.15g The Endrick Spider in a size 14 weighs 0.11g The Endrick Spider in a size 16 weighs 0.09g This Endrick Spider in a size 18 weighs 0.07g That's a total of 12 Endrick Spider's at a heavily discounted price of only £15.00 (bought individually these would be £18.00), supplied in our eco-friendly packaging and includes FREE delivery. Next up on the fly pattern conveyor belt (there's a Generation Game reference for you) is: The Ginger Tom v2.0 Originally designed as a fly pattern to tempt Grayling, I've always found that the version of the Ginger Tom that we supply works wonders for trout, I've never personally found it as successful for Grayling - especially on the coloured waters we have up here in North Yorkshire. So, one day early in the Summer I set about refining it (very slightly) for our more northern river conditions ... For me, I always prefer fishing Grayling nymphs on a jig hook - so that was the first change. The next change was to try and make the fly stand out a little more in coloured water - so I added some ginger flash to the body material, and "Hey Presto", we have the Ginger Tom v2.0 ... The original Ginger Tom was devised by Steve Skuce (and featured in his excellent book - Grayling Flies - do get a copy if you've even a passing interest in The Lady of the Stream. I don't know Steve (and to my knowledge have never met him) but he certainly knows his subject - in this case Grayling flies. In coloured water, they were (as Steve says in his book) "sheer magic". Last week I even caught a Grayling on one where I never even thought they existed - I was only testing the fly out to check how fast it sank and a fish took it near my feet - and no, I didn't land it as my line was wrapped around my leg at the time! We've just received more of the finished pattern from our tyers in all the usual sizes (12 to 18), so our shelves are now groaning under their (tungsten) weight - and they're all looking for a new home. So here it is - our Ginger Tom v2.0 Selection (and best of all, they're only £15 for the full set of 12): Our Ginger Tom v2.0 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 v2.0's in this selection). As we're pretty anal about our nymphs, we've even weighed them: The Ginger Tom v2.0 in a size 12 weighs 0.44g This Ginger Tom v2.0 in a size 14 weighs 0.30g This Ginger Tom v2.0 in a size 16 weighs 0.25g This Ginger Tom v2.0 in a size 18 weighs 0.17g That's a total of 12 Ginger Tom v2.0 tungsten jigs at a heavily discounted price of only £15.00 (bought individually these would be £19.80), supplied in our eco-friendly packaging and includes FREE delivery. *** I've already got mine safely stashed away in my fly box, otherwise, we would have had more! *** And finally, there's the pattern which all 'late-season' anglers have been asking for: The Milroy This is another fly courtesy of Steve's wonderful book on Grayling Flies - and this is a dry fly which works just as well with those late-season trout. Originally devised and developed by Lee Hooper on the River Wylye in Wiltshire, it was tied to represent: "any of the black stuff that appears from time to time on the river" Our Milroy Selection contains three each of sizes 14, 16 & 18 - all tied on the correct fine-wire dry fly hooks. That's a total of 9 Milroy dry flies at a discounted price of only £12.50 (bought individually these would be £13.50), supplied in our eco-friendly packaging and includes FREE delivery. Get out there and have some late-Summer fun.

Our man in Bosnia has been on the tools again ...

Our 'man in Bosnia' has been at it again - with some more very tempting nymphs - especially tied for success in September and October. We try to plan all of our fly selection at least 3 months in advance, when asked what we were planning for the end of the river trout season, we wanted to do something a little different, so we asked him to surprise us and tie something which he would use himself on rivers and stillwaters, for Trout, Grayling and Softmouth Trout in Bosnia. His reply was "I will tie you a few specialist nymph patterns, which are the first I try on any waters in September and October, they're called a Fazanov nymph" - this had us intrigued, we had no photos to go on, so we trusted his judgement and said, "go for it". The first time we saw these was when they were delivered to us on Tuesday. It's safe to say we were very (very) impressed! Check out these Bosnian bad boys ... *No, that's not a bead - it's a small unweighted nymph - called a Fazanov. These Fazanov nymphs (Fazanov is Bosnian for Pheasant) are tied to exacting standards, are unweighted and include a small bead of coloured UV resin at the head and a Coq de Leon split tail. I asked 'our man in Bosnia' what makes them so special, and he replied with: "These flies are tied on the correct hook (AHREX FW505), in the correct size (size 18 - see below for specifications) and perfectly weighted to not only imitate ascending nymphs - like all other nymph patterns - but these catch the majority of fish when they are descending through the water column, they don't dive headfirst (like a beaded fly), they gently fall through the water which is much more lifelike" The specialist hook used is the AHREX Short Shank Barbless Dry hook: Hook Size: 18 Hook Length: 8.28mm Hook Gape: 3.60mm Wire Diameter: 0.45mm Finish: Blak Nickel Our Bosnian Fazanov Nymph Selection contains 12 nymphs (4 different colours, 3 of each all tied on AHREX FW505 barbless hooks in a size 18). As we've only got 50 of these Bosnian Fazanov Nymph Selections available, I'll get straight down to the offer: SPECIAL OFFER, FOR TODAY ONLY: Buy 1 Selection of Bosnian Fazanov Nymphs for £24; or Buy 2 Selections for only £42. No discount codes, just add two Bosnian Fazanov Nymph Selections to your basket and the discount is applied automatically. To view or buy our Bosnian Fazanov Nymph Selection, just click on any image or button contained within this email. REMEMBER: If you order before 1pm and choose our 1st Class Tracked option at the checkout your order will arrive the very next day - assuming you're in the UK of course! Keep reading for more info and detailed images of the nymphs - you'll be glad you did ... we've also got a nice tip & video at the very bottom of this email from a French nymphing master on how to build your own Nymphing Indicator Leader. As you can see, these Fazanov nymphs look very 'buggy' when wet: So what nymphs are best for tempting those later season trout (and early grayling)? Usually, trout look to nymphs when feeding in the later season/colder water as the dry fly action tends to dramatically reduce as the water temperature cools. These smaller nymphs have been tied to fish as naturally as possible, with the UV resin adding a small amount of weight - keeping your nymph where it needs to be. Late-season nymph fishing is more about finding the fish, so it's important to keep on the move and only pass your nymphs through a lane a couple of times (see below) - if there's a fish there they will usually take it straight away. Top Tip: if you are fishing in coloured water, use the Fluorescent Green or Orange Fazanov Nymph. Generally, the water levels in September are starting to rise, so we've also added a small amount of coloured UV resin to the superb AHREX FW505 Short Shank barbless hook to create a hot-spot trigger point, but also to add a small amount of weight. This selection of Fazanov nymphs includes 4 different colours, 3 each of the following: Fluoro Green Fazanov Nymph (Raidzap Flex Fl. Green) Fluoro Pink Fazanov Nymph (Raidzap Flex Fl. Pink) Fluoro Orange Fazanov Nymph (Raidzap Flex Fl. Orange) Black Fazanov Nymph (Raidzap Black Widow) These specialist Trout & Grayling nymphs are all tied on Size 18 AHREX FW505 Short Shank barbless hooks. Please Remember: Our special offer on these will close at midnight tonight - 1 set for £24, or 2 sets for £42. We've only 50 of these selections available, so if you want a set, you will need to be quick - Our Bosnian flies always sell out within a few hours of being released! Go on, treat yourself - you know you want to - at £24 for the selection, these will not hang around for long! With the majority of fishing in the latter months taking place under the water surface, nymphing is the obvious choice. But I often get calls from customers asking how best to detect bites/takes when you cannot see the fly, I personally find that the using a bi-coloured indicator is by far the best option. Let the nymphing maestro that is Stan Freyheit - he of Ceramic Nymphs fame - show you have to build your own French Nymphing Indicator leader. These are perfect for fishing the Fazanov nymphs: It’s important to note that when nymphing, you have to be quite methodical and logical when fishing the river. I’ve always found the best way to do it is to imagine the river is split up into a number of lanes (just like a motorway): Always fish the lane closest to you first from the bank before wading into the river (you’ll be amazed at how many fish you catch that you would have just waded through!). Once you have fished that lane, step into the river and fish the next lane out. Then repeat (assuming it’s safe to wade into the middle of the river). Once you have fished the width of the river as best you can, carefully wade back to your starting point and take a step up stream and repeat the whole process again. It’s always better to cast into each lane quite a few times and let the nymph(s) do their work, generally though if there’s a fish around it will take the nymph within the first couple of drifts. Tight lines & improve your nymphing skills this weekend.

Plans Change & A Barbless Birthday 🎂🎂🎂

As fly anglers, we have to learn to adapt and like any good business we have to be pretty nimble and adapt to changes happening all around us. Here at Barbless Flies we generally plan our emails at least two months in advance - it's the only way we can make sure we provide content that's relevant, interesting and hopefully sometimes amusing. Take this week as a case in point - We were all ready to showcase some of our smaller Summer-specific patterns - Green Dream, Sparkle Pupa etc., which are ideal for late Summer conditions on both rivers and stillwaters - when up popped our local weatherman and told the population that we'd be needing jumpers rather than suncream this week. That put a spanner in the works ... We always pride ourselves on providing info that is up-to-date, accurate and at just the right time. So we've jiggled things around a little and today's missive is all about how to get the best from these unseasonable conditions. The best way to tackle these 'Indian Spring' conditions is to approach it as if it were actually Spring - the same insects will be making a re-appearance (Blue-Winged Olives & Iron Blues, March Browns etc.): Your 'Indian Spring' line of attack should be with similar flies, using similar techniques to that of the Early Season and fly presentation is key. To me, the presentation of the fly is the most important aspect of fly fishing. The presentation of the fly means different things depending on what stage of the life cycle you are aiming to imitate. If you are fishing nymphs or spiders, presentation means that you need to be presenting your fly at the right depth of water where the nymphs are actually swimming. When fishing dry flies, you need to present the fly so that it moves around naturally in the different currents on the surface of the water. Remember - an incorrect imitation well presented will more than likely catch, whereas a perfect imitation presented badly will not. The majority of late-season success will be sub-surface in the mornings and then dry fly from noon onwards, that's the reason our 'Match The Hatch' selection have been so popular since we launched them - they include the full lifecycle, nymphs, emergers, dries and spinners/spent. As it's my birthday today, I've a special offer for you on our most popular 'Match The Hatch' selections which are perfect for the coming weeks. The first 20 orders for each of the 'Match The Hatch' selections will get a 20% discount on each set: Match The Hatch Selection - Blue-Winged Olive £20.00 Regular price £25.00 Match The Hatch Selection - Iron Blue £20.00 Regular price £25.00 As a reminder, each of our Match The Hatch Selections contain: 15 Flies - Three flies for each of the five main lifecycle stages we are trying to imitate for the Blue-Winged Olive. Full Insect Information - Access to a hidden webpage which provides information on the Blue-Winged Olive, it also outlines in detail each of the patterns supplied, giving information on when and how to use them. Luxurious Presentation Box - Each of our Match The Hatch fly selections is delivered in a luxurious presentation box - the ideal gift? *** That's right - A Special Offer on flies you actually want, are in season and will catch you fish now! *** Your 'Match The Hatch' Primer The more successful anglers are the ones who can successfully translate what is happening around them to tactics when on the water (be it Rivers or Stillwaters), a major part of that is deciding which fly to present to the fish. This is where matching the hatch comes into play - where possible, you should always try to offer up an imitation which closely resembles the insects the fish are expecting to see at the time - hence 'Matching The Hatch'. We wanted to be a little different and add much more value ... In each of our Match The Hatch Selections we have included a QR code (which you scan with your phone/tablet), this takes you to a hidden page on our website which is dedicated to the selection of flies you have just bought, for example: On this page (sample above), you will find lots of information on the insect you are trying to match - how to identify it etc, a list of all the flies contained within the selection - including hints and tips on when, where and how you fish each one of them. Over the past few months we have worked very closely with our Artisan Fly Designers and produced a full range of 'Match The Hatch' Selections - all tied with the highest quality materials on the best quality hooks available (AHREX). Each of our 'Match The Hatch' selections contains patterns which cover the full lifecycle of the insect in question (Nymph, Emerger, Dun, Spinner etc). We've also presented them in a really nice box, pretty neat eh ... As I mentioned above,this was a bit of a last minute substitute to our previously scheduled email - I'm sure the weather will revert to type next week, and regular service will be resumed + we've a very special Bosnian set of flies we are releasing on Thursday, they are being delivered to us today and I'm fishing with them tonight - so stay tuned! Tight lines, don't forget your thermals and enjoy the outdoors.

New Age' Thinking - No, I'm Not Going To Read Your Chakras 🧘‍♂️ 🧘‍♀️

Thinking Time ... It's at this time of year that we start to plan our 'big' activities for next year - we always try to do at least one thing each year which scares us! We love to navigate uncharted territories and go outside of our comfort zone - after all it would be really easy for us to just keep selling the same flies year after year - but where's the fun in that. Some ideas work well, and some don't, but we use each as a learning experience. To work out what these ideas are requires some serious thinking time ... I've always found that a trip to the water (be it either a river or stillwater) really lets my thoughts percolate (just like a good coffee - more of that in a future email) and bring to the fore those that need more attention. Contact with the natural environment is proven to be very good for your mind, health and spirit. I don't want to get all 'New Age' on you and start reading your chakras - but I do believe there's a bit of the 'zen factor' involved. Fly fishing is basically meditation in motion. You're out there in nature, with the sound of the water flowing by, the rustling of the trees, not a Wi-Fi signal in sight. The simple, rhythmic act of casting a line over and over again becomes a kind of moving meditation. It's a perfect way to clear your mind, focus on the present (or future), and let go of whatever's been bugging you—whether it's work stress, that long to-do list, or even the fact that you've somehow watched everything on Netflix. Plus, there’s something undeniably peaceful about standing in water, trying to outsmart a fish who has no idea it’s part of your therapy session. Interlude: Please read right to the end of this email, as we have an update on a great cause which we are supporting this year - Reel Recovery - which fits right in with all the above mind, body & soul thinking. If I were to select just one item of equipment that I think has rekindled my 'inner zen' it’s the use of a silk line - I’ve found nothing better for presenting small flies on long light leaders - I also regularly 'blank' so it's the perfect excuse to just enjoy the art of casting! Don't think that to get the best out of a silk line you need a cane rod - just try one on a medium action carbon rod - or better still a glass rod - there really is nothing better. We've just received a parcel here @ Barbless Flies HQ - direct from Ian in Sheffield and it's full of his silk fly lines - we've now got these stunning full-length silk lines in the most popular weights (DT3, DT4, DT4/5, DT5, DT6, DT6/7 and DT7) and colours Straw, Light Green, Dark Green, Navy Blue & Dark Red. Each of our Silk lines are sent in a handy box (to keep them in when not on the reel), a pot of floatant grease, a microfibre cloth (to clean/help dry them) and full line care instructions. These lines are made in the UK (in Sheffield, Yorkshire), by Ian Moxon and are great value for money, these fully finished lines are now available for immediate delivery, and from only £89.99 - which for a silk line is outstanding value. *** We've only 2 or 3 of each weight of line - and no more stock arriving until next year, so if you would like one, grab yours now *** Please Note: We do realise that silk lines may be very new to some of you, and you will have some questions. Please either reply to this email, or give me a call on 0330 66 00 587 and I will answer them as best I can. Reel Recovery is an innovative non-profit organisation - spearheaded by Michael Sayers in the UK - it uses FREE Fly Fishing retreats to improve the lives of men with cancer. In the outdoors you can find troubles drifting, peace and serenity in nature, the power of friendship with a fishing buddy and sharing the day's adventures. Reel Recovery was originally established in the USA over 20 years ago and has helped more than 4,500 men living with cancer. This September, for the first time, Reel Recovery are hosting a weekend fly-fishing retreat in Northumberland - this will be the springboard to launch the program across the UK. Reel Recovery’s 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. Retreats are offered at no cost to the participants and are led by professional facilitators and expert fly-fishing instructors. Reel Recovery provides all meals, lodging and fly-fishing equipment, and no previous fishing experience is required. We (Barbless Flies) have agreed to help support Michael and the participants with anything they need. We've already donated all the flies, marketing materials and anything else Michael has asked for. A project like this is not something which can be achieved on your own, so we'd love a little help from our loyal community ... To help Michael establish the Reel Recovery program within the UK we'd like you to consider making a small donation via their Just Giving‌ page, you can find out more by clicking the button below: Don't keep the benefits of fly fishing a secret, let's help others experience what we sometimes take for granted! For much more information about Reel Recovery you can visit their website - https://www.reelrecovery.org Tight (silk) lines.

Easy .. Easy .. Easy - Big Daddies & Giant Haystacks

It tuns out that it's not quite Easy ... Easy ... Easy ... I send a variation of this email out at this time every year - it's one of my favourites - this one includes a new daddy pattern for us, to say 'it works' is an understatement... Easy ... Easy ... Easy It's time to deploy the big daddies ... I'm sure you can remember sitting around the TV on a Saturday lunchtime with the dulcet tones of Kent Walton ringing in your ears! These images and sounds came flooding back to me just the other day when I spotted a local newspaper article showcasing some of the 'sporting' heritage of our local town (Scarborough) - that led me to think of the legendary bouts between Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks (and my personal favourite Kendo Nagasaki - whatever happened to him?). I was looking for a way of framing this email - which is all about the Daddy Long Legs - and bingo (another local favourite) the idea hit me! So forgive the cheesy nature of this but ... Now we are nearly into September and the haystacks have started to grow it's time for the daddies to appear - I'm sure you've already begun to see them bumping into the windows around your house. Daddies (and Hoppers) are your main line of attack on both Stillwaters and Rivers at this time of year (late Summer and early Autumn). Both daddies and hoppers are tied in very similar styles - with long gangly legs tied facing backwards and long buoyant bodies. Generally seen from mid-August through to late October, Daddy Longlegs (the Crane fly, or to give it its latin family name Tipulidae) 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 is always blown onto the water. The legs on these flies seem to act as a trigger to the fish (especially when twitched). A NEW Daddy Pattern Daddy Longlegs patterns are usually tied on size 10 or 12 barbless hooks with a slender hackle, this allows them to create a wake on the surface when retrieved - again another trigger point the fish home into. Late last year, just as the trout season was closing, I was sent a NEW Daddy Long Legs pattern to try - apparently, it had been cleaning up on the reservoirs and smaller stillwaters, but I wanted to give it a go on a river, to see if it would be equally successful. It was ... This new pattern is a crossover between one of our most popular flies, the Dinkhamer, and a Daddy Longlegs ... introducing the Daddy Dinkhamer: I was finding that on even the worst of conditions, this fly - teamed up with a standard Hare's Ear nymph tied to the dropper ring on the fly was tempting fish from all stretches of my local river - even the ones I would regularly walk past assuming that they were devoid of fish! For the whole of last September, I was hooked on this pattern, and I knew that we must get stock of them for our 2024 'Daddy Season' - well, we've just received them from our 'artisan' fly supplier and the tyings are superb, all tied on the highest quality Ahrex FW501 size 10 hooks and use a 9mm Hi-Viz orange foam post. To give you the best possible value, we've decided to offer these Daddies in three different quantities: Individually - for £2.05 each Pack of 6 - for £10.50 (equivalent to £1.75 each) Pack of 12 - for £18.00 (equivalent to only £1.50 each) Click on any image or button above to view this stunning fly in more detail and choose your pack quantity. The standard and quality of these Daddies is that high, we've added them to our range of 'Artisan' flies - much more info about those on Thursday! We do have quite a few of these and we're expecting them to sell out very quickly, so if you would like some you will need to be quick! Or, Go The Whole (Daddy)Hog ... Why not treat yourself to our Barbless Daddy Long Legs selection, a selection of 16 barbless daddies. The Daddy Long Legs (or crane fly) are land-dwelling insects that are regularly blown onto rivers and stillwaters, where the trout devour them aggressively. The patterns included in our selection are: The DaddyHog - A twist on the classic Daddy Long Legs pattern. This is tied with an Elk Hair wing, black thread body (wrapped in silver wire) and detached tan foam abdomen. This selection contains 2 each of sizes 10 and 12. Aero Daddy - A more aerodynamically tied Daddy Long Legs. Tied with a black foam body, short wings and swept-back knotted pheasant tail legs. This selection contains 2 each of sizes 10 and 12. Orange Daddy - The classic Daddy Long Legs pattern, tied with an orange foam body, knotted pheasant tail legs and a short hackle. This selection contains 2 each of sizes 10 and 12. Yellow Daddy - The classic Daddy Long Legs pattern, tied with a yellow foam body, knotted pheasant tail legs and a short hackle. This selection contains 2 each of sizes 10 and 12. Our Barbless Daddy Long Legs Selection, containing 16 flies is available as a selection for only £22, including free delivery. We only have around 30 of these selections remaining, so if you would like one you will need to be quick! *** Go on, you know you want to! *** More Gangly Daddies ... If you're looking for some daddies which are a little more conventional, then the two below have been our bestsellers for the past three years (the Deadly Daddy & the DaddyPillar) - we can never get enough stock of these - we've around 50 of each remaining - grab your's while you still can: Deadly Daddy £1.95 This daddy is specifically tied so the legs splay out sideways, not as streamlined - but much more realistic. DaddyPillar £1.95 A very buoyant favourite on both Stillwaters and Rivers. Tied on a size 10 barbless hook. When Daddy Long Legs are hatching in the area, use these flies with a slightly heavier/stiffer 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 are also surprisingly effective when fished as a wet fly, so don't be too quick to keep these flies dry, once they are 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, giving them a big twitch every now and then, don't worry about any drag (you want these flies to move across the current where possible) and hold on! Tight lines & enjoy it.

That Post-Mayfly Lull - How To Tackle It

Small(er) Flies = Summer Success Now that the Mayfly season is starting to peter out (well at least in southern parts). I wanted to try and get us ready for the more challenging part of the season - the post-Mayfly lull. This part of the season usually sees the fish quite languid - full of Mayfly and very lethargic (at least for a couple of weeks). In this missive, I'm going to give you what is, hopefully, a good grounding on how to approach these conditions, and that is by using - small(er) flies. Also, we have just received a NEW Match The Hatch Selection - we've a Special Offer for you - and a superb NEW fly box from the guys at Tacky (Fishpond) over in the USA, ideal for storing the smaller flies in your collection. P.S. This email is going to be quite long, so you might want to grab a brew before you start reading! - if you want to grab the offer now and save reading the email until later ... 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 usually 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 'Match The Hatch' fly selection. This email is all about fishing with small(er) flies - specifically gnats and midges, insects which the fish will switch on to in the very near future. In this email, we are launching our Gnat & Midge Match The Hatch Selection - a boxed selection of 12 flies, 3 of each of the four most successful patterns used when imitating Gnat's, Midges and a whole host of smaller flies. All the included patterns are tied using the very best quality materials on the best hooks available - AHREX. We also give you access to all the hatch information, pattern information and watercraft specific to fishing Gnats & Midges - all this for only £20. Plus - for today only - if you add in our "Small Streams & Small Flies" book, you will receive it at half price (only £4.99). I've no doubt that we've all seen swarms of midges above the surface of the water - especially when there are sunlit pools. Low water levels and spooky fish means using small flies. Some waters are not as full of nutrients as others, it’s these which tend to fish better using smaller flies, due in part to the fact the water cannot sustain the natural production of the larger specimens. In these waters trout can still flourish, they just alter the way they feed. Instead of selectively taking insects as and when they please (as insects are in abundance on the more nutrient rich waters), the trout in less rich waters are more opportunistic feeders. This is where the small, imitative fly is king. In essence: small(er) flies = lighter tippet = longer leaders = softer rods The remainder of this email will take the above and hopefully shed a little light on each. Small(er) Flies When you encounter low water it's time to turn to the smaller flies in your box - when I say small, I am referring to flies which are size 18 and smaller. It is the one piece of tackle that the fish sees and makes their decision on to eat or not. The most important part of a fly is without doubt the hook, even more so when we are using very small hooks. It is important when choosing small flies to look at the gape of the hook (i.e. the distance between the hook point and the body of the hook), make sure that the tied fly still has plenty of room between the body and the hook point, if there is hardly any room between the body of the fly and the point it will make it very difficult to hook a fish. Generally, the hooks which are sized at 18 and smaller all are ‘wide gape’ - like these in our NEW Gnat & Midge Match The Hatch Selection. Often, the reason small flies are dismissed by anglers is that they have trouble seeing them, there are a few remedies for this: For most dry fly angling it is not a necessity to actually see the fly, generally you will have a rough idea of where the fly is, if you see a rise, just lift into it – 9 times out of 10 it will be to your fly! If you do want to know where your fly is, either use a small fly with a hi-vis sighter post, or use the ‘Double Dry’ technique, where you use a visible dry fly and then tie a smaller dry fly from the eye of the hook on a long dropper – just like the klink n dink method, but using 2 dry flies. Having a selection of small flies (both nymphs and dries) is essential when fishing through July and into early September. We've got you covered with all the smaller flies you will need for the whole summer in our limited run "Match The Hatch" Selection of Gnats & Midges: During the summer months it is essential that you start to fish with smaller and more representative flies. Our NEW Match The Hatch Selection is a set of 12 flies (both nymphs and dry flies) which represent all the smaller insects you will find on, and in, the water during the summer - including access to our 'Match The Hatch' hidden webpage showing you how to get the best from your selection of flies, all this for only £20.00. See the very end of this email for a 'Today Only' Special Offer with this selection of flies. *** We only have a limited supply of this Match The Hatch Selection - with no more arriving this year! If you would like a set, you will need to be pretty quick off the mark *** Light Tippet Because the hooks on smaller flies are really small - with small eyes, your standard tippet might not thread through the eye - you will need something that is around 0.10mm in diameter. But don't worry, we have you covered. Both of our RIO Powerflex & Suppleflex tippets are available in 7X (0.102mm): RIO Powerflex Tippet only £5.99 RIO Suppleflex Tippet only £5.99 The difference between Powerflex & Suppleflex tippet materials are in their uses, if you mainly fish with dry flies, choose Suppleflex - it, as it's name suggests, is more supple and presents a dry fly beautifully. If you want something a little stiffer, opt for the Powerflex variant. TOP TIP: When trying to thread your tippet to a small fly, try cutting the tippet at a 45-degree angle, it makes it much easier to get the tippet into the eye of the hook. Longer Leaders If you've already downloaded your copy of the Small Fly Manifesto (which we emailed out last year), then you will have already seen the leader recipes for various long & light setups to tie yourself. Here's the best one for fishing really small flies: To the 6X at the end of the above, just add in a couple of feet of the 7X tippet and you're good to go. However you decide to create your leader, the one thing above anything else which will increase your catch rate is the length! When fishing small flies, on low rivers you need to make your leader as long as you can possibly get away with. It is not uncommon for hardly any fly line to be outside of the rod tip and just the leader is cast. Softer Actioned Rods When fishing with light tippet, you need a rod which has a much softer action than your regular carbon rod, this is how you can land much bigger fish on really light tippet. You need to ensure that your whole system - fly, tippet, line & rod - work in harmony. Just try landing a small fish on a medium-fast carbon rod with a thin tippet (anything smaller than 6X) and you will appreciate the finesse of a softer actioned rod. You need a rod which will cushion every movement of the fish and protect your light tippet. This is where glass rods come into their own, especially on the small to medium-sized rivers where you are not casting to the horizon. I believe the best in the business is the Orvis Superfine Glass - especially when in a 2wt or 3wt: Fishing with small flies generally happens at close range, choose a rod you are comfortable with using for very short casts – sometimes a softer rod is much more accurate and sensitive on short casts. Softer rods are also much better for playing fish on lighter tippets – something which most rod manufacturers don’t explain, they are more than willing to tell you how far you can cast with one, but not how well it plays a fish! If you’ve never tried a glass rod, they have an ideal action for fishing smaller flies. Small Streams & Small Flies - Special Offer For Today Only This is a book we published last year - it takes an in-depth look at fishing smaller rivers, with smaller flies. In this book, you will discover the techniques, flies, watercraft and how to approach fishing in smaller streams and rivers. Our book also discusses the type of conditions you can expect to face on small streams and the various tips, tricks and techniques used the fish them. We've also included leader configurations specifically designed for use on small streams with smaller flies. FOR TODAY ONLY - Add a copy of our "Small Streams & Small Flies" book to an order containing our NEW Gnat & Midge Match The Hatch Selection and receive your book for half price - only £5 (usually £9.99). *** Go on, you know you want to *** Now You've Got The Flies ... You're Going To Need A Box! We've just taken delivery of these specialist 'small fly' boxes from those masters of the fly box at Tacky (Fishpond) over in the USA: While we’d all love to have a full complement of flies at our disposal at all times, carrying every pattern in the arsenal doesn’t always make sense. For those quick trips to the river after work or just a prospecting mission at your local stillwater, this Small Pescador MagPad fly box from Tacky offers the perfect place to store all your smaller flies: Organize all your flies by hatch, river, or season in one small package with the Tacky Day Pack - available as either single-sided (perfect for dry flies) or double-sided (ideal for storing all of your nymphs): Tacky Daypack Fly Box £19.99 Tacky Double Sided Daypack Fly £24.99 All three of the above fly boxes have been specifically designed to hold all of your smaller flies (down to a size 30). They hold just enough for your day on the water and easily fit in you pocket, vest or pack. What are you waiting for - get out there and have some fun with small flies. P.S. We were really happy to receive the below review on one of our Blue-Winged Olive Match The Hatch Selections - it's great to know they are being used to teach children:

The in-fal-uh-buhl Klinkhamer 🎂🎂

The klinkhamer is an incredibly successful pattern throughout the world and should be in every fly anglers box. This email is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Klinkhamer (as designed by Hans van Klinken), with a couple of it's variants - The Infallible Klink & The Klinkhamer Special pattern-specific fly tying kit. One of the most requested flies we have had - since it sold out recently within just 3 hours - is the Infallible Klinkhamer. We're happy to announce that our tyers have been working into the very small hours to replenish our stocks - and they arrived with us yesterday ... As it's name would suggest ... The Infallible Klinkhamer is a 'sure thing' - well, about as near as you can get for this time of year! We now have them available again in sizes ranging from 12's right down to 18's, and all needing a new home in your very own 'Summer' fly box: The Infallible Klinkhamer Selection - one of our Summer flies - is a perfect emerger style pattern. A version of the popular Klinkhamer. Tied with a salmon-pink post, Hare's Ear body and a short red tail section around the bend of the hook. This fly looks very 'buggy'! It's easily seen in all conditions - especially good when Iron Blue's and Blue-Winged Olives are on the water. Our newly replenished selection of Infallible Klinkhamers contains 12 patterns - 3 each of sizes 12, 14, 16 & 18 - all you need for a great day on the water. *** We've only got around 40 of these selections available, so you will need to be quick *** Our Infallible Klinkhamer Selection is available from our website for only £16.00, which includes FREE delivery in our eco-friendly packaging. These flies can also be bought individually for only £1.50 each: Please Note: If you would like a set of these Infallible Klinks to use this weekend, please select the 1st Class postage option at the checkout and so long as you order before 1pm today (Thursday 15th August), we will ship it to you using a 1st Class Tracked service, so you receive them in time for the weekend. Go on, you know you want to! We are today launching the newest of our Feathersmith pattern-specific fly tying kits. Following along the line of the Infallible Klinkhamer (above) for this month we've gone with an 'all time' favourite ... The Klinkhamer Special. We've based this kit around the very famous emerger pattern, originally devised by Hans van Klinken. This fly pattern is in virtually every fly anglers boxes across the world - yes, it's that successful!. Originally called the LT Caddis (Light Tan) but later officially named the Klinkhåmer Special. The fly was designed to imitate an emerging caddis/sedge fly, which trout and grayling hoover up from the surface film. This fly pattern is now universally acknowledged as the best and most adaptable emerger pattern ever designed. It is considered a standard for targeting trout and grayling and has been very effective for many fly anglers since its inception. The pattern provided within this kit is as close to the original designed by Hans as we could possibly get. Our Klinkhamer Special kit includes: Hooks: AHREX FW525 hooks (10 each of sizes #10, #12 & #14) Thread: Semperfli Nano Silk (White) Dubbing: Peacock Dubbing Mix Dubbing: Superdry (Cream) Post: Z-Lon White Hackle: Brown (Sizes #10, #12 & #14) Rib: Uni-Mylar Pearl #16 Pre-Tied Sample Klinkhamer Special All of the above high-quality materials combined make a quality fly which is pretty 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 Beginners Fly tying series) can be accessed. Our Feathersmith Klinkhamer Special kit is now available for only £30. At less than £1/fly, that's great value for money. Please Note: Should you wish to combine an order from both Barbless Flies & Feathersmith, please email me (just reply to this email) and I can put your order together - and ship it to you using our FREE delivery service. Tight lines, be infallible this summer!

📘📗 A Little Light Holiday Reading 📕📙

A Little Light Holiday Reading With the launch this year of our NEW and updated Almanacs - one each for both Rivers & Stillwaters - I've had numerous emails from very happy customers saying how much they've enjoyed reading them and then dipping back into them before each trip to help them get more enjoyment from their fishing - which is exactly what we hoped for them when launched. I even had a few customers say they never realised that we also have a series of books dedicated to the niche aspects of fly fishing - all at pocket money prices (£9.99). So I thought, as we are now in the middle of the holiday season, it was a great time to revisit the books we have available - so you can at least think (and read) about fishing when you're away from the water. There are currently six books in the FLY: series (with more in the pipeline), let's start with one which will come in very handy over the next few weeks: Small Streams & Small Flies The 3rd book in our series contains a detailed analysis of how to approach fly fishing in small streams, using small flies. In this book, you will discover the techniques, flies, watercraft and how to approach fishing in smaller streams and rivers. This book also discusses the type of conditions you can expect to face on small streams and the various tips, tricks and techniques used the fish them. We've also included leader configurations specifically designed for use on small streams with smaller flies. Once we move into mid-September, attention usually turns to the larger flies in our collection - namely Daddies & Streamers/Lures. Our 4th book in the FLY: series focusses on the larger flies - namely Streamers: Streamer Fishing Tactics In this book, you will discover the techniques, flies, casts, watercraft and how to approach streamer fishing in both rivers and stillwaters. Our book also discusses the different types of streamers and lures available on the market today, how to choose which ones and where to use them to get the most success. We've included a section on Watercraft, showing you when and where to deploy the various streamer techniques - as streamers are larger flies, we've also added a section on how to cast them using the Double Haul. Once we move later in the year it's the Grayling which spark our interest, and as you may gather, we've got you coverd for that also! Our 5th book in the FLY: series focusses the Lady of the Stream: Fishing For Grayling In this book, you will discover the techniques, flies, casts, watercraft and how to approach fishing for Grayling. This pocket-sized book will give you all the information you need to effectively target Grayling in UK rivers. Grayling were once thought of as a pest and were removed from rivers all across the UK - in the misguided thought that they interfered with spawning trout. However, Grayling fishing is now on the up and is a great way to extend your fishing season - it's also my favourite quarry and I always look forward to the colder months in search of Grayling. We also have three more books in the series focussing on different aspects of fly fishing, Early Season, The Mayfly and Salmon Fishing: Other FLY: Series Books FLY Series: Early Season River Fishing £9.99 In this book, you will discover how to identify the species of insects which are commonly found in UK rivers between March and mid-May. How to then imitate them with the most common fly patterns. FLY Series: Fishing The Mayfly £9.99 In this book, you will discover how to imitate the full lifecycle of the Mayfly, along with an in-depth 'deep dive' into each stage of its life cycle, including how to then imitate them with the most common fly patterns. FLY Series: Fishing For Salmon £9.99 In this book, you will discover the techniques, flies, casts, watercraft and how to approach fishing for Salmon throughout the year. As well as our FLY: Series of books we also have our NEW Fly Anglers Almanacs for both Rivers & Stilwaters. Our ALL NEW Fly Anglers Almanacs outline which flies are expected to hatch and which flies to use to best imitate them. It follows the regular fishing year - starting in March (and ending in February) - detailing the hatches and flies to use for each month. Along with all the hatches and fly info, there's a whole host of other new information, including specific insect info and hatch charts. Along with the supplied Diary & Catch Return book, there are even pages to jot down your fishing notes for each month. The Stillwater Fly Anglers Almanac £5.99 The River Fly Anglers Almanac £5.99 Essentially these Almanacs are journals to accompany you throughout your fly fishing year. Something you can annotate and make notes in, allowing you to refer back to in years to come - helping you ‘crack the code’ on those difficult days. We have them available in three different formats: Digital Download Edition - £5.99 Paperback Edition - £12.99 Leather Edition - £22.99 We currently have all of the above books in stock and ready to ship, to find out more, please click any of the buttons below. Tight lines & have fun in the sun. *** To reward you for reading this far down my email - if would like to purchase more than one book, please contact me first (just reply to this email) and I will put a really good 'one-time only' deal together for you.

Pablo Picasso Would Have These In His Fly Box - Micro Spanish Bullets

Micro Spanish Bullets With the Summer actually arriving this week, I've had these Artisan flies stashed away for the last 8 months - all ready and waiting for the sun to appear so we can release them into the wild! These are perfect flies for when the weather gets warmer, the levels drop and the fish are much more wary. The pattern in question is the mighty Perdigon Nymph with a twist (see a full description below) - a fly pattern more often associated with fishing deep-fast rivers - but these have been specially designed by a Swedish guy (called Chris) for fishing in the slower and shallower waters of the summer. These are pretty special Micro Nymphs - tied on a specialist micro jig hook, the Hanak H450BL Jig Superb in a size 20 - they are only 8mm long! Please Note: Take a look at the end of this email for some specific tips on Summer Nymphing and how to get the best when fishing Perdigon style flies. So what makes these patterns so special? We posed that exact question to the designer, and his reply was - "These are really small wide-gape nymphs (the hook length is only 8mm), 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 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 low and slow summer levels and are ideal for both rivers and stillwaters: Our Nygren's Micro Hot-Spot Perdigon Jig Selection consists of 18 flies, 2 each of 9 separate colour variations. 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 hook, their specification is: Weight - 0.07g Hook Length - 8.0mm Hook Gape - 3.6mm Bead - 2.5mm Slotted Tungsten Our selection includes two of each of the following body colours: 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) Peacock (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead) Pearl (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead) Rainbow (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead) These flies are all tied on one of the best wide-gape jig hooks in the business, the Hanak H450BL Jig Superb in a size 20. OK, lets address the elephant in the room: These are not cheap flies (how much I hear you ask - they're £34 for the selection), but I think you will agree that the quality is outstanding. We only have 40 of these selections for sale - they will never be produced in large numbers due to the time taken to tie/make each fly. We are supplying 2 of each of the above patterns, that's 18 flies in total for only £34 including FREE Delivery to anywhere within the UK - I know these are some of the more expensive flies we sell, but the quality is outstanding as you will see from all of the images below. Please Note: Our Artisan Micro Hot-Spot Jig selection is very limited (we only have 40 available - I'm keeping some back for myself, I will lose loads on the rocky rivers up here!) and once they are gone, we will not have any more in these really small sizes until next summer. Just click on any image or button in this email to view details and buy your selection. Please Also Note: I've a good idea that this selection will go well, so I have already ordered the same flies in bigger sizes for fishing later in the year. The flies contained within this selection can also be bought individually - click here for more details. 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! Perdigon flies were developed in the early 2000's by Spanish competion 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. The main feature of a perdigon nymph is their hydrodynamics. They are designed to sink very quickly, reaching the areas the fish feed more efficiently than conventional beaded nymphs. This rapid sink-rate is facilitated by the varnished bodies, which are very slim and streamlined to offer less resistance when descending through the water column, enhancing their hydrodynamic properties. There are numerous ways to fish these, but the two most popular are either Czech or French style: Czech Style Use a long and sensitive rod in size #2 -#4 of 10' or 11' Generally to be fished in a team of 2 nymphs (one big and one small) on a thin leader (Czech type of leader, usually around 9m long with coloured indicator sections), the heavier nymph should be on the point and the smaller on a dropper Droppers should be a maximum 12-15 cm and the distance between flies should be approx 50 cm French Style Use a sensitive rod from size #2 up to #5 of 9-10' We would recommend just using one nymph Your leader should be of 3 to 4.5m, a classic tapered mono french-leader with a parallel tip of approx 60 cm to allow a fast sink rate for the nymph Tight lines & have fun in the sun.

Foam Klinks & Micro Dries - It's time for the Summer flies

As I'm sure you are well aware, it's forecast to be been pretty warm over the next week or so. For this reason, it's best to time your visits to the water appropriately. When you do venture out, it will increase your success massively if you time it right - either fish very early in the morning (using caddis imitations), or late in the evening - one hour either side of dusk (to catch any evening rise). The smaller, more imitative, flies are much more successful throughout late July and August, of course, you also need the right approach and a little bit of watercraft to make the most of your time on the water - take a look at the end of this email for some great summer river and stillwater watercraft tips. Small flies are king throughout late July and August, but you also need the best flies for the conditions - small & imitative - but crucially, ones you can also see. In this email we are releasing our NEW Foam Post Klinkhamers: We've all been there - you're fishing on an evening in low light and you need something which you can see, but more importantly, will still catch! One of the great difficulties in fishing smaller dry flies is the ability to quickly spot where your fly actually is, with our NEW Foam Post Klinkhamer Selection of flies you will have no problem seeing them (the white foam posts show up extremely well against virtually any background). You will not miss a take with these - The new Foam Post Klinkhamer Selection saves your eyesight! All of these flies have been chosen for both their blank saving and high visibility. You will not miss a take with these - A selection of 16 flies to save your eyesight! All of these flies have been chosen for both their blank saving and high visibility in all conditions. We've all been there; you're fishing on an evening in low light and you need something which will still catch, but importantly - you need to be able to see it! One of the great difficulties in fishing smaller flies is the ability to quickly spot where your fly actually is, with this selection you will have no problem seeing them (even though they are only small). The klinkhammer fly was invented by Hans van Klinken - a Dutch angler and fly tyer. The klinkhamer is celebrating its 40 year anniversary this year. It was devised as a solution to imitating either an emerging fly or one trapped in the meniscus and are a great general imitation of the smaller flies which appear on the water in summer. They are especially good because of the profile they exhibit when on the water, with the hackle suspending the fly at the perfect angle. The foam posts are also good for keeping the fly afloat in the more turbulent water - and enabling you to quickly see where the fly actually is! Here's a rundown of the flies included in our NEW Foam Post Klinkhamer Selection: Adams Foam Post Klink - An Adams version of the popular klinkhamer style fly. These have been tied with a white high-density foam post that has exceptional buoyancy and is highly visible - even in the smallest sizes. Our selection contains 2 each of sizes 14 & 18. Black Foam Post Klink - A Black version of the popular klinkhamer style fly. These have been tied with a white high-density foam post that has exceptional buoyancy and is highly visible - even in the smallest sizes. Our selection contains 2 each of sizes 14 & 18. Hares Ear Foam Post Klink - A Hares Ear bodied version of the popular klinkhamer style fly. These have been tied with a white high-density foam post that has exceptional buoyancy and is highly visible - even in the smallest sizes. Our selection contains 2 each of sizes 14 & 18. Olive Foam Post Klink - An Olive version of the popular klinkhamer style fly. These have been tied with a white high-density foam post that has exceptional buoyancy and is highly visible - even in the smallest sizes. Our selection contains 2 each of sizes 14 & 18. Ok, you've sold me on them, "What's the price?" I hear you ask - we are making our NEW Foam Post Klinkhamer Selection of flies available to you for only £20, including free delivery to anywhere within the UK. (for more detailed images please visit our website by clicking on any images or buttons above) Go on ... you know you want to! As always, all of our fly selections are delivered free of charge, anywhere within the UK. Fishing in the summertime heat can be very challenging. Here are a few tips to help you get the most from your warm weather fly fishing trips Arrive Early - Arriving at the water as early as possible is a great way to avoid high water temperatures. The ideal water temperatures that trout thrive in are anywhere from 45 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures above 65 degrees result in stressed fish. Getting on the water early also increases your chances of having the water to yourself. Look for cover. - During the day fish will always head for cover, this means you will need to fish tight to the banks and under any overhanging vegetation. This is where the "Bow and Arrow" and "Under The Tip" casts come to the fore. Always Have a Plan B - Think about streamers. Should you arrive at the water and it looks devoid of fish, try running a small streamer (or Stalking Bug) through any of the deeper pools or drop-offs. Listen For Fast Water - When we become warm we turn on a fan to cool down. When fish sense warmer water temperatures they head for fast-moving currents, the faster more oxygenated water running through their gills effectively cools them down. I always head for water that I can hear running - try it, you will not be disappointed. In Stillwaters, Go Deep - Fish look for cooler waters in the deep when the top waters start to warm up. Use deep-diving nymphs and worm patterns to scour ledges or drop-offs in the lake. Water temperatures can change by as much as 10 degrees for every 10 feet of depth. Finally, Take Care Of Yourself - When you're fishing in hot weather, you need to make sure you stay hydrated. If possible, avoid caffeinated or alcoholic drinks - these can dehydrate you very quickly. Stick to water or a drink with added electrolytes to stay in good shape. If you do fish in the warmest part of the day remember to protect your head and neck from the sun with suncream and use proper fishing clothing that blocks UV rays. Tight lines & keep cool.

Successful Summer Flies - Inspired By Our Friends Across The Pond

With the weather starting to be a little more settled across the country, fishing both in Rivers and on Stillwaters will start to really pick up. In today's email i'm going to concentrate on some staple patterns which all fly anglers should at least consider - It just so happen that all of the patterns have their origins in the U S of A. To help you get the most from fishing in the coming week(s), we've split this email into three separate sections: Section 1 - River Flies - Adams & Wulffs Section 2 - Stillwater Flies - Muddlers & Montanas Section 3 - Summer Dry Fly Fishing Tips for Rivers & Stillwaters there's a great chance that the dry fly action will really start in earnest later this week. Especially with the Iron Blue hatch just on the horizon - but more about those at the weekend. 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 fly selections. This email is all about patterns which should be every fly anglers boxes - all have their origins from the USA. USA Inspired River Fly Selections: At the very end of this email we've also got some great tips to enhance your Dry Fly game this summer. Section 1 River Flies - The Adams The Adams - Originally tied, in 1922, by Leonard Halladay and named after his good friend Charles Adams. The image below is taken from a fantastic book called, Tying Catskill-Style Dry Flies by Mike Valla, where there is a whole chapter dedicated to the Adams - if you are into rolling your own flies, this book is a worthy investment - here at Barbless Flies we take lots of inspiration from it. No one is really sure which insects the Adams imitate - a good guess would be an olive, but they really do work well, as such, the Adams is a fly which should be in all angler fly box. Generally tied in two different styles, original and parachute versions: Original - With a hackle running a third of the way down the hook shank. Parachute - With the hackle tied horizontally around a sighting post The way in which both of these variants are tied ensures the fly floats high on the surface - and stays there with only a little floatant added! *** The Adams fly is one that should be in all river anglers fly boxes *** River Flies - The Wulff The UPDATED Barbless Wulff Selection, during the tail end of the Mayfly hatch and the start of the summer hatches, the Wulff series of flies are the first thing I tie on, they are great searching patterns and are good representations of the major up-winged flies found on the river at these times. Here we have a selection of 16 Wulffs four different patterns (to cover the major river types/colours in the UK) in two different sizes (12 & 16). The Wulff dry fly was first tied by Lee Wulff, and with its bushy hackle is a great fly for those riffles which would sink a more delicate fly. Fish these flies as a standard dry, but don't be afraid to also fish these when they are wet - they are surprisingly successful when fished in the surface film! The Wulff flies come into their own in an afternoon through to late evenings. When searching the river with a Wulff, try this technique: From the bank, section the river into lanes about 3ft wide. Cast upstream and make 3 or 4 drifts in the nearest lane, repeat for each lane, working away from you. Step upstream and repeat the process. More details (and close-up images of each fly) can be found on the product page - just click on any image or button above to view the selection details. Our Adams and Wulff selections is available again, each as a selection of 16 flies (4 different patterns - see above, 2 each of each size). We are supplying each of these selections for only £20 - which includes FREE delivery to anywhere within the UK. All are supplied in our eco-friendly packaging. Just click on any image or button in this email to view the flies in more detail. Adams Selection £20.00 Wulff Selection £20.00 *** Just a gentle reminder that all our products are shipped FREE OF CHARGE to anywhere within the UK *** Section 2 Stillwater Flies - The Mini Muddler The Muddler Minnow was invented by Don Gapen of Minnesota, in 1937, to imitate the sculpin. The Muddler, as it is informally known by anglers, was popularised by Montana fisherman and fly tier Dan Bailey. It is now a popular pattern worldwide with the flies distinguished by their clipped deer hair heads. Effective retrieval tactics for the Mini Muddler include stripping the floating Muddler across the water surface rhythmically, imparting a "wake", or allowing the Muddler to sink and twitching or pulsating it against or across any current. An unweighted Muddler will float and appears as a moth or struggling crane fly. With a tiny piece of split shot in front of it (or an intermediate flyline) the Muddler can be made to swim slowly over weedbeds and shallow gravel bars. With more weight, the Muddler can be stripped wildly in the shallows to imitate a small fish or fry. Stillwater Flies - The Montana The original Montana fly variant was tied by Lew Oatman from New York. It was tied to give a general impression of a range of large stonefly nymphs. We have a selection of barbless Montanas, especially tied for year-round Stillwater fishing, ideally targeting rainbow trout, but fished deep in the summer months and you are equally as likely to pick up the odd brown trout. Fishing Muddler and Montana style patterns is all about the retrieve, effective retrieval tactics include: An unweighted Muddler or Montana will float and appears as a Hopper/Daddy Long Legs. Stripping the floating Muddler across the water surface rhythmically, imparting a "wake" will induce a take Allowing the Muddler or Montana to sink just under the surface and twitching or pulsating it against or across any current - especially near any water aerators or inlets. With a tiny piece of weight added in front of the fly (or an intermediate fly line or sinking tapered leader) the Muddler and Montana can be made to swim slowly over weed beds and shallow gravel bars With more weight, the Muddler or Montana can be stripped quickly in the shallows to imitate and alarmed fry Allowed to settle in deeper water the Muddler or Montana may be fished right on the bottom. When fishing on the bottom they must be fished slowly, with occasional fast strips of maybe a foot or two, as if trying to escape a predator. More details (and close-up images of each fly) can be found on the product page - just click on any image or button above to view the selection details. Our Mini-Muddler and Montana Selections are available again, each as a selection of 16 flies (4 different patterns - see above, 2 each of each size). We are supplying each of these selections for only £20 - which includes FREE delivery to anywhere within the UK. All are supplied in our eco-friendly packaging. Just click on any image or button in this email to view the flies in more detail. Mini Muddler Selection £20.00 Montana Selection £20.00 *** Just a gentle reminder that all our products are shipped FREE OF CHARGE to anywhere within the UK *** Section 3 - Top Dry Fly Tips When thinking about dry fly leaders, material choice is a subject in itself, here are a few pointers to get you started: Nylon/Copolymer: Generally more cost effective and slightly thicker than Fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon: Denser than water so will sink, great when covering very spooky fish. Use whichever material you have confidence in, this is the weak point in any setup, confidence in knot strength is everything! Leader Material Sizes: The X system marked on spools of tippet determines the diameter of the tippet (the bigger the X number, the thinner the tippet): Leader Length If the water is small or rough, use a leader which is roughly the length of the rod. If the water is calm, extend the leader to between 11' and 15', then add 2' to 4' of tippet. Just remember: "the calmer the water, the spookier the fish,the smaller the fly, the longer and finer tippet you need.” To enable your dry fly to turn over correctly (which is our main aim), your tippet should always be balanced to the size of your fly: Leader Recipes In this section, I will give you some leader designs for different length leaders. Using all of the above information you can define which length leader you need, use these designs as a starting point. All of these leader designs end with 6X and are designed for rods from 2 weight to 5 weight - happy tying: Tight lines.

Something Very French & Very Caddisy

Les Trois Caddis Colorés Here at Barbless Flies, May, June & July are by far and away our busiest months, you will often find both Jack and I burning the midnight oil at least 6 days a week: getting all of your orders out in a timely fashion, working on new fly patterns whilst also continuing to write books/articles and emails. I often find that by the end of the day, I am completely exhausted (both mentally and physically), so I don't often fish in the evenings - I prefer to sit quietly with a good fishing book and a glass of something Scottish! During these three months, I try to plan my fishing trips accordingly, and fish very early in the morning - I have to drive alongside the river on my way into Barbless Flies HQ, so it would be rude not to stop for a cast or two (or three) while the mornings are still so light. At this time of the day, one of the most popular dry fly imitations I use (outside of the Mayfly hatch) is the humble Caddis/Sedge pattern - these are nocturnal insects that return to the water to lay their eggs, just as I'm arriving on the river. The Tri-Colour Caddis There are many different variations of Caddis/Sedge fly, but today I have one of the very best all-purpose Caddis/Sedge patterns available. It was originally devised in France to fish on the faster more riffly water - it floats high on virtually all types of water and will fool fish throughout the UK, no matter which river (or stillwater) you are on! It's called the Tri-Colour (Tricolores) Caddis ... The Tricolores is a French palmered fly pattern used to entice both Trout and Grayling. A palmered hackle is one which starts at the bend of the hook and runs the full length of the hook shank, finishing at the eye. This style of tying is most commonly found in the Griffith's Gnat and makes the fly ride high on the water and less prone to sinking. The original fly pattern recipe suggests it is a 'bug' with a graduated dark hackle (which is extremely difficult to find). However, more modern interpretations of the pattern usually use the three colours (White, Brown & Black). It's not unusual, in the more rural parts of France, for this pattern to be tied in White, Olive & Lime to imitate the vivid green upwinged flies they see during the summer months. We've only got 40 of these Tri-Colour Caddis Selections available - I'm keeping a few back for myself, to use over the next 6 weeks or so! Our Tri-Colour Caddis Selection contains 3 each of sizes 12, 14 & 16. That's nine flies in total, for only £12.00 delivered free of charge to anywhere in the UK. Keep reading for more info on the Caddis/Sedge - you'll be glad you did ... Please Remember: We've only 40 of these selections available, so if you want a set, you will need to be quick - These flies can also be bought individually here if you would like to top up your selection! Go on, treat yourself - you know you want to - at only £12 for the selection, these will not hang around for long! Want to know a little more about the Caddis/Sedge? What is it? There are around 30 distinct Caddis/Sedge species found throughout the UK, Europe and Russia. These Caddis flies are known as "humpless case-maker Caddis flies". These flies are easily identified as they will generally be the only fly on the water flying as if it is drunk (i.e. very haphazardly). Please Note: You will often see these flies referred to as either Caddis or Sedge; they are both the same and are interchangeable as far as the fly angler is concerned. Location(s) They are found in every part of the British Isles. They can be especially prolific in Central, Southern and South West England; in Wales and Northern England (Ribble and Eden), and in parts of Scotland. Most Caddis flies are only found in running water, they prefer gently running water, so you do not usually find them hatching in very high and fast-flowing rivers. The various caddis flies usually start hatching at the beginning of April and will continue through right until the end of September. When do trout take them? Trout will take Caddis in any one of its three stages (nymph, emerger and dry). Caddis will generally hatch during the warmest part of the day (anytime between 11am and 3pm), so this is when to try an emerger pattern. Caddis usually hatch from shallower water and don't give the trout much of a chance to intercept them on their way to the surface. The best time to use a caddis imitation is either in the evening or in the early mornings when the adult females return to the water to deposit their eggs - time to give your new Tri-Colour Caddis flies a try. These flies should be fished as you would any other dry fly, and they should be used as soon as you start to see the insects on the water; this can be anytime from about 18:00 until after dark and very early in the morning. Caddis - Top Tips Caddis (or Sedge) flies are best used in either the early or late part of the day, as this is when the flies are at their most active. These Caddis flies are deadly in the smaller sizes just at twilight! When fishing with a Caddis fly, it's always worth giving it a little twitch every now and then if you are not getting attention from the fish. When you watch the naturals, their flight is very haphazard and they always land on the water with quite a commotion - they are not the daintiest of movers! Keep this in mind when covering rising fish. Tight lines & have a great weekend.

Innovative Scuds

The Bacchus Bug Selection

Barbless. Clothing