Morning,

Depending upon where you are in the UK, the Mayfly is either nearly done or just about to get going - that's the difficulty with the timing and writing of these emails, I need to cater for 2 very different worlds.

I think I've covered the 'Mayfly' world pretty well over the last month (you can see them all here), for those of you who either don't have any Mayfly, or it's all over and done with - this email is for you.

The epic spinner falls will start thin out, the big duns will stop coming, and your resident fish - fat and well-educated after two weeks of a plentiful food supply - will shift gear entirely.

This is the moment that a lot of anglers find really difficult. The river still looks perfect. The fish are still there. But nothing seems to work.

What usually happens is this: people reach for something big and obvious, get ignored, and put it down to post-Mayfly sulkiness. The fish aren't sulking. They've just stopped eating like tourists and gone back to eating like residents.

Residents eat Blue Winged Olives, Olive Uprights, small upwinged flies that most anglers walk straight past without a second glance at this time of year.

Which brings me, via a somewhat unlikely route, to a guy called Jörgen from Sweden ...

A fly tier called Jörgen Danielsson, fishing the cold rivers of Dalarna in central Sweden, spent years quietly refining a pattern that could pass for almost anything upwinged on the water. Not a specific imitation. A suggestion. Sparse, delicate, dressed to land like something that just hatched rather than something that just fell out of a tree.

He called it the Dynamite Harry.

You may never have heard of it - most anglers who use it want to keep it a secret!

For a long time it stayed in his box and the boxes of people who fished with him. Word travelled slowly - as it tends to with genuinely good flies.

When we launched it as a Feathersmith tying kit a couple of years ago, the reaction told us everything: anglers who'd tried it quietly ordered more materials. Anglers who hadn't were intrigued by the name alone.

We've been asked repeatedly for the pre-tied version.

Here it is.

Introducing ... Our Dynamite Harry

The Dynamite Harry - is a very versatile pattern you should have in your fly box because it's one pattern that can be fished all season long and is a great 'general impression' of a whole host of up-winged insects found on the water from April through to October (in a size 14 it does a very passable impression of a Mayfly)!

This little gem of a fly has its origins in the dark forests of Dalarna in Sweden.

The fly is kind of an "all-around" fly, depending on the size you use - we have them from a size 14, right down to a size 18 - it can mimic most winged critters from small midges to emergers and duns. The key to this pattern is to get a very light fly with a delicate footprint.

The fly has gone from being a secret in the originator, Jörgen Danielsson´s flybox, to a fly which adorns many fly anglers' boxes in Sweden and beyond. Our version of the Dynamite Harry has been tied on the stunning AHREX FW525 barbless hook, with instructions from Mr Danielsson himself - and he has even given the finished fly his seal of approval.

Please Note: These Dynamite Harry flies have been tied with an extra-long tail. Some anglers prefer the tails long, whilst others prefer the tails very short and tight to the hackle - we've had them tied this way, so you can shorten the tail with a pair of sharp scissors if you so wish.

Top Tip: If you are cutting the tails to size, cut them at a 45-degree angle sloping upwards - it seems to help the presentation on the water.

As well as being a great fly to use throughout the summer months, it also has the added bonus of being pretty attractive to early-season Grayling!

We've only got 40 of these Dynamite Harry Selections available - I'm keeping a few back for myself, to use (and lose) over the next few months!

Our Dynamite Harry Selection contains 4 each of sizes 14, 16 & 18. That's twelve flies in total, all tied on AHREX FW525 barbless hooks, for only £20.00 - and delivered free of charge to anywhere in the UK.

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!

As always, all of our flies are delivered FREE of charge to anywhere within the UK (which can take up to 5 working days) - we also have a 1st Class Tracked Service (for only £2.50) which is usually delivered the very next day, so long as you can order before 1pm.

Why The Dynamite Harry?

A few things that make this pattern work the way it does:

• It's sparse. That matters more than most people realise. Heavily-dressed flies float high and proud and look exactly like what they are. This one sits in the film like the real thing.
• It reads as 'upwinged insect' without committing to a specific species. Post-Mayfly, when the fish are back to switching between hatches, that generality is an advantage.
• It also catches early-season Grayling. We mention this purely because September arrives faster than expected, and it's useful to own flies that work across more than one season.

How To Fish Your Dynamite Harry

The Dynamite Harry is a dry fly that rewards a light touch. Fish it on a long, fine leader - 12 to 14 feet is not excessive - with a tippet, no heavier than 4X, ideally 5X or 6X in clear, low summer water. The sparse dressing means it lands quietly and sits in the film rather than on top of it, which is exactly what you want when fish are switched on to smaller upwinged flies after the Mayfly.

On rivers, the standard approach is upstream, presented to a rising fish with a drag-free drift. Because the pattern works as a general impression rather than a precise imitation, it's also worth prospecting with - covering likely lies even when you can't see a rise. Post-Mayfly fish often sip quietly and sit high in the water; watch for subtle takes rather than splashy rises.

Size selection is the key decision. In early June, start at 14 and work down. On bright, flat days in July and August when fish are feeding on small olives, the 18 will consistently outfish the larger sizes. A useful rule: the warmer and clearer the day, the smaller the fly.

On stillwaters, fish it on a long leader off a floating line, with no or minimal movement - a very slow figure-of-eight retrieve at most. It works particularly well in the evening as the surface cools and upwinged flies start moving. Cast to cruising fish and leave it alone; the instinct to twitch it is almost always wrong.

One final thought: the long tail as tied is a deliberate feature. It gives the fly movement in the surface film, mimicking the trailing shuck of an emerging insect. Don't trim it until you've tried it as tied - you may find it's doing more work than you expected!

*** Go on, treat yourself - you know you want to - at only £20 for the selection, our Dynamite Harrys will not hang around for long! ***

In the meantime, tight lines and have fun on the water.