Morning,

Within this email I will be looking at two completely separate subjects, one of which is river-focussed and the other stillwater-focussed.

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. 

Spiders are some of the most productive flies fished in rivers today. Especially popular when the water is higher and flowing that little bit faster than usual. They are a fantastic way to search a river, often fished in a team of two or three.

Towards the end of this email are some tips on Spider Fishing and also a link to a document you can download to give you the best possible start to your Spider fishing journey.

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 both the earley and late season. 

Usually fished in a team of either 2 or 3. They are a great searching technique, especially in the later season (when targeting Grayling) as the rivers can be higher than normal and there are no obvious hatches.

Here's an example of a 2-fly setup:

And, here's an example of a 3-fly setup:

Continuing on the above theme, this week we are offering you a lovely set of Tungsten Spider patterns. Go on, treat yourself - these are great when used for targeting those 'early' Grayling which are not welded to the bottom of the river.

Regular spider patterns are usually defined by their slim bodies (usually tied only from thread) and long, supple hackles. When in the water their hackles pulse around the body, perfectly imitating an ascending pupa. This is why it is preferable to cover all of the water column when fishing them - see above for 2-fly and 3-fly rigs.

We have added our own flourish to these ones and topped them off with a 2mm & 1mm silver tungsten bead, to get them just that little bit deeper - quicker.

Our Tungsten Spider Selection, is a modern twist on some age-old patterns (some date back over 400 years). These are the exact same patterns as our popular Spider selection, but with the addition of a 2mm silver tungsten bead at the head, allowing you to reach those trickier fish in the deeper pools. They are great on the point of a team of three spiders and allow you to cover the full depth of water, all at the same time!

We have included 4 different patterns in this selection:

• Partridge & Orange
• Pearl Spider
• Pearl Hot-Spot Spider
• Black Spider

Here are just a couple of the patterns included:

 

For more information and a detailed description of each fly contained in this selection please click on any image or button.

Our Tungsten Spider Selection includes the 4 different patterns above (designed to be used in all conditions throughout the year), we are supplying 2 of each tungsten beaded spider in size 14 & 16, that's 16 flies for only £24.

Please Note: We only have a limited number of our Tungsten Spider Selections available - 26 to be precise - they will not hang around long, so please grab yours while you still can.

*** All orders from Barbless Flies are shipped FREE of charge to anywhere in the UK ***

Q. I've always liked the look of spiders, but I've never fished them before, how do I use them?

A. We're glad you asked:

We wrote a nifty little blog post about spider fishing ...

Spiders (or Soft Hackle flies) are one of the most popular flies used in rivers today, and for good reason. They are very easy to fish and a really effective method at the beginning of the trout season!

Usually fished in a team of either 2 or 3, and sometimes even 4. They are a great searching technique, especially in the early season when the rivers can be higher than normal and there are no obvious hatches.

TACKLE SETUP

An ideal tackle setup for spider fishing is:

• Rod: 10’ 4wt with a soft tip is a good starter setup
• Fly Line: Any 4wt fly line will do, but one with a long taper is ideal
• Leader: A 9' to 12' tapered leader (4X or 5X). Make sure it is well de-greased so it sinks easily.
• Leader Configuration: Typically start with a 2 fly leader which is around 5' long in total. This should consist of 2' to 3' tippet to your first dropper (6 inches long) and then a further 18” to 36” to the point fly, see below.
• Use a small spider on the dropper and a larger spider/bead-head spider as the point fly.
• When fishing at close quarters use a furled leader for better turnover

To find out more, view our blog post here:

Stillwater Success

Perfect for Stillwaters, and especially at this time of year - Shuttlecock CdC Emergers are some of the most successful flies when there is an abundance of midges. These flies can be presented in the most delicate fashion and not spook even the wariest fish.

A few years ago we were asked to create this selection from a number of our customers and we are pleased to say that they are just about to come into their own (again) - before the really cold weather starts to close in, these small emergers sit in the meniscus and are perfect for any sunny spells - we've just restocked them, so grab them while you can!

Our Shuttlecock CdC Emerger Selection has now been updated for 2024 to include a little more CdC in the plumes, making them float just that little bit longer.

We have created this selection of Shuttlecock CdC Emergers which work perfectly on both rivers and stillwaters:

Rivers - I fish these with our Ultralight Furled Leader on my 7'6" Helios 3-weight rod. For me, it's what fly fishing is all about!

Stillwaters - Fish them exactly as you would buzzers (using 2 or 3 on a cast), let them drift with the wind when the trout are feeding on the top.

Here's some images of the fly patterns contained within our Shuttlecock CdC Emerger Selection:

 

 

Our Shuttlecock CdC Emerger Selection is a selection of 4 different patterns, we are supplying 2 of each pattern in 2 sizes (ranging from 12 to 18) - in total there are 16 flies in this selection.

Our updated Shuttlecock CdC Emerger Selection is now available from our website, for only £20, which includes FREE delivery to anywhere within the UK  in our eco-friendly packaging.

Just click on any image or button above to view the flies in more detail.

Please Note: We only have a limited number of our Shuttlecock CdC Emerger Selections available - 18 to be precise - they will not hang around long, so please grab yours while you still can.

*** All orders from Barbless Flies are shipped FREE of charge to anywhere in the UK ***

CdC (meaning Cul De Canard - or the feathers around the preen gland of a duck) is a very buoyant and delicate feather, this is due to natural oils which are secreted from the preen gland - how many ducks have you seen that don't float!

It is important to care for these feathers in the correct way, otherwise, the fly will sink after the first fish is caught. Here's a few tips on how to get the best out of any fly tied with CdC feathers:

• When using a gel floatant, always check that it is suitable for CdC feathers, as many of them will clog up the feather and make it unusable. In my experience the best gel floatant I have found for CdC feathers is either Roman Moser Miracle Float (which is quite difficult to get) or Loon Lochsa.
• Only apply gel floatant to a fly when it is fresh out of the box, i.e. when it is bone dry.
• Once the fly is wet, dry it with a towel / piece of kitchen roll / elastic band - see below, and apply a powdered floatant to it, brushing it as deep into the feathers as you can. This will keep the fly floating, once it starts to sink again, then rinse and repeat this step.

How do you dry a fly with an elastic band I hear you ask?

It's a trick the competition guys use to quickly dry their flies.

1. Loop an elastic band onto your vest/pack.
2. Hook your fly into it and stretch it holding onto the tippet.
3. Twang the elastic band a few times (channelling your best Jimi Hendrix).

This quickly removes any water from the fly, ready for powder floatant to be re-applied.

Tight lines & happy twanging.