2wheels1rod

Reverse Tied Dry Flies

esreveR deiT seilF I had a thought last year which had been nagging at me for ages - I have loads of ideas, 99% of them are terrible! The original thought was - 'Is it possible to fish a fly with the hook point completely out of the water?', this, I thought, could be useful when targeting spooky fish. I did a little bit of research and found quite a few flies that fish 'point upwards'. About a month later - when I was walking the dog - it suddenly struck me that if a fly was tied backwards (i.e. the hackle was at the bend of the hook rather than at the eye) that would elevate the hook point out of the water. Five minutes later I was at the vice and tied a few up just to test them out - I pass the Yorkshire Derwent on the way to the shop. It was a lovely early spring morning and nothing was rising, but I tied one of my hastily tied reverse contraptions on and cast it out just to see how it sat in the water - to my surprise, a small wild brown took it immediately - "So the work then", I thought (or words to that effect)! Later that day I did a bit of googling and found a few references to some oddball flies tied in reverse, but nothing more than that - so here are, what we believe to be, the only commercially available flies tied in reverse, our Reverse Tied Dry Selection. Ok, so why should I use them? These flies are all tied with the hackle at the bend of the hook. We made sure that the tips of the hackle extend to just below the point of the hook, this means that the hook point should be just out of the water, as shown in the crudest of drawings below: We've no real evidence that this makes any difference at all, as we'd need to find a talking fish to get that! But from actual use on my local river, they do seem to be successful on the low water and with spooky fish - especially when teamed up with a longer leader. Grab a selection for yourself and give them a go! Our Reverse Tied Dry Selection contains 4 distinct patterns (we are supplying 2 of each pattern in 2 sizes, 14 & 18) - for a total of 16 flies in the selection. We are bringing these to you for only £20 - including fast, free delivery. *** We've only got 30 of these available, so if you would like a set, you will need to be quick! *** Please Note: Read right to the end of this email for a special email subscriber offer which is available for this weekend only! Here's a run down of the patterns which are included in the selection: The Single Badger Just like a Double Badger, but with a single hackle at the bend. One of the best flies (and many anglers only fly) used in the summer months. Great in warm still conditions on rivers with a low flow, spooky fish and low levels. TOP TIP: A size 14 well worn out Single Badger can be really effective during a Caenis hatch, it's thought to imitates a clump of Caenis flies which the trout will target. Reversed Kite The Reversed Kite's Imperial - The original was designed by Oliver Kite in the 1960s, this fly probably accounts for more fish due to its uncanny resemblance to the Large Dark Olive dun. Reversed Last Hope Dark Similar to the Single Badger, this fly is great in warm still conditions on rivers with a low flow, spooky fish and low levels. With a peacock herl body and small white hackle this fly is a great small gnat & caenis imitation Reversed Last Hope Light Our Reversed Last Hope Light, this fly is great in warm still conditions on rivers with a low flow, spooky fish and low levels. With a white thread body and small white hackle this fly is a great small caenis imitation.

Bosnian Summer Dry Flies

On my local small stream (Yorkshire Derwent), it's been quite hard fishing of late, especially with the recent hot weather and low 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 small and imitative.Using a longer leader allows for a more gentle presentation, especially when combined with a longer lighter rod (my go-to rod for this situation is the wonderful Maxia MX 9' 2wt) 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 on Grayling fishing you will read - but you need to act on the tip now (you will see why when you read it)!Following along the lines of 'small and imitative' we have just received these stunning summer dry flies from or man in Bosnia. These flies have been specifically tied for fishing in the low and slow summer river levels. Take a look at the below: Our Bosnian Summer Dry Fly Selection consists of 30 flies, 5 each of 6 separate patterns:CdC Emerger patterns:• Red CdC Emerger - Size 18• Stripped Peacock Herl Emerger - Size 18• Olive Hot-Spot Emerger - Size 18• Yellow Hot-Spot Emerger - Size 18Up-Winged Dry Flies:• Olive Up-Winged Indicator CdC - Size 14• Yellow Up-Winged Indicator CdC - Size 14 We are supplying 5 of each of the above patterns, that's 30 flies in total, in one of our Premium Silicone fly boxes for only £55. This premium Bosnian fly selection is very limited (we only have 15 available) and once they are gone, we will not have any more until next year. Just click on any image or button in this email to view details and buy your selection.If you would like one, you will need to be quick off the mark! Take advantage of the Low WaterIf you regularly fish the same stretch, now is your best chance, whilst the river bed is exposed, to take a look and see what the contours are, and spot and likely fish holding places. This will be really useful information for when the water levels rise again and when the Grayling season starts. Tight lines & stay safe.

I Wanna Tell You a Story

*attempting my best Max Bygraves impression* I wanna tell you a story ... (there's one for the teenagers!) Often when we order from one of our suppliers, they will include a few new products for us to try. In an order earlier this year, we found a 'general purpose' floating fly line included amongst the leaders we ordered. This line was promptly despatched into the back of the fishing truck and forgotten about. One early morning last month I was fishing my local river (the Yorkshire Derwent) when I got my gear together only to find that along with my 6'6" Glass 4/5wt - a Vision Cult Fiber if you're interested - I'd only selected the wrong reel (it had a 6wt sinking line on it). It was only then that I remembered the demo line which was in the back of the truck - as luck would have it, it was a 4wt floater. I promptly spooled it onto the reel, added a 9ft tapered leader and tippet to it and headed off to the river. A quick walk to the river (watching a few fish rising along the way), and it came to fly choice. After a quick check of insects freshly caught in the early morning spider webs, I could see that there was plenty of small caddis about, so on with a size 18 Indicator Caddis and carefully into the river. Pull a bit of line off, a few false casts to shoot a little more line out and with the first upstream cast, it immediately struck me that the fly line was sitting very high in the water and it was dead straight - bear in mind that this fly line had been in the back of the truck for the last 3 months through some very warm (and cold) weather. I lifted the line off the water (with hardly any splashing) and recast again, this time using a wiggle cast to reduce drag on the upstream dry fly and a 6" wild brown was almost immediately fooled and brought to (wet) hand. To say I was impressed with the line was an understatement, it was more than a match for my other £80+ fly lines that regularly adorn my reel. I spoke with the supplier the very next day and ordered some in various weights (2wt to 6wt) - they arrived with us last week, and we've just put them on the website today. We've only 10 to 15 of each weight - so if you would like one you may need to be quick off the mark! "What's the price?" I hear you ask - we are making them available to you today for only £25, which includes free delivery. Generally, if you're in the UK you will receive your order the very next day. (for more detailed images and specifications of the lines, please visit our website by clicking on any image) Fancy a more specialist fly line? We've got you covered there, take a look at these lines which are a little more specialised. We stock the phenomenal Triangle Taper lines from Royal Wulff, these lines are the perfect match to your small river rods (both carbon and glass): Royal Wulff Triangle Taper Floating Fly Line Joan Wulff Signature Floating Fly Line If you're looking for something to match with that classic cane rod, then we have you covered there as well: Ian Moxon Silk Fly Lines - made in Sheffield, UK Royal Wulff Bamboo Special Floating Fly Line Tight lines & stay safe

The Driffield Dun

Phone rings - "Do you sell maggots?""No, we're a fly fishing shop, we only sell flies", I reply - since opening the shop, I have this conversation at least twice a week.At the beginning of the year, I took a call that would spark my investigative gene. It was from a member of the West Beck Preservation Society asking if we had a fly called the Driffield Dun? - "Not yet!" was the answer, "but we'd love to". This is exactly the sort of fly we like - invented locally (allegedly) and something a little bit different, and so the research began ... For those of you who are not aware, the most northerly (fishable) chalk stream in Europe (Driffield Beck) is right on our doorstep (well, about 15 miles away - we can actually see the chalk hills that are its source from our shop doorway). The West Beck Preservation Society is a fishing club who are the custodians of parts of the famous Driffield Beck. NB. West Beck is the common name given to the upper section of the old River Hull, as it rises in the foothills of the Yorkshire Wolds. Over the next few weeks our conversations continued and it transpired that a club member who used to tie this specific fly for all for the other members was retiring (from tying them). So, they needed to find an alternate source for these little crackers, and as we were very local, thought we may be interested - too right we were! As you may (or may not) know, I am just starting out on my 'fishing book collecting' journey, depleting company funds at every opportunity that comes my way to expand the collection. The Driffield Dun gave me a chance for them to come in really useful, I could research the pattern and get something tied which would do the fly justice. I eventually found that the origins of the fly are shrouded in mystery - no one seems to know who (or where) it was invented.The only references I could find to the fly were in the following books:Modern Trout Fly Dressing by Roger Woolley - which just gives the basic dressing.Anglers Cavalcade by Eric Horsfall Turner - The fly is referenced a few times throughout the book, but nothing on who or where it was invented, just that it works!50 Favourite Dry Flies by T Donald Overfield - This has the most information, a couple of pages on the fly and it's tying, but again no reference to its originator - just a reference to an article in the Flyfishers' Club Journal called "Sarcelle" (Spring, 1922). If anyone has a copy I would love to see it! I did find a reference to the fly in A Dictionary of Trout Flies by A Courtney Williams, but this seems to suggest that the fly is fished 'wet' (see image above), which I am not sure is correct. After a few attempts were exchanged with the aforementioned 'Driffield Dun experts' we had the makings of a fly which we could produce commercially, but was still a pretty accurate representation of the original, and here it is: That looks great I hear you say, but when and why should I use one?Well, as you may be aware, once the mayfly season is over and the water levels start to recede, the trout seem to get very picky on the offerings we pass across their noses. This is the time of year when small and imitative is the key. We had these Driffield Duns tied for us in sizes 16, 18 & 20 (we shunned the larger sizes as we wanted a fly that would be successful in the summer months). They don't just look good, but they really work. Here's a recent communication from a very happy customer:"I had an interesting afternoon on the Taff on Sunday. Weather was nice and overcast with some light showers and plenty of fish rising. The only issue was the trout are very easily spooked on the smoother water at this time of year and despite using very light tippet and tiny CDC patterns I was managing to put one fish down after another. Just one careless cast was enough. I walked upstream for two miles with the same result in every pool I fished despite trying desperately not to disturb the small pods of trout rising steadily and taking small duns on the surface. I did get some fish to rise to my fly but they were “coming short” which was really frustrating. I tied on a selection your emerger patterns thinking that was the issue but with no luck. Finally on my way back downstream I cast across and slightly downstream to reduce the drag using a size 20 Driffield Dun to a quiet rise and I saw a beautiful one pound brownie follow it downstream and absolutely smash it much to my surprise. This time I made sure and got him safely into the net despite a great fight on such light tackle ….a cracking trout with striking well defined magenta spots on his flanks. He was quickly released and I smiled with relief as I watched him cruise back into his lie. It had taken me nearly three hours to catch one trout but it was all worth it. I trudged home through the cow pats and daisies tired but happy. Great fly the Driffield Dun….I’ll never be without them from now on!" - Richard Hughes, July 2021 Just treat it as you would a standard dry fly, but try using a longer leader and fish as delicate as you can get away with. Ok, you've sold me on then "What's the price?" I hear you ask - we are making these flies available to you as individuals for only £1.75 each. Generally, if you're in the UK you will receive your order the very next day. (for more detailed images and to buy the fly, click on any image or button above) Fancy Tying One Yourself?If you would like to have a go at tying one for yourself, here's the closest we can find to the original tying recipe: Hook: Size 14 Dry FlyThread: Grey SilkTail: Pale Ginger Cock Hackle FibresRibbing: Yellow Silk (unwaxed)Body: Rabbit Fur (lead coloured)Wing: 2 x Pale Starling Wing SlipsHackle: Pale Ginger CockI found it really interesting researching the origins of a very local and special pattern to me. If you think there are any other patterns - especially if it has an interesting back-story - please let me know and I will see what we can do! Hope you enjoyed reading that!Tight lines & stay safe.

The Small Fly Manifesto

Have you ever fancied trying to fish really small flies? Yes, then read on McDuff ... As the weather starts to warm up and the rivers drop to their summer low levels (with lower flows than normal), the fish generally tend to switch from the meaty Mayfly, to much smaller fayre. This is where stealth, longer leaders and small flies come into play. We would like to introduce our 'Small Fly Manifesto' a handy hints and tips sheet walking you through the tackle and techniques used for fishing with small flies:

Fly Fishing the Mayfly Lifecycle

Ever wondered why Mayflies are considered as one of the most valuable species in the world of fly fishing? The Ephemera danica, commonly known as the Mayfly, are one of the most important foods for trouts due to their nutritional factor and therefore play a very important role during the trout fishing season.

Add these classics to your digital bookshelf

Hi Everyone, Apart from the act of fly fishing itself, what better way to spend a rainy Winters day than to read about it. I have a particular obsession with old fishing books, I often read through sections of books to see how we can relate the information to modern-day fly fishing - it's surprising what you can find! As it is the weekend, and you may have a little more time, we thought that you would appreciate some more reading/research material. We have put together a few links to some classic books which are all free to reproduce and read online (as they are now out of copyright), we hope these will give you a good start in helping you discover the wonderful world of classic fly fishing literature. I'm always keen to learn more, so if you have any books you think I should know about, please feel free to share them with me - just reply to this email. The Fly-Fishers Entomology - Alfred Ronalds (1836) This is the book that started it all for us. A classic, and still relevant today - 150+ years later. Grab a coffee and have a read. North-Country Flies - Thomas EvanPritt (1886) T.E.Pritt described the soft-hackled wet flies in use among northern English anglers of his acquaintance, setting out the methods, fly patterns and techniques drawn from his experience. This account of North Country fishing in the UK found resonance with flyfishers around the world. Pritt had an influence in the works of Edmonds and Lee, Leisenring and Hidy, Sylvester Nemes. Dry-Fly Fishing In Theory and Practice - Frederick Halford (1889) Dry-Fly Fishing in Theory and Practice is Frederick Halford's second and most influential book on dry-fly fishing. It followed Floating Flies and How to Dress Them, these books gave birth to the Halfordian school of dry-fly fishing, especially on English chalk streams. This classic text also played a significant role in the development of dry-fly fishing in the USA. Dry Fly Entomology - Frederick Halford (1897) Another cracker from Fred - it's a brief description of the leading types of natural insects serving as food for trout and grayling which includes 100 of the best patterns of dry flies and the various methods of dressing them.

Charting Your Way To Success - Astute Fly Fishing

Hello All, It may sound odd, but February is one of my favourite months as far as fly fishing goes. It's a month where we say goodbye to the Grayling and wait in anticipation of what the imminent trout season will offer. It's a time to clean, check and update all of your gear, top-up those fly boxes (all bought from us, obviously!). But most of all I love to dream of what the upcoming season will bring; The first spring hatches Those balmy summer evenings by the river; and of course The Mayfly. I'm a firm believer that each river has its own nuances as far as fishing (and the fish contained within it) are concerned, and that the most successful anglers on any given stretch of water are the ones with the most experience of it. Generally in life there are no shortcuts, but there are ways to help your experience along a little quicker. But first, you need a little bit of context ... I fish the River Derwent in North Yorkshire - in fact, I pass it every day on the way to and from Barbless Flies HQ. I try to fish the river twice a week in all weather and river conditions throughout the year. As you might expect, I now know it pretty well. If you have ordered anything from us in the past you will know that we send out 'Hatch Cards' with every order - detailing which flies are hatching and which imitations to use for a specific month. For the whole of the 2020 season (when we were allowed to fish), I decided to use the info on the cards and make notes on which patterns worked (and more importantly, which ones didn't) for each fishing trip I made: It was at the end of the season that I dug out these cards and re-read my notes to see if I could make any sense of 'my fly fishing year' - a few things were apparent from the off: Size: All of the flies I was successful with were much smaller than I had originally thought (i.e. for the Yorkshire Derwent, size 18's were by far the most successful size throughout the year). Patterns: The majority of the patterns I used were more 'impressionistic' than realistic (i.e. my 'top' fly was a size 18 IOBO Humpy - doesn't really imitate anything specifically, but does give a good impression of most hatching insects). This set me thinking ... how can we use the past to influence how we fish in the future? The first thing you need is a good hatch chart (just like the one below - which, for today only, you can download for free) - this will give you an idea of which flies should be hatching, and when they should hatch: To download your Free Hatch Chart Click on the image above.

Bear Share

We hope this email finds you, your family and friends well. We would like to start by thanking you so much for your continued support, it really does bring a smile to our faces when we receive feedback from you. I've no doubt that both we and the entire fly fishing community will face many challenges over the coming weeks and months. It seems we are pretty fortunate in that our business is 100% online, and subject to any movement restrictions or government guidance, we will still be accepting orders (even though fly fishing is probably the last thing on anyone's mind right now) - please be aware that deliveries may take longer at this time. For anyone who is self-isolating, we are really proud to support our friends Oscar & Nell over at Bear Fly Fishing with their Bear Share initiative. If you've not already heard about it, here's the low down: Bear Fly Fishing are offering you a way to stay connected and part of the wider angling community whilst potentially being isolated or practising social distancing. They will connect you with another angler to form a penpal like relationship. They will try and connect you with someone in your area so you can fish together once this mayhem is over. You can exchange tips and tricks, teach each other different fly patterns, share exciting places to fish or provide a friendly ear for others' worries. It could also be a great way for people looking to learn to fish to connect with someone willing to teach them, even if it is virtually. Bear Share is a way to come together to support each other in this time of uncertainty. Allowing us to bring some fishing into our lives even at home and continuing to learn from one another. If Bear Share isn’t for you then please share it with someone who it might benefit, we would love to connect older anglers who can’t get outside right now with a younger angler that they can impart their wisdom to. So if you know anyone then please forward this and let them know. To sign up just follow this link and fill out a simple form.

Casting - Italian Style

For so many of us dry fly fishing represents the pinnacle of the sport. Successful dry fly fishing in rivers requires a combination of 3 elements:- river craft, fly presentation, and the fly itself. The first skill includes knowing the likely places where fish may lie, and to read the major and local micro-currents in the water flow.

Magnet-ique Launch

Over the past 12 months we have been working on a secret project which has just come to fruition this month. We have formed a sister company in partnership with a talented fly angler and designer (Darrell Upton).

Tackling up for Carp on the Fly

Expert "Carp Champions" Fly angler Jamie Sandford, give us a quick run down of what gear we will need when we want to target Carp on the fly.

Innovative Scuds

The Bacchus Bug Selection

Barbless. Clothing