2wheels1rod

Gammarus Selection | Pimped Shrimps

Pimped Shrimps This week we are turning our attention to one of the most overlooked flypatterns - the humble shrimp (or Gammarus to give it its correct genus)!Gammarus (or the freshwater shrimp) forms the basis of the Trout & Grayling'sdiet. They may not be the main food source every day but they do make upover 70% of the annual diet of both the trout and grayling.The freshwater shrimp is usually found in all our UK rivers throughout the fullyear, making a shrimp/gammarus/scud pattern one of the first to try when thegoing gets tough - especially at this time of year.Freshwater shrimp are much more abundant in waters with higher pH values(for this read - chalk and limestone streams). As a part of the Riverfly Partnership's Monitoring Scheme on a local NorthYorkshire beck, it's not uncommon for thousands of freshwater shrimp to becaptured in a short 3-minute kick sample. These shrimp are a fantastic indicatorof how healthy the river is - as they are very sensitive to pollution. Why Use Gammarus shrimps? Simply because they are the most common invertebrates in the water at allpoints of the year, wild trout and grayling diets will consist mainly of shrimps.Therefore it makes sense to at least have a few in your box, especially duringthe months of high weed growth (Spring & Summer). These scuds work equallywell on both rivers and stillwaters. During the Grayling season and once the river trout season opens, it isessential that you have a selection of shrimps in your armoury - these are themost common invertebrates in the water at all points of the year - but especiallythe spring and early summer. What Tactics To Use? These patterns should be fished close to the river bed (hence the integratedbead to weight the fly), and dead drifted (shrimps do not swim against the flowof the river). These are ideal patterns to use in shallow water, close to weedbeds. See below in this email for many more hints and tips on fishing withShrimp patterns. Gammarus shrimps are found in virtually every river in the UK (andEurope) and are present all year round - just turn over the nearest rock whenyou are next on the water and take a look. They make up about 70% of thetrout and graylings annual diet. We only have a limited number (25) of our Gammarus Selections, so if ourprevious offerings are anything to go by, you will need to be quick off the mark!In total there are 16 flies supplied in our eco-friendly. packaging. All of theseflies are hand tied using barbless hooks, in sizes 14 and 18. These shrimps areonly available as a selection (4 patterns, 4 of each pattern) for only £20, clickany button or image to view the selection in more detail. *** We've only 25 of these selections - so if you want one you will need tobe quick *** Gammarus Shrimps Behaviour: Shrimps do not like really bright daylight - the become docile when it's really bright. Fish with them during lower light levels - when it's overcast, dawn or dusk, this is when they will be more active Shrimps are very good swimmers (but their sense of direction isappalling), they swim in really short bursts (often around in circles), sothere's no need to worry too much about presentation, just make sure youfish them on the river bed. Shrimps need to be fished as close to the river bed as possible - in deeper rivers try a sinking line with a short (4ft) leader. On shallower rivers use a floating line and longer leader. How to fish Gammarus Shrimps: Try casting around gaps in any weed beds and to the heads of pools which are just below the weed Gammarus shrimp love weed, rocks and silt Try using 2 x Gammarus shrimps of different colours (one bright & one dark) on droppers spaced 2ft apart Cast these above the target area, let them sink and then track them back downstream Keep in touch with the shrimp at all times by raising your rod tip as the fly comes back towards you I usually fish these using an indicator (as my nymphing skills still need a bit ofwork!). Typical Nymphing Leader Setup Shrimps are fished as you would any other nymph - just remember the goldenrule "if you're not getting snagged on the bottom, you're not fishing deepenough". A normal nymph leader setup would be to add a short (12") indicatortippet section to your fly line, to this add 1.5 x the depth of the water you arefishing of tippet (4x or 5x), then the shrimp (or a team of 2 or 3). In Other News ... I received a very excitable call early on Sunday morning, telling me to go andbuy the Sunday Telegraph and look at page 12 - I finished my coffee and didjust that. When I opened the page - there I was staring back at myself - all veryweird!A local photographer asked if they could come to our shop and take somephoto's back in early December - we happily agreed - the next thing youknow we're in the paper! I'm just glad that the flies take centre stage and I'm abit blurred out!Tight lines & stay safe. P.S. Remember to get your 10% discount and use your code.

Big Boy Nymph Selection

Firstly I would like to thank everyone who completed our short surveyearlier this week - your responses have been noted and will heavilyinfluence our product range for this coming year. It was also brought to my attention that in offering a discount toclubs/syndicates we (unintentionally) managed to ignore our regular customerswho are not in any club and predominantly fish using day tickets - to all of you,please accept my apologies. To remedy this oversight, if you fit the abovecriteria and would like to take advantage of the offer, please reply to this emailand I will sort you a personal discount code to use for all your future purchases.So, on to the main feature of this weeks email - Fishing for Grayling infast water ..

Unbreakable Ceramic Nymphs

There are no guarantees in fly fishing, if there were it would be called 'catching'instead of 'fishing' - and where's the fun in that! But having said that, we have- what we think is a first for the UK - flies that actually do come with aguarantee! This email may be a little long, but keep reading we think you willfind it worth the effort!Our NEW Barbless Unbreakable Heavy Ceramic Nymph Selections - ourfriend Stanislas Freyheit (of NymphEvolution) has come up with the goods andtied us a specialist selection of barbless super heavy ceramic nymphs (usingquality Doihku barbless hooks), especially good for targeting grayling in higherthan average rivers (with faster flows).

Even the postman won't know you've ordered these - delivered with the utmost discretion!

Flies For Stillwaters (that catch lots of fish!) Love them or loath them, it looks like they're here to stay, yes we're talking about Booby's. Best either fished deep on a sinking line (some of these patterns are specifically tied in the slightly larger sizes), stripped across the surface or used to hold a team of flies in the water column, these flies do catch fish (and divide opinions!). Don't worry though, you can always choose the Discreet Packaging option at checkout, so even the postman doesn't know what you've bought! For lots more tips on how to fish these flies, please see the bottom of this email. You will also find some news on recent website updates and NEW features we've implemented. The Booby is a staple fly in most Stillwater anglers boxes because it will provoke a response in a fish when all else fails. But what actually is a Booby and what does it imitate? A true Booby is tied on a short-shank wide-gape hook with a short and bulky body made from colourful fritz, with two round foam balls tied just behind the eye - hence the name Booby. The fly is not really supposed to imitate anything and acts more as a lure would. It's more of an attractor pattern that is designed to gain the attention of any passing fish. Show Me The Cat Booby Selection Show Me The Cat Booby Selection Love them or hate them these Cat Booby's are sure to provoke a response on those days when nothing else seems to work. This selection contains 12 flies (4 different patterns, 3 of each in size 12): Black Cat Thing Booby - 3 x Size 12 The Thing Cat Booby - 3 x Size 12 O-Cat Booby - 3 x Size 12 Razzle Ct Booby - 3 x Size 12 Our Cat Booby Selection contains 12 flies in total. We are offering this selection today for only £18. *** We only have very limited numbers of these - 20 to be exact - so you will need to be quick! *** Show Me The Cat Booby Selection Each of the Cat Booby's in this selection can also be ordered separately, just click on the button below to view all our different Booby patterns. Show Me All The Individual Booby's But wait ... we've got some more ... Show Me The Barbless Booby Selection Show Me The Barbless Booby Selection Love them or hate them these bright coloured Barbless Booby's are sure to provoke a response on those days when nothing else seems to work. This selection contains 15 flies (5 different patterns, 3 of each): Black Sparkler Booby - 3 x Size 12 Coral Booby - 3 x Size 12 Holo Kingfisher Diawl Booby - 3 x Size 14 Holo Olive Diawl Booby - 3 x Size 14 Olive UV Booby - 3 x Size 14 Our Barbless Booby selection contains 15 flies in total. We are offering this selection today for only £20. *** We only have very limited numbers of these - 25 to be exact - so you will need to be quick! *** Show Me The Barbless Booby Selection Each of the Boobys in this selection can also be ordered separately, just click on the button below to view all our different patterns. Show Me All The Individual Booby's Go on, you know you want to! How To Fish The Booby There are loads of different ways the Booby can help increase your catch rate when fishing stillwaters. Here's are just a few tips to help you on your way: From the bank - When fishing from the bank you can utilise the floating properties of the Booby to suspend a small fly (think Diawl Bach or Cruncher) completely motionless in the water column - setting a trap for any passing fish. On the bottom - when in the colder months the fish are hard on the lake bed, try using a sinking line with a very short (3ft to 5ft) leader with a booby on the point and a small nymph/bloodworm on a dropper. This setup will allow the booby to fish 'popped up' just above the lake bed and the nymph/bloodworm exactly in the place the fish would expect to see them. The Washing Line - This technique is very popular on larger expanses of water and is especially successful when the fish are up in the top third of the water column. Essentially it uses to Booby (tied to the point of a long leader - 12ft to 16ft) to suspend a number of nymphs on short droppers in the surface of the water. Just cast it out and let any wind impart movement in your flies. Website Updates & News Over the last few weeks, we've been really busy updating our website. The majority of the changes have been made behind the scenes, but there are a few which you may have noticed, just in case you haven't, here they are: Discounts - We've updated the basket/cart process to implement a tiered discount on all our flies, we have 2 discount tiers - 5% and 10%. When you add flies to your basket you will see the requirements for you to take advantage of the discounts. Weights - We've been busy weighing all of our nymphs - it's taking ages, but we are geeks at heart! You will see that from our menu system you can now choose your nymphs by weight (light, medium & heavy). Hook Sizes - We've also added some extra functionality to allow you to further refine your searches by hook size. For example, if you choose to view all our Mediumweight Grayling nymphs, you can then further refine this by hook size. If there are any other alterations/additions you would like us to make to the site, please let me know (by replying to this email). We're always open to any suggestions - so long as they're legal!

The fifth in our series of 'All You Need For ...' kits - fill your boots.

Give yourself the best possible chance of snagging your season's best this Autumn. Read on McDuff ... It is often said that to catch a big fish you need a big fly – that’s not necessarily the case – but usual in the late trout season, in my experience the one fly fishing method which more often produces the bigger fish is streamer fishing. Streamers are large lures which are tied in various patterns – but they all imitate one thing, small fish. Not much can compare to the adrenaline rush when you see a large trout chasing your streamer! The 'All You Need For ...' series is aimed to try and simplify each technique and de-mistify the secrets used to deploy it. All You Need For ... Streamer Fishing is supplied to you with everything you need for those late-season trips to the water searching for those larger fish. Show me All You Need For ... Streamer Fishing Ok, so whats included in the box? To start with we have Squirrel Zonkers from Polish Quills - the best in the business: Next, we have Minnows, Snakes & Micro Streamers And don't forget the Micro Hot-Spot Larvo-Streamers: And last, but not least, a few extra's: View our All You Need For ... Streamer Fishing What streamers are included in the box: • 1 x Squirrel Zonker (Natural) - Size 8• 1 x Squirrel Zonker (Rusty Brown) - Size 8• 1 x Squirrel Zonker (Golden Olive) - Size 8• 2 x 'The Minnow' - Sizes 10 & 12• 4 x Snakes (White, Olive & Black)• 4 x Pink Mini Streamers - Sizes 10 & 12• 4 x White Mini Streamers - Sizes 10 & 12• 2 x Mini Hot-Spot Larvo Streamers - Size 12A total of 19 Streamers (in various sizes). You're going to need more than just the flies though, so we're also including: • 1 x MagMicro (new for 2021) including a MagHub backing plate - to keep your flies nice and safe• 1 x Varivas Super Tippet (Fluorocarbon) 4X (5.1lb)• 1 x Set of knot cards for the various knots used• 1 x How to Setup & Fish Streamers Information SheetGo on, treat yourself this Autumn! Ok you got me - take me to the Streamer Fishing box We are bringing our All You Need For ... Streamer Fishing box to you for only £49.99 (retail price for all the individual components bought separately would be in excess of £69). We've only got 20 of these available, so you will need to be quick! Just click on any image or button within this email to see more details on each component and buy your box. We deliver all orders fast and free, anywhere in the world If you like the look of any of the streamers included in this box, the majority can be bought individually, click the button below to view them Show Me The Individual Streamers How To Fish Streamers Included within the 'All You Need For ... Streamer Fishing' set are full instructions on how to choose your gear, set it up and fish it, here's a quick excerpt on 'rod choice': View our All You Need For ... Streamer Fishing Each of our 'All You Need For ..' boxes includes simple step-by-step instructions and everything you need to get you started. If there are any others which you think we should do, just reply to this email and let us know.

Cormorants You Will Welcome On Your Local Water

Micro Cormorants Something for you Stillwater (and river streamer) aficionados today! A twist on a well-known lure - The Cormorant. Cormorants are lures that are generally tied with a thin body and black marabou wing and have a huge following in the UK. The flies we have for you today are Micro Cormorants - called 'Micro' because they are tied on size 12 hooks (for weight), but the tying only covers half of the hook shank, it is in effect a small fly tied on a large hook - think of them as an upside-down Diawl Bach! At the end of this email we have included some tips on how to best fish these (and other lures). Read on McDuff ... View Our Micro Cormorant Selection The Cormorant fly/lure does not exactly imitate a specific insect, but rather it gives a general impression of a wide range of foodstuffs - insects, small fish & even snails. Micro Cormorants are a great point fly when fished using a very slow figure of eight retrieve on a floating line. Especially when the going get's tough and the fish are not responding to your normal tactics. This pattern is a great attractor/lure. Our Micro Cormorant Selection contains 12 flies in total, 4 each of the following patterns in size 12: Micro Quill Cormorant Micro Pearl Cormorant Micro Tango Cormorant These Micro Cormorants are available as a selection of 12 and are available now for only £18, including free delivery. We only have around 30 of these selections available, so if you would like one you will need to be quick! View Our Micro Cormorant Selection How To Fish Cormorants / Lures When fishing lures (and big flies) it's all about control and your connection with the fly. A shorter leader helps you keep better control of the fly and how it fishes. Start with a level piece of mono 4 to 6 feet long - when in doubt, go shorter. There are 2 main types of retrieve employed when lure fishing: the stripped retrieve and the swing (down and across on rivers). Just remember to keep in touch with the fly and try to impart some action into it as the fly moves in the current. On Stillwaters - You have a few options when fishing these Cormorants. You can treat them, and fish them, as you would an emerging buzzer - i.e. fishing static and just under the surface; or fish them as you would any other lure on your favourite stillwater - using short leaders with a short jerky retrieve. Rivers - High Water - When the rivers are running higher than normal or coloured, try running these flies through the back eddies. Keep out of the main flow, and think like a minnow! Also try dead drifting the Cormorant downstream, then retrieve it back (across the flow) with the odd twitch. Rivers - Low Light Conditions - With trout feeding more confidently in low light conditions, try a Cormorant after the evening rise has finished. You will be surprised and what you can catch (even in just a few inches of water). Concentrate on fishing the tails of pools and shallower riffles. It's also worthwhile pulling one through any flat water just as nightfall starts, again, trout feed more confidently after dusk.

The Right Flies, at Just the Right Time - The September Selection

It's September and this month is usually dominated by 3 hatches: Terrestrials - September is known for the Daddy-Long Legs, and Beetles - we've got you covered for those in this months selection. Sedges - Don't get to the river without any sedge patterns in September, it's one of the most popular flies encountered both at the beginning and end of the day. Iron Blues - The re-appearance of the Iron Blue, in the late season is a bonus for the fly angler. Olives - In its various forms, the most common up-winged fly on the rivers in September. To tie in with our Fly Anglers Almanac (which is still available to buy, click here), we are making available to you, each month, a selection of the flies - allowing you to 'match the hatch'. Ok I'm Convinced - Show Me The September Selection Our September Selection contains 26 flies (18 dries & 8 nymphs): Deadly Daddy - 1 x size 10 Glo Daddy - 1 x size 10 Willow Daddy - 1 x size 10 Griffiths's Sparkle Gnat - 2 x of size 14 Indicator Sedge Caddis - 2 x sizes 14 & 16 Iron Blue Dun - 1 x sizes 14 & 18 Iron Blue Emerger - 1 x sizes 14 & 18 Parachute Iron Blue - 1 x sizes 14 & 16 Olive Foam Klinkhammer - 1 x size 14 and 2 x size 18 Olive Quill Tungsten Nymph - 2 x size 18 Orange-Head Mary Tungsten Nymph - 2 x size 18 Snail Bomb - 2 x size 12 Black Bead Beetle - 2 x size 12 Our September Selection is in stock and available now for only £30 (that's over a 15% saving on buying them individually). As always we offer fast, free delivery to anywhere in the world Go on, fill your boots! Show Me The September Selection As you may be aware we used to provide a subscription service, called The River Box, which has now been discontinued due to the costs of the software to run it! We have decided to make a selection of flies from the book available each month - no need to signup for a subscription, just buy them as and when you want them. (for more detailed images and sizes of each fly, please visit our website by clicking on any image or button in the email) The September Selection This months selection includes one of the best terrestrial flies used in the autumn months. Great in warm/damp windy conditions. Fish often miss these when they rise, so you will have to time your reactions accordingly! The Deadly Daddy The Glo Daddy The Willow Daddy Show Me The September Selection When fishing Daddy Long Legs patterns it is important to try to imitate their entry to the water as naturally as possible, this is where those who cast with not too a delicate presentation come to the fore! - try the 'Splash & Twitch' technique, below. Tips On Fishing Terrestrial Patterns In the autumn afternoons, a Daddy pattern is an essential searching pattern, when fish are not rising. To search a river: 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. To search a Stillwater: From the bank, imagine a fan with 8 points laid out on the water. Cast to each point of the fan 3 or 4 times, and retrieve using the "Splash & Twitch" technique (see below). Move further along the bank and repeat the process. "Splash & Twitch" Technique With each of the searching methods mentioned above, why not give the "Splash & Twitch" technique a go. As Daddy Long Legs are a land-based insects, they are regularly blown onto the water, and they are not that elegant when they do! Don't worry about perfect presentation, it is often better for the fly to splash down on the water, Keep in touch with the drift as the water brings the fly back to you and give the fly a slight twitch every now and then. You will be amazed how often this inducement will bring up a fish! "Dry Nymph" Technique Most natural terrestrials start to sink after hitting the water. If your floating terrestrial pattern sinks midway through a drift, just fish it as you would a nymph. Some of the best fishing to be had on an autumn afternoon can be by fishing sunk beetles as you would a nymph on a long leader. Show Me The September Selection September Hatches To get you ready for fishing in September, we have reproduced our specific hatch cards for both Rivers and Stillwaters below:

The Ascending Nymph - A Flymph?

The Flymph We've something a little different for you this week, which is equally at home in both rivers and stillwaters - it's a Flymph. I came across the term 'flymph' when doing a bit of research on our Reverse Tied flies, and then a couple of days later it cropped up again on a Facebook post by a friend - who had tied some up and was having great success with them. So I contacted him to get the low-down on the pattern and what it is about them that makes them so successful. Thanks for the info and samples Philip - you're a star. If, like me, you'd never heard of such a fly before then Read on McDuff ... View Our Flymph Selection I purchased a copy of the definitive text on the Flymph (The Art of Tying The Wet Fly and Fishing The Flymph; by J.E. Leisenring & V.S. Hidy, 1971). Within the book a Flymph is defined as: "A wingless artificial fly with a soft, translucent body of fur or wool which blends with the undercolor of the tying silk when wet, utilizing soft hackle fibers easily activated by the currents to give the effect of an insect alive in the water, and strategically cast diagonally upstream or across for the trout to take just below or within a few inches of the surface film." So essentially a flymph is a soft-hackled wet fly that is fished just under the surface - similar to what we know today as an emerger pattern. View Our Flymph Selection It seems that the way these nymphs are tied (and fished) is the key to their success. They are tied with quite thick bodies and soft hackles (very different to the traditional spider patterns we now know as North Country Spiders). They are then cast 'up and across' when on rivers (or around weed beds and any moving water on stillwaters), and allowed to sink a little. With their bodies being tied quite straggly (to trap air pockets) it can be difficult to sink them at first - that's where that bottle of Xink that you've never used before comes in handy! By keeping in touch with the fly as it moves in the water column, you can detect takes immediately. You can also impart action on the flymph by slowly raising and lowering your rod tip whilst the flymph is in the water - similar to an 'induced take'. View Our Flymph Selection Our Flymph Selection contains 4 each of the following patterns in size 14: Large Dark Olive Flymph Pale Evening Dun Flymph Light Hare Dun Flymph Good Luck Chuck Flymph These flymphs are only available as a selection of 16 and are available now for only £20, including free delivery. We only have a few of these selections available, so if you would like one you will need to be quick! View Our Flymph Selection

Another Stunning Selection - Direct from Bosnia

Our guy in Bosnia has done it again, we asked him to tie us some patterns which would entice fish in unpredictable conditions (that was all the brief we gave him) and he's done the business yet again. Also, take a look at the end of this email for some 'Top Tips' on getting the most out of your Late Season Trout (and Grayling) fishing. On my local small stream, it's been quite hard fishing of late, especially with the recent changeable river levels, it's either really low or up around your waist and the colour of a decent pint of bitter! Even with the higher levels, I am still finding that 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 and evenings, using these small emergers and indicator dries - even in the Theakston's IPA coloured water. Following along the lines of 'small and imitative' we have just received these stunning late-season dry flies from or man in Bosnia. These flies have been specifically tied for fishing in the (sometimes) challenging late-season river conditions. Take a look at them below: *Our selection does not include the fly box as shown in the above image - they are just arty shots of the various patterns! Show Me The Bosnian Summer Dry Fly Selection Our Bosnian Late Season Dry Fly Selection consists of 8 flies, 2 each of 4 separate patterns: CdC Emerger patterns: Hot-Spot Pheasant Tail CdC Emerger - Size 18 Last Light CdC Emerger - Size 18 Up-Winged CdC Dry Flies: Olive CdC Indicator - Size 18 Orange CdC Indicator - Size 18 We are supplying 2 of each of the above patterns, that's 8 flies in total for only £16. This premium Bosnian Late Season Dry fly selection is very limited (we only have 30 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! Show Me The Bosnian Summer Dry Fly Selection Late August River Tactics Just recently 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!). Take advantage of the Low Water If you are a keen Grayling angler, then now is the time to survey the river you fish. If you regularly fish the same stretch for Grayling, now is your best chance, whilst the river bed is exposed, to take a look and note where the contours, deep holes and drop-offs are, and spot the likely fish holding places. This information will come in really useful when the water levels rise again and when the Grayling season starts in anger.

The Last Knockings

The Last Knockings We are now careering towards the end of the river trout season, this generally heralds a burst of insect activity, just ready for the trout to start feeding up ready for spawning. This is the time to start using those slightly larger dry flies, especially the Adams. The Adams is a fly which should be in all river anglers boxes. This style of fly was originally tied by Leonard Halladay and named after his good friend Charles Adams (from “The History of Fly Fishing in Fifty Flies”, by Ian Whitelaw). No one is really sure which insects these flies imitate (a good guess would be an olive), but they really do work well. Generally tied in two different styles, the original and the 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 View Our Adams Selection Hi-Viz Parachute Adams Tied in the parachute style (with the hackle wrapped horizontally), with a yellow sighting post and is in the original colours. Our selection includes 2 of each in sizes 14 & 16. Adams Thorax Tied in the original style (with the hackle wrapped along a quarter of the hook), with a tall sighting post and is in the original colours. Our selection includes 2 of each in sizes 14 & 16. Parachute Adams Tied in the parachute style (with the hackle wrapped horizontally), with a white sighting post and is in the original colours. Our selection includes 2 of each in sizes 14 and 16. Also includes 2 each of the micro versions in sizes 20 and 24. View Our Adams Selection Our Adams Selection consists of 16 barbless Adams variants, comprising 4 different patterns (in 2 sizes). Our Adams flies are available as a selection for £18, or individually for £1.25 each. Fancy A Different Adams? If you're looking for a slightly different style of Adams fly, we've got you covered: Adams Dry £1.50 Buy Now Adams Dinkhamer £1.85 Buy Now Irresistible Adams £1.75 Buy Now *** Delivered Fast & Free to Anywhere in the World *** New Silk Fly Lines So, why would you use a silk line then? We're glad you asked: They have no memory - completely limp. There's no stretch - improved hookups. They are denser than plastic fly lines and therefore much thinner; and thinner lines mean much less wind resistance. They float better than plastic fly lines - they float on the water surface, not in it making roll casts and mending line much easier. You get 3 lines in one; When fully greased it's a floating Line, grease everything except the tip and you have a midge-tip line, don't grease it and you have an intermediate/sinking line. Each of the lines are made with extra-fine tips - it's like having a built-in furled leader. They can last a lifetime - so long as they are cared for and stored correctly a silk line can last a lifetime - and indeed will get better with age. View Our Silk Lines We've only got 1 of each of these - so grab your's while you can, to save you trawling through the lines on our site, here are the ones we currently have in stock and ready to ship (Weight/Colour/Length/Price): Level - Ivory - 12m - £34.99 DT3 - Orange/Buff - 25yds - £94.99 DT3/4 - Dark Red - 22m - £89.99 DT4 - Orange/Buff - 14m - £49.99 DT4 - Unfinished - 25yds - £49.99 DT4 - Orange/Buff - 25m - £94.99 DT4 - Buff - 26yds - £94.99 DT4 - Red/Buff - 26 to 28yds - £94.99 DT6 - Red - 30yds - £99.99 DT8 - Red - 32yds - £109.99 View Our Silk Lines Each of our Silk lines are shipped with a handy box (to keep them in when not on the reel), a pot of Mucilin (to grease them with), a microfibre cloth (to clean/help dry them) and full line care instructions. These lines are made in the UK (in Sheffield, Yorkshire to be precise), by Ian Moxon and are great value for money, from only £34.99 for the shorter level line up to £109.99 for the full-length DT8 - we've even got a half-line.

Summer Stillwaters = Barbless Buzzers - we love an alliteration

Barbless Buzzers Welcome to this weeks email, all about Buzzers. A Buzzer is basically an imitation of the pupa of a midge (chironomid), most people will already know midges! Midges are abundant in every Stillwater and are a staple diet of the trout which live there, therefore buzzers are sometimes the go-to fly for the Stillwater angler. We've also a few tips for you river addicts to help you get the most from low waters. Read on McDuff ... View Our Barbless Buzzer Selection How To Fish Buzzers Buzzer fishing on stillwaters is generally dependent upon the wind: When it's Still: Use a floating line, long leader and a team of three buzzers. Cast out and, before the flies start to sink, pull the line to straighten out the leader. Then pause (keeping in touch with the flies) and wait for the flies to drop, takes usually come with the buzzers on the drop. You should spot a take before you feel it, keep an eye on the fly line and leader for any abnormal movement. If the buzzers hit the bottom, just a few pulls on the fly line should bring them back to the surface, and you can start again by letting them sink. When it's Windy: Still use a floating line, but this time use a shorted leader. Check the direction of the wind and cast out across the wind (i.e. the wind is side-on to you) - always make sure the wind is to your left shoulder if you are right-handed (and the right shoulder if you are left-handed). Again, using a team of three buzzers, cast out and allow the buzzers to drift with the wind. You should not need to retrieve your line, as the wind will make sure your leader straightens up. Again, you will usually see the take before you feel it - just remember to strike in the opposite direction to the direction your flies are moving. Once at the end of your drift, lift the flies slowly from the water, it's surprising how many fish take your buzzers as you're about to re-cast! View Our Barbless Buzzer Selection These buzzer flies are great imitations and come in a variety of colours (all tied on barbless hooks - of course!). In total there are 24 buzzers supplied in our eco-friendly packaging. All of these flies are hand tied using barbless hooks, in sizes 12 and 16 using quality materials. Once again, we do not charge anything for delivery, to anywhere in the world. Buzzer patterns included in our selection are: Glass Black Buzzer Traffic Light Buzzer Blakestons Buzzer Superglue Buzzer Quill Olive Buzzer Bibio Buzzer Our Barbless Buzzer Selection contains 2 each of sizes 12 & 16 of all the above patterns, that's 24 buzzers in total. These flies are only available as a selection of 24 and are available now for only £24, including free delivery. We only have a few of these selections available, so if you would like one you will need to be quick! View Our Barbless Buzzer Selection If rivers are more your thing: Here's a few timely tips for upping your success on rivers this week: On my local beck, it's been quite hard fishing of late, especially with the low water levels we are seeing. Even with the low levels, I am still finding that the fish are playing hard to get, the go-to tactic is the Duo method using our Dinkhammer flies. Using 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. Target these with a Duo/Klink n Dink setup (use a small beaded nymph - size 18 or smaller). Take advantage of the low water - If you regularly fish the same stretch, look at the riverbed 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.

Can't see what the trout are feeding on? - Try these

Summer Success = Small Dries I'm writing this after a few very wet days (I even considered starting to build an ark), but my local beck is already dropping to even lower than its usual summer level, and that's when to break out the small flies. During the warmer summer weather with low flows and even lower rivers, most of the fish during the day will head for cover. This will usually be in deep pockets, undercut banks and under their favourite overhanging trees/bushes. When they are hanging out under trees and bushes they are in the perfect spot for opportunistic meals which will either float past or drop from overhanging vegetation. This is when you should break out the small dry flies. We have a few things for you today, including a freebie for which you might be able to find a good home. Read on McDuff ... The Micro Dry Selection from Polish Quills View Our Micro Dry Selection These stunning Micro Dry Flies from Polish Quills are exquisite and so nicely tied they are amazing, so we thought we would create a small selection from them. We are supplying these flies in a selection of 10 flies including Ginger, Grey, Green, Olive & Yellow all in size 20. These flies are essentially very small emerger patterns with a CdC wing and dubbed coloured bodies. Being very small (some only measure 4mm long), they require fine tippet, we have checked them with tippet and can thread 7X (0.10mm) through them. You might be wise to rig these flies up on short lengths of tippet before you venture out fishing though! View Our Micro Dry Selection These are great dry flies for stealthy fishing on those low and slow rivers. These flies are only available as a selection of 10 and are available now for only £20, including free delivery. We only have 30 of these selections available, so if you would like one you will need to be quick! Leader Setup for Small Flies Firstly, when setting up your leader for fishing very small dry flies, do not use fluorocarbon tippet, as this will sink and drag your fly under with it, use a thin supple mono (there are plenty to choose from such as Stroft & Orvis SuperStrong Plus etc). When building your leader, take note of the river size, if you are fishing a small overgrown stream, it's going to be difficult in most places to cast a 14ft leader, so try cutting back a 9' 6X leader by a few feet, and replacing what you cut off with your chosen tippet. All it means is you will need to wade very carefully in order to not spook any fish. Which Cast To Use? Try a Bow & Arrow cast to get your fly into those tight spots: Hold the dry fly with your free hand (by the bend of the hook) Whilst trapping the fly line with your finger on the rod, force a bend into the rod Using the rod tip as a sight, point it to where you want the fly to land and release the fly Out she flies hopefully landing in your chosen spot. It may take a bit of practice to get the cast exactly right, so try it in a spot where you will not disturb any fish to get your accuracy first. Top Tips When Fishing Small Dry Flies Here's a few tips to help you when fishing with small dry flies, which we hope you find useful: Use the most flexible and limp tippet material you can find, often in 6X & 7X. If possible, do not use fluorocarbon, as this will sink and cause even more drag. Make the tippet length form about 30% of the total leader length. This can make the tippet pile up when presented, which may give you a few more seconds of drag free drift. The majority of the time you will lose sight of the dry fly once you have cast it. One option is to de-grease your leader, but leave the last foot near the fly, this should then allow you to see the leader and then track it to your fly. Another option to indicate where your fly is positioned, is to use a minute yarn sight indicator, place it about 3 feet up your leader. Alternatively, why not fish with 2 dry flies, about 18" apart. Use one with a visible sighting post in size 18 and then maybe a size 24 dry as a point fly. Straight Talking - An Introduction to River Fly Fishing If you, or someone you know, are just getting into our fantastic sport, then we have just the thing for you - and best of all, we're giving them away for FREE, until the end of this week: Over the last few months, we've received loads of calls asking how to get into river fly fishing, also asking what the different terms actually mean etc. So we've spent the last couple of months putting together this small ring-bound booklet to try and demystify all the language and give as much info as we can on how to get you started fly fishing rivers. It has 32 concise pages, all the info you need to get you started, from choosing equipment, setting it up and identifying where to fish. We've also included all of our monthly hatch diagrams. It's a 32-page ring-bound booklet (A6 in size), which we feel sure that you will find helpful - and we're giving it away for FREE to our loyal email community. Get your FREE copy here - Just add it to your basket As previously stated, we are giving our 'Intro to River Fly Fishing' booklet away for FREE, you don't even have to order anything from us (it would be nice if you did though!), just click the button above and add it to your basket, we will also ship it to you for free - so what have you got to loose!

Innovative Scuds

The Bacchus Bug Selection

Barbless. Clothing