A quick and super easy wire body midge pupa that is almost indestructible. Tie it in whatever colour and size you like. Ultra midge pupa fly pattern recipe How to tie the Ultra midge pupa fly – video Midge fly Continue reading Ultra midge pupa fly
One of my ‘go to’ patterns for searching big fish. This great nymph/streamer pattern is a relative easy tie, again using only basic materials. The zonker strip used here is mink but all manner of fur strips can be put … Continue reading Strip nymph – streamer
A great pattern when the trout are selective. Only basic materials are needed for this ‘ must have’ pattern for the caddis specialist, that can be fished static or as a skater. An easy fly to tie with a couple … Continue reading How to tie the Poly wing caddis
A nice pattern for most of the larger mayfly nymphs. Not only an easy but semi realistic tie but an extremely effective pattern with some good techniques that can be used for other nymphs. Large mayfly nymph pattern: How to … Continue reading Large mayfly nymph
Purple Haze dry fly is extremely popular attractor started life as a parachute Adams with a purple body. There are many interpretations of the purple haze, this is just one of them. Why it works, we don’t know but the … Continue reading Purple Haze dry fly parachute
A superb little CDC generic mayfly emerger that ticks all the boxes when the hatch is on. Tied in most sizes and colour combinations this is one of my top trout flies. CDC mayfly emerger pattern recipe Hook: Mustad C49S … Continue reading CDC mayfly emerger
This is my super quick hot glue ant, that with a little practice and preparation, takes less that 3 minutes to tie. With this technique you can tie flying ants in all black, red or as my personal favorite here … Continue reading Hot glue ant fly
A very simple yet functional caddis larva that can be tied in various colours and sizes. If you would like a lighter weight larva that can be fished closer to the surface just omit the tungsten bead and complete the … Continue reading Simple caddis/sedge larva
The Nighthawk was designed by the well known American architect Stanford White b.1853. And was appropriately named, as he was equally well known for seducing young women and teenage girls. On June 25, 1906 his womanizing caught up with him … Continue reading The Nighthawk feather wing
One of the legacy patterns from the late Andre Puyans. An ultra simple may fly emerger that only requires basic skill and materials. Tied correctly it will take fish just about all year round on both river and still waters. … Continue reading AP Pontoon emerger
Although this nymph is approaching 70 years old, it’s originator, Artist & illustrator John Atherton used European kingfisher for the original wing case. Perhaps using its iridescent blue to imitate the gas filled wing case of an emerging nymph, or … Continue reading Atherton Medium nymph
A simple yet extremely effective pattern that is easy to tie, but commands a little technique. A Deer hair drake with a parachute hackle that will float all day long and fool the most selective trout. Hook: Mustad R43 #8 … Continue reading Deer hair drake pattern
Heres an older pattern for a wet mayfly that can still hold its own today. Although not fished so much any longer this elegant style of mayfly is a pure pleasure to tie with its simple materials on a small … Continue reading Mayfly wet fly
Cul de Canard, Croupion de canard or CDC as it is more commonly known has become one of the most used materials in fly tying, but its not that long ago, that there where only a handful of fly tyers … Continue reading Historic CDC flies, F-fly, Moustique du Jura
One of my favorite Autumn patterns to fish. A soft hackle emerger that incorporates some classic materials and a couple of useful techniques. If you pull it through still water or swing it down and across stream you won’t be … Continue reading Soft hackle emerger
Different deer used in fly tying Here I would like to familiarize you with the different deer used in fly tying, the location of the hair on the animal, sex, age, colour, length and applications. Antelope This deer like Antelope … Continue reading The ultimate guide to deer hair part 3
Different hairs from different locations on a deer hide In this second part of the guide to tying with deer hair I will describe the different hairs from different locations on a deer hide. Hair from each part of the … Continue reading The ultimate guide to deer hair part 2
The Lady Mc Connell midge is an interesting, but yet straightforward tie that applies only basic materials. An effective still water pattern that represents an newly hatched adult midge fly. Lady Mc Connell pattern recipe How to tie Lady Mc … Continue reading Lady Mc Connell midge fly
Deer hair fly tying material Having been a passionate fly tyer and deer hunter for the best part of my life, It became a natural progression for me to embrace the material these animals have provided me with over the … Continue reading The ultimate guide to deer hair part 1.
Jack Gartside’s soft hackle streamers must be one of the most simple but effective fly fishing streamers ever devised! Jacks original recipe: Soft hackle streamer pattern Hook: Mustad 34007 Salt Water, 3406 Fresh Water Tying thread: 6/0 Colour to vary … Continue reading Gartside’s Soft hackle Streamer
As the name suggests, the Matarelli special is a truly special fly. The under body is constructed of a double length of heavy gauge copper wire that is twisted together. The two ends of the wire where tied in along … Continue reading Matarelli Special Salmon fly
A cracking little nymph with lots of bling. Three great materials, copper wire, Pheasant tail and peacock herl make this a great pocket water pattern that gets down deep quick. Copper pheasant tail nymph pattern recipe How to tie Copper … Continue reading Copper pheasant tail nymph
One of the original flies I have in my collection from the great Japanese fly tyer Ken Sawada. The great sedge is one of his original patterns from, I believe 1984. TAIL — Very small golden pheasant topping.BODY — Gold … Continue reading Great Sedge – Ken Sawada wet fly
One of the most highly regarded Irish wet flies tied here for both trout and sea trout. Not only a killer pattern but a great fly for the new beginner to tie and have success with. Bibio pattern Hook: Mustad … Continue reading Bibio & Jungle Bibio
One fly to match them all. A simple but extremely effective cripple mayfly pattern that with a little adjustment to size and colour will produce fish in most hatches. Mayfly Cripple emerger pattern recipe Hook: Mustad C49S # 10 Tying … Continue reading Mayfly Cripple emerger
Another good simple pattern that is quick & easy fly to tie. This generic caddis pupa has a couple of nice techniques and can be tied in a number of sizes, colours and weight to match your hatch or favourite … Continue reading Simple Caddis/Sedge pupa
The origins of this pattern are somewhat unsure. It can be traced back to the Mustad fly catalogue in the late 1920s and is listed in the Museum records as ‘being tied to customers requirements’. Others say it was tied … Continue reading Sølvdokka flue – Norwegian wet fly
A very quick and easy but realistic little stonefly that can be fished as an egg layer or spent. Tied on sizes 14-18 its perfect for the late summer – autumn hatch of needle flies. Hook: Mustad R43 # 14 … Continue reading Fluttering stonefly
One of the most popular patterns in the UK in recent years. When using marabou, the key to getting it right, is to get as much animation in the pattern as possible, it helps using the right marabou in combination … Continue reading Blue flash damsel nymph
The most popular dry fly in the world with a spun deer hair body! Could it get any better? The full tutorial on tying the Adams irresistible. Adams irresistible pattern recipe Hook: Mustad R30 # 10 Tying thread: Dyneema or … Continue reading Adams irresistible fly
Tandems or flies tied with a flying treble or double like Hugh Falkus’s famous Sunk Lure, have been used for sea trout fishing for decades. There are many ways of connecting the trailing hook to the leading hook but … Continue reading Sunk Lure streamer for sea trout
During late summer & autumn large numbers of crane flies begin to hatch and loose the battle against the elements and end their life on the water as trout food. This daddy long legs pattern has quick & easy detached … Continue reading Deer hair daddy long legs dry fly
Yellow mayfly This is one of those technique that has recently become extremely popular again, after being more or less shelved, for over four decades. The original Wally wing was created by Canadian tyer Wally Lutz in the early … Continue reading Yellow mayfly
This one feather flat-wing is a cracking pattern not only for the salt, but when tied in black or olive is a great fresh water big fish pattern. If you haven’t tied flat wings before this is probably the best … Continue reading Orange Ruthless flatwing streamer
One of the early British still water patterns created by Ken Sinfoil for catching ‘fry bashing’ trout. Fry bashing is the equivalent of a hatch but with newly hatched coarse fish fry. In August these large shoals of fry gather … Continue reading Sinfoil’s Fry a bait fish streamer
A very quick and easy, effective dry fly pattern for plant eating carp. The Mustad C67S super strong, egg, caddis hook, is kept afloat beautifully with this combination of CDC and marabou. Grass Carp Salad fly pattern Hook: Mustad C67S # … Continue reading Grass Carp Salad dry fly
One of the beautiful Bergman wet flies that is a treat to tie. There is something I find very therapeutic about tying these classic wets, but if I am doing a dozen or so, in one sitting, I become totally … Continue reading Colonel Fuller wet fly
A very simple but yet effective, all CDC emerger that uses a few nice CDC techniques for a super buoyant Hi-Vis emerger. Marc Petitjean pattern MP 2100 Petitjean MP 2100 pattern recipe Hook: Mustad C49S # 10 Tying thread: Sheer … Continue reading CDC Emerger MP 2100 – Petitjean
Fly fishing Streamers and lures that have a ‘black’ base colour probably catch more fish than any other colour! The Ace of spades was designed by UK still water angler Dave Collyer in the early 1970’s. Normally fished deep and … Continue reading Ace of Spades streamer
One of the true classic trout flies and without doubt the best known from the Wulff series, first tied by Lee Wulff in the early 1930’s. This version is a little unusual as its tied with a parachute hackle. Royal … Continue reading Parachute Royal Wulff
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