Recent comments

Paul,

I never tie

Paul,

I never tied these flies on heavy tubes, but I guess that using copper or aluminum would be an option. Personally I'd go for weight in the lower tube the main reason being that the size of these flies would mean adding a lot of weight using a full length copper tube. I also think the concentrated weight in the front of the fly would induce a nice, diving motion.

I don't think the fly would turn upside down no matter what you did with weight, because the wing on the top of the fly would keep it upright anyway. But you'd have to test this yourself.

And speaking of weighted flies: I personally prefer a heavy line to a heavy fly - especially in this weight class. I hate casting both, but a heavy line and a light fly seems to be more manegable than the opposite.

PS: Pete Gray who originated these flies, sent me a new set of pictures showing how to tie them, and I think a whole new article on the subject will find it's way to the site soon.

Martin

Thanks Martin for th

Thanks Martin for the great fly designs over the years. You have caught a lot of fish for me!
Now my question. I fish stripers in a heavy current where it is hard to get a fly down.
Have you ever used a copper tube as the long tube? It might be necessary to change
something as the fly would ride upside down.
Thanks
Paul

Charles,

I am a b

Charles,

I am a biologist myself and have seen many specimens of Nereis during my studies, but spotting the difference between N. virens and N. diversicolor is not one of my core competences.

I stand corrected. Thanks!

Martin

ah yes, the woolly b

ah yes, the woolly bugger. the greatest fly, the fastest fly to tie, shit man you can build them any way you care to, and still the fish take them. any fish will take a bugger. from size 6 to size12, it really don't matter. the greatest fly.

Hi Martin, sorry, bu

Hi Martin, sorry, but I believe that the animal in the picture is an immature specimen of Nereis virens, not Nereis diversicolor. I've worked on both. Regards. Charles.

Hi Pike...Yes I am very lucky

Hi Pike...Yes I am very lucky, although it is 4 hours from where I live in Derbyshire to Hampshire where I do my SWFFing. I only get to fish there for a week every 4 or 5 weeks, when visiting family. The SWFFing "bug" has got inside my head and it's my favourite kind of fishing. I too would love to fish in Denmark, the Seatrout fishing looks amazing. If you have Facebook why not join our group, there are lots of pictures of where me and my friends fish.
Take care and tight lines.
David

You are very lucky

David, you are very lucky you have access to the sea.
I like coastal flyfishing very much but unfortunately there is no sea here in Czech republic.
Sea bass, mullet, cod, mackerel or sea trout, it would be enough for me.
Fortunately it is only 8 or 10 hours by car to Denmark, so I hope I will be at the danish coast soon.

Could it be that the

Could it be that the world of modern art has finally reached the world of fly tying? These flies would hardly fall in the category of impressionist. The quality is certainly the most distressing trait, for while they might catch a fish (singular), it would have to be done quickly before they came apart.

Cheers,
MiLo

Without a tungsten b

Without a tungsten bead, the fly will be much lighter, in fast water, you might not get the fly down to the feeding depth.
As for gold beads, the flash can act as an attractor. Getting the fish's attention.
For fish that gets a lot of fishing pressure, a black bead might be better. The fish might get use to the gold flash. The fly don't have so much bling and looks more natural.

I tie and use Copper

I tie and use Copper Joes in red, black, green and copper. I have found them to be as effecive as the much harder to tie Copper John. The Joe is a great nymph pattern on the Rio Penasco in Southeastern New Mexico.

Is there an advantag

Is there an advantage of a gold tungsten bead over a black tungsten bead or no bead at all?

Hi Jocelyn Le Blanc

Hi Jocelyn Le Blanc
Nice article and no doubt your blessed with phantastic waters!!!!
cheerio Heiko

the split antron is

the split antron is aa great technique. Thanks a lot..

I have had many wond

I have had many wonderful evenings fishing for lake rainbow trout using squirrel tail blue dun wets and catching fish after fish as people just shook their heads wondering what "magic fly" I was using. These patterns are very much overlooked these days I think.. and the photography is pure 'eye candy." wonderful plates. thanks.. I was looking for Wickhams Fancy and there it was..

My wading jacket has

My wading jacket has those side pockets for warming your hands. I put tippets/splitshots/small trash in there. You hardly notice them when you put your hands in, if you empty them often enough. So when you go past a trash can, hand into pocket and out and you are green. This is also the fastest way to dispense little trash that comes while fishing.

When I'm near my backbag, I put the trash that comes during visiting the bag (food wrappers etc.) in there.. So whenever I make trash, I'm either next to the backbag or my pocket. I must admit that my pockets and backbag is filled with trash sometimes, but atleast they are clean trash.

Also I don't understand why there is not a rant about lead. Nowadays it is easy and cheap to replace weights (splitshots, under body etc.) with lead-free materials that doesn't harm the nature as much.

I like both picture

I like both picture and fly. it looks great.

Hi Wayne,

The sma

Hi Wayne,

The smallest size I have tied the fly is 14, I just have not seen smaller sizes of the real insects in our rivers.
For example, if you look at the picture with the real caddis larva and the two flies in my hand, the size of the hook for the flies there is # 8.
And yes, I use much thinner yarn for the smaller flies, may be one half to one third part of this I had showed, it depends on the size of the fly.

Best regards

Rado

Have you ever gone t

Have you ever gone to a smaller size hook like an 18 or 20 and if so, do you recommend maybe spliting the antron in half so that the fly isn't so fat?

For David

David, thanks a lot. it looks really good.

rgds

Hi Pike....The hair is

Hi Pike....The hair is Supreme Hair, the colours are white, olive and black. I have also tied a slightly different one using DNA Holofusion.
Regards David

Material used for this fly

David, the fly looks very interesting. Would you be so kind and could you provide me with the name of hair you used for the body (wing) of this fly? Is it DNA or Ultra hair?

Thanks a lot

Hi guys . Im going to

Hi guys . Im going to Bornholm in april as every year.I have got a problem about wading shoe `s in winter or in early spring. Should I buy any neopren waders as usuall or made from other kind of material which are weight much less and how should I be clothed not to freeze in the sea. Ineed some advivice about this subject 😢

Sweet! We have a bit

Sweet! We have a bit of that down this way too. And I can say it is good practice for saltwater redfish.

Gareth,
I'm sure we

Gareth,
I'm sure we are going to have a lot of great fishing places when all fishermen understand that they don't have to "eat the ball" to succeed fishing.
Thanks,