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The Jersey Herd

Beginners Lessons
The Jersey Herd

  The Jersey Herd was created by Tom Ivens for reservoir fishing in the early 1970s . It derived it’s name because the early pattern’s body was made from the gold colour foil on the milk bottles known as gold tops. At that time the Jersey cows were the ones milked to give the best […]

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Essential Tools

Tools and Materials
Tools

Vice – Today you can buy an adequate vice for as little as £20, but you can pay hundreds.  Buy the best you can afford. Scissors – You will need a pair of fine pointed very sharp scissors. Embroidery scissors are good. A good pair should last you for years as long as you don’t […]

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The Double Half Hitch

Techniques
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Those of you who have watched my flytying lessons will know that I favour the double half hitch for finishing off my flies rather than the whip finish. Do not be deterred from learning the whip finish either manually or by one of the various tools available. I learnt my fly tying over sixty years […]

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The Baby Doll

Beginners Lessons
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This fly originated in the very early 1970s and was attributed to a Brian Kench. It differs from earlier more traditional patterns in as much that there were no moving parts. Despite this it quickly found favour with the fly fishers of the day on the reservoirs and still waters, thanks mainly to the publicity […]

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The Shipmans Buzzer

Beginners Lessons
Shipmans Buzzer

This fly pattern was originated by Dave Shipman over 20 years ago. The original pattern was tied using white antron to make the fly float on an even keel in the surface film, imitating the midge emerging from its nymphal shuck. In recent years, CDC., because of its excellent floating properties, has become more popular. […]

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The Egg Fly

Beginners Lessons
The Egg Fly

Strictly speaking this is not a fly, something it has in common with many of the creations invented in recent years. However it does have its place in the fly box. The origins of this fly can be attributed to our American cousins. It was designed to imitate the salmon eggs which get dislodged from […]

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Daddy Longlegs (Crane Fly)

Intermediate Lessons
The Daddy Longlegs [Crane Fly]

The crane fly is a land based insect which features in the fly fisher’s armoury because it is an ungainly flier and regularly finds it’s way on to lakes and rivers by accident. They usually appear about August time and can be quite an abundant food source for the trout either on the surface or […]

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The Woolley Bugger

Beginners Lessons
The Woolley Bugger

This is a lure which is equally effective in rivers and stillwaters, particularly for rainbows. The most popular colours are olive, black, orange and red. Can be tied on longshank 8s, 10s, and 12s. For rivers I prefer a size 8 wet fly hook. Early season on stillwaters a size 8 L/S olive fished on […]

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The Cormorant

Beginners Lessons
The Cormorant

This fly has its origins in fly fishing competitions.  It is neither a nymph nor a lure but can be fished as either. Primarily a still water fly it can also be used on rivers and tied with  a silver or holographic body.  It bears more than a passing resemblance to a butcher , only […]

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The Stickfly

Beginners Lessons
The Stickfly

This fly has been popular with reservoir and stillwater trout fisherman since the seventies. It is an imitation of the caddis grub in its shell. The caddis grub eventually matures to be a sedge which is also popular with the trout. This fly can be tied on all sizes down from long shank 10s. Smaller […]

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