Flicking feathers

  W.C. Stewart's classic The Practical Angler is one of the most important texts on river wet fly fishing. Although now over 100 years old the book contains a lot of information on flies, fly tying and fishing techniques that are still applicable today and deadly once mastered. The book is also an interesting piece of angling history for those who are interested in that aspect of our sport too. So give it a read, try the methods and help keep these traditional fly fishing skills alive. The practical angler is available here: https://amzn.to/3kLyBSW Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3EZxneY Amazon.com Book of the month 6 is available here https://amzn.to/3jwznCE Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3DuHvM1 Amazon UK To support the channel, get access to the monthly tying classes and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up.

  The cockroach is as simple as they come but it's an absolute killer pattern for tarpon and loads of other predator fish species. It's another pattern that Lefty Kreh considered a must have in the tarpon box. That's certainly good enough for me! Lefty's "Book Saltwater Fly Patterns" is available here - Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3AvAoRJ Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3CzVRts To support the channel, get access to the monthly tying classes and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up or donate at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers Materials List Hook: SC15 size 1-4/0 Thread: Black Danville's 210 Tail: 4-6 Grizzly hackles Collar: Red fox squirrel tail Book of the month 6 is available here https://amzn.to/3jwznCE Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3DuHvM1 Amazon UK

  Lefty Kreh credited Stu Apte with being one of the first to develop these Keys-style tarpon flies and said in his Saltwater Fly Patterns that this fly, should be in every serious tarpon angler's box. It's a great fly, light and full of movement, yet striking enough to catch their attention. It's also a pretty easy tie so you can easily tie a trip's worth in a sitting. Lefty's Book is available here - Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3AvAoRJ Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3CzVRts To support the channel, get access to the monthly tying classes and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up or donate at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers Materials List Hook: SC15 size 1-4/0 Thread: Fluorescent orange 210 denier Tail: 2-3 yellow neck or saddle hackles with one orange hackle flanking on each side: Collar: Yellow and orange hackles wound together Body: Thread tapered to the eye. Book of the month 6 is available here h

  The black death is a well established colour scheme for tarpon and can be tied in a range of ways, whether in the keys style like this or as a fiber minnow or bunny it's very effective offering the fish a good highly visible silhouette and a flash of colour. To support the channel, get access to the monthly tying classes and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up or donate at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers Material list Hook: Gamakatsu SC15 size 1/0 -4/0 Thread: Red Danville's flat waxed nylon Tail: Black saddle hackles Flash: Peacock crinkle mirror flash Rear collar: Black saddle hackle or schlappen Front collar: Fluoro Red marabou Book of the month 6 is available here https://amzn.to/3jwznCE Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3DuHvM1 Amazon UK

  Lou Tabory's snake fly is a fairly simple tie that produces a phenomenal swimming action in the fly. The deer hair head displaces water causing the fly to shimmy and wobble slightly while also causing turbulence behind to make the soft, mobile tail materials come alive on the strip and breathe on the pause. It's a deadly combination that makes this fly a multi species winner in both fresh and saltwater. To support the channel, join the monthly tying classes and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers or https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers Materials list Hook: Gamakatsu SC15 size 2-6/0 Thread: GSP 100 Tail: Ostrich herl -saddle hackle can be used in larger sizes Flash: Flashabou or similar Collar: Marabou Head: Deer belly hair Book of the month 6 is available here https://amzn.to/3jwznCE Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3DuHvM1 Amazon UK

  Dan Blanton's Flashtail Whistler is a true saltwater classic and with good reason, it's deadly for all manner of species in fresh and salt water environments. Whether you're targeting backwater tarpon, striped bass, pike or largemouth, it's well worth having a few whistlers in your fly box. To support the channel, join the monthly tying classes and enter the giveaways, head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers or https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers and sign up Materials list Hook: Short shank saltwater hook of your choice, I used Gamakatsu SL12 size 2/0. Eyes: 4-6mm bead chain depending on hook size Weight: lead wire Thread: White Danville's Flymaster 140 denier Tail: Bucktail Red bucktail over white, or your preferred colour scheme Flashtail: Standard Flashabou- silver & pearl or some other colour Topping: Peacock Crystal flash Side flash: Pearl Crystal flash Flanks: Grizzle neck hackle Gill: Red chenille Collar: 2 webby saddle hack

 Another old one from www.sexyloops.com I was planning to head up into the mountains in search of a mayfly hatch this week, but due to a sketchy forecast I decided to stay local instead of travelling for 2 hours plus. It was nice as I was able to have a bit of a lie in before walking down the river for a crack at some of the local carp. The weather actually turned out better than forecast; 27-29 degrees with a very thin high overcast and spells of clear skies made for great visibility. The carp well well on the feed too and there were plenty of shots to be had. Which was good because I've spent a while turning these fish into spooky pricks. During the first lockdown, I was fishing them near daily once the outdoor exercise allowance came in and I'd been pestering them pretty regularly for years before. One of the main difficulties I've been having is that they seemed to be fairly immune to the otherwise reliable drag and drop presentation. My first work around was long leads

  The Pink Thing is an Australian pattern that was devised for barramundi. But don't thin you need to head to the southern hemisphere to get great results with this fly, it works for all kinds of predatory gamefish like largemouth bass, Japanese seabass, striped bass and snapper. Tie some and give them a try! To support the channel, join the monthly tying classes and enter the giveaways, head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers or https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers and sign up Materials list Hook: Saltwater hook of your choice I used Gamakatsu SL12 size 4/0 Thread: White210 denier UTC/Danville's Weight: Dumbbells or beadchain of your choice Tail: long slender saddle hackles Tail flash: Krinkle mirror flash or whatever you like Tail support: Bucktail Body flash: Pink sparkle hair or crystal flash Over wing: Grizzle hackle Collar: Fluo pink schlappen Weedguard: 40lb fluoro Book of the month 6 is available here https://amzn.to/3jwznCE Amazon.com http

  Bob Popovics' semper fleye is essentially a souped up seaducer that swims amazingly and is a great choice of predatory gamefish all over the world. Tie them in all the usual colour combinations and in a size to suit your target species. To support the channel, join the monthly tying classes and enter the giveaways, head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers or https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers and sign up Materials list Hook: Saltwater hook of your choice I used Gamakatsu SL12 size 4/0 Thread: 210 denier UTC/Danville's or fine clear mono Tail support: Bucktail Tail: long slender saddle hackles Body: Thick webby saddle hackles Book of the month 6 is available here https://amzn.to/3jwznCE Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3DuHvM1 Amazon UK

  Fry time is when you stand arguably the best chance of catching specimen trout from still waters and although subsurface flies like the minkie are deadly, there's nothing better than catching fish off the top. Enter the floating fry, or spondoolie as it's sometimes called. This deer hair pattern is a bit more time consuming to tie than a foam fry, but it makes up for it in effectiveness. It offers a more natural shape and sits lower in the water better mimicking a stunned fry and being less buoyant than foam with no stiff material behind the hook will get fewer missed takes and result in more positive hook-ups. To support the channel, join the monthly tying classes and enter the giveaways, head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers or https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers and sign up Materials list Hook: Tiemco 5263 or equivalent 3-4x long streamer hook size 2-8 Thread: White gsp 100 Tail: Orange rabbit or marabou Body: White deer belly hair spun &

  This floating bloodworm pattern is perfect for those cold winter days when you have to go deep. Fished in a team with the foam stickleback or a booby, this fly will often pick up better fish that are looking for something a bit more natural. To support the channel, join the monthly tying classes and enter the giveaways, head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers or https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers and sign up Material list Hook: Kamasan B175 size 10-12 Thread: Red Uni 8/0 Underbody: Silver holographic or globrite no 3/4 Body: Small red V-rib or micro tubing Head: half of a 6mm booby eye Body junction: UV red ice dubbing Book of the month 6 is available here https://amzn.to/3jwznCE Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3DuHvM1 Amazon UK

  I first encountered this buoyant stickleback pattern sometime around 1993 and it has remained a consistent taker of fish ever since. Don't confuse it with floating fry, this pattern works best fished on fast sinking lines- we were still using homemade Hi-D shooting heads with amnesia running lines when this one came out. It will work all year, but seems to be most effective through the winter making a more imitative alternative to the booby and is great for sorting out the quality fish. To support the channel, join the online tying classes and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up or donate through https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers Material list Hook: Kamasan B175 size 4-10 Thread: Fluo White 8/0 Tail: White marabou, pearl & white polar flash and olive marabou Underbody: Pearl flash dubbing e.g. ice dub or glister Gill: Red dubbing or a red hackle Body: Foam booby tube (5mm for size 8&10, 7mm for size 6&4)