Flicking feathers

Step by step instructions for the Hairy Fodder bass fly.  It's an easy tie and very effective for both largemouth and smallies in rivers and stillwater.  It's also a prett good option for large carp that are displaying more predatory behaviour like those in the great lakes Materials used Hook: Gamakatsu B10s Size 6-1 Thread: 140 danvilles flymaster Weight: dubmell eyes Tail: several rubber legs with a few strands of flash Body: rabbit zonker Weedguard: hard nylon

Step by step instructions for a slight twist on Dan Blanton's flash tail clouser.  This pattern is a killer for anything that eats baitfish from bass, to pike to snook and others. Materials Used Hook: Mustad 32786BLN Weight:Pseudo Eyes Thread: Danvilles Flat Waxed Nylon Tail:Sybai New Sparkle hair Body: Synthetic Dubbing Belly: white fleece or fox tail Wing : fox tail

Step by step instructions for a classic bendback pattern.  These little bait fish are almost completely weedless and great around structure and grass. Tie them in a range of colours of sizes to suit your target species whether its redfish in the grass or largemouth on docks or any other species that eats minnows or other small bait. materials used Hook: Tiemco 411S Thread 6/0 Weight(optional) flat lead Body: Flash material coated with UV resin Wing 1: Bucktail, and flash (Sybai new sparkle hair) Wing 2: Saddle hackles Eyes: 5mm 3D eyes

Step by step instructions for a simple but effective subsurface bass fly. I've designed this fly to be a quick and simple tie, try them in various colors and sizes to suit the waters you're fishing for large mouth, small mouth and others.  Materials Used Hook: Tiemco 200R size 4-10 Thread: Danville's flat waxed nylon Weed guard: 20lb Mono Weight: dumbells to painted to match color scheme Tail: marabou, 2 colors Flash: Sybai new sparkle Hair Body: rear 2/3 Sybai spectra flash dubbing front 1/3 SLF Collar: Silicon legs

Detailed instructions for a simple little crayfish imitation that I've developed over the last year or two, it's a quick easy tie and well worth a place in your fly box. Try it for bass, carp and others. Materials Used Hook: TMC 200R size 4-8 Thread: 6/0 Weight. 0.035 Lead wire Tail: Rabbit zonker Body: Blend of Sybai SLF and spectra flash dubbing Rib: Medium wire Legs: Medium round rubber

Detailed tying instructions for a simple but effective baitfish fly  that works well in both fresh and salt water try them for fry feeding trout in lakes or seabass from the beach and many more. Materials used Hook: Gamakatsu S10 S4H Thread: Fly master plus Body: SF blend or some other fibre you like Head: foam dowel Eyes: 3D eyes of your choice

Step by step instructions for a basic Wooly Bugger.  This classic streamer is a great pattern for beginner tyers and can be used as a jumping off point for other streamers and variations. Materials Used Hook: Long shank streamer Thread: 6/0 Tail: Marabou Flash: Crystal flash or similar Rib: Wire Body: wooly bugger chenille Hackle: Cock Saddle hackle

In part 2 of the deer hair primer. In this installment I'm looking at choosing hair and the hooks I like to use. Hopefully you'll now feel a bit more confident in the materials you'll be using before we move on to simple techniques in the next part.

Detailed instructions for Bob Clouser's floating minnow.  This fly excels in situations where fish are reluctant to hit a noisier surface fly but still want a surface silhouette. Designed for smallmouth bass but highly effective for predatory gamefish the world over.  Slide it slowly across the surface or twitch it near structure and hold on. Materials Used Hook: Gamakatsu SC15 (but use what you like) Thread: Flat waxed nylon Throat: Red crystal flash Body/tail: 2 colours of Bucktail with flash between Head:2 Foam bug bodies Eyes: flat tape eyes Top coat: UV resin or epoxy mixed with fine glitter.

Guerilla Bug Detailed instructions for a tasty little surface pattern from Australia.  The Guerilla bug is  a pretty snag proof little surface fly that works well for bass, panfish,  mangrove jacks and bream among others.  Tie some up and give them a try  in your local woodpile. Materials Used Hook: Gamakatsu B10S Thread: Flat waxed nylon Tail: Marabou Flash: Sparkle Hair Body: Spectraflash dubbing Rib: 12-15lb Nylon Head: Foam Spider body Legs: Sili legs

Detailed instructions for the Iwai minnow. This is a Japanese variation on the mylar minnow theme and is a firm favourite for Japanese seabass. It's also effective for other game fish, especially ambush predators. Materails Used Hook: Gamakatsu B10S Thread: Flat waxed Nylon Tail: Flashabou Body: Mylar tubing over a foam cylinder Throat: Red EP fibres Eyes: Black plastic bead chain or glass beads fixed on Nylon Coating: Liquid fusion or similar tough flexible glue

Step by step instructions for a simple but effective articulated streamer.  The double bugger, or monster bugger as some call it, is essentially the basis of many modern articulated streamers and a good starting point for anyone looking to build a collection of patterns. The materials listed below are a suggestion and can be changed/subbed to suit your needs. Materials used: Hook :Varivas 2500V SE size 4+2 Thread: 140 denier Daniville's  Tail: Marabou Flash: Sybai tinsel hair (flashabou) Body: Ice Dub Rib: Copper wire Hackle: Schlappen Articulation: 26lb beading wire and some glass beads Weight: lead eyes Head: Sybai Nymph dubbing Rubber legs

I've added a series of videos on deer hair work. The first one looks at the tools you'll need if you want to start tying deer hair bugs.