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