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)

  This is a fantastic booby that will catch you fish year round. I find these larger boobies work best on the point or fished singly and really lend themselves to slightly faster retrieves that get the tail moving. For some reason I have found this particular pattern less effective when tied smaller in a competition size format. To support the channel, join the monthly tying classes and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up or contribute through https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers . Materials list Hook: Kamasan B175 size 8 Thread: Olive Uni 8/0 Tail: Medium olive marabou Body: Olive chenille Rib: Med silver holographic Hackle: Grey partridge dyed yellow Eyes: 6mm yellow foam cylinder Book of the month 6 is available here https://amzn.to/3jwznCE Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3DuHvM1 Amazon UK

  The bunny bug or pike bunny is an absolute classic pike fly that has been around for decades. It may be less popular nowadays because of modern fly development but is still absolutely deadly and is ideal for days when a smaller fly is what you need, either because the fish are focused on small bait early in the season or simply because you can't get them to commit to eating a bigger fly. Tie some! 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 Materials List Hook: Partridge Universal Predator X size 2/0-4/0 Thread: 210 denier UTC or Danville's Flash: Polar flash or similar Tail: Magnum or Texas cut rabbit zonker Body: Magnum or Texas cut rabbit zonker

I took advantage of a break in the weather to head to a river on the outskirts of Tokyo that I hadn't fished for a couple of years because of some major construction works including a new road bridge. The fishing still hasn't recovered but there were some encouraging signs. To support my channel, join the online 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 Book Of The Month 6 https://amzn.to/3zwgkyc Amazon.co.uk https://amzn.to/2WyiuiE Amazon.com BOTM 1, Smallmouth is available here https://amzn.to/3wSaJAC   https://amzn.to/3vHUANX  

  BOTM 6 is available here https://amzn.to/3jwznCE Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3DuHvM1 Amazon UK This is a great book for anyone who fishes or is interested in fishing smaller - size 18 and smaller- flies. There is a tonne of useful information on gear, leaders and fishing techniques along with loads of fly patterns and well put together tying step-by-steps. Last month's BOTM is available here Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3rWdSxV Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3irdF2o

  The minkie is a fantastic subsurface fry pattern and is ideal for the back end of the season. It's best to carry a two or three different sizes so you can best match the size of the fry that the trout are feeding on. To support my 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: Heavy wire long shank e.g. TMC 5263 size 2-6 or Kamasan B175 size 4-8 for smaller sizes Thread: White 8/0 Body: White fritz Rib: Silver wire Wing: Mink zonker Hackle: Grey mallard flank Cheeks: Jungle Cock Head: Globrite no.3 floss

  This simple little fly from Glyn Hopper is a good choice for trout feeding on small fry. Although it works all year, it generally comes into its own a few weeks after the tiny pin-fry start showing up, but before they get up to finger size near the end of the season. It's well worth its place in the loch style fisher's box whether for fishing wild hill lochs, lowland lakes or reservoirs. It has even reportedly taken seatrout in the salt. Materials list Hook: Kamasan B175 size 10 Thread: Red Uni 8/0 Tail: Natural rabbit fur Rib: Silver wire Body: Silver holographic tinsel Wing: White rabbit fur topped with olive rabbit fur Cheek: Silver holographic To support my channel, join the online 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

Another old one from www.sexyloops.com   I lost an enormous carp last week. Enormous. It would easily have been my PB had I landed it, but I didn't. It's hard not to feel bad when things like that happen, but the questions that come of it can be useful or the answers can be at least. I had been a pretty slow day, I started fishing some bouldery pockets below a dam looking for bass but only picked up one little guy and saw nothing else but carp for hours. Eventually I decided to switch over and start targeting the carp. I should have done it earlier than I did, but sometimes I can be too stubborn for my own good. Anyway it didn't take too long to get an eat which even though the fish wasn't very big, was a bit of a day saver. Then I came round a bend where the riffle between the pools dumps into a deep pocket with a concrete diversion and tetrapods turning the river and creating a big slack backwater behind the eddy. There were about 12 fish, all big, and the biggest, we

  The Peter Ross is a great fly for lochs and rivers. Tied in various sizes it can be a deadly midge imitation, a small baitfish imitation or an attractor for salmon and seatrout. Materials list Hook: Kamasan B175 size 6-14 Thread: Black Uni 8/0 Tail: Golden pheasant tippet Rib: Silver wire Body: Silver tinsel & red seal fur Wing: Teal Hackle: Black hen 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 at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers

  Peter Dobbs's floating snail pattern is a quick, easy tie that works wonders when fish are switched on to floating snails. When you encounter one of those days, the fish feel like they are full of marbles it's time to tie on a Bigfoot snail which will almost certainly outperform more complicated imitations. Either fished singly or washing line style with a black and peacock spider on the dropper with no retrieve, expect takes to be long definite draws much like fishing a static buzzer. This pattern appears in Bob Church's Guide to New Fly Patterns which is available here https://amzn.to/3k1BE8h Materials list Hook: Kamasan B170 size 10 or 12 Thread: Uni 8/0 in black Body: Peacock herl Foot: Yellow ethafoam To support the channel, get access to the monthly online 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

  The teal blue and silver is an absolute classic wet fly. Although it's probably most popular as a seatrout fly, it is a good choice for brown and rainbow trout as well as salmon. Fish it big in the salt or in rivers for salmon and seatrout, or slightly smaller for loch style brown trout fishing. Material list Hook: Kamasan B175 size 6-12 Thread: Black Uni 8/0 Tail: Golden pheasant tippet Rib: Silver wire Body: Flat silver tinsel Wing: Teal flank Hackle: Kingfisher blue or teal blue hen To support the channel, join the monthly online tying classes and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers or https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers and sign up

 Another oldie from www.sexyloops.com I've been tying a big batch of boobies for a friend who fishes a lot of competitions recently. I don't tie many of them any more as I don't have much use for them in my fishing so it was a nice change from the usual warm water flies and traditional wet flies. Well, the first dozen anyway. I like boobies. I know not everyone does and they've been tarnished a bit by the way they used to be most commonly fished- static on a fast sinking line and short leader, essentially like ledgering a bait.  It often results in very deeply hooked fish making release impossible and has led to the fly being banned on certain waters, it's also super boring. But there's no need to fish the booby this way, and I'm a bit surprised the method still persists. They're incredibly versatile, especially when fished in a team of flies.  point or top dropper on any line from floater to the fastest sinker they can be ripped stripped, popped and cra

  As we come into late summer the daddy longlegs moves to the top of the trout's menu. This muddler head version is ideal for pulling through the waves windier days when plenty of daddies will be getting blown on to the water. Fish it with a sunk or wet daddy on the middle dropper or point for those fish that are targeting drowned daddies. Materials list Hook: Kamasan B175 size 8-10 Thread: Uni 8/0 black Tag: Gold holographic tinsel Rib: Gold wire Body: Hare's ear dubbing Body hackle: Barred ginger or grizzle cock Legs: Knotted pheasant tail Wing: Natural deer hair Head: Natural deer hair To support my channel, get access to the monthly online tying classes and enter the giveaways, head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up or support through https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers

  This sedgehog is a cracking puller for wild browns and stocked fish alike. The flash and hot spot combined with the strong silhouette from the dark brown body make it a good top dropper choice for pulling through the waves on dull days. Material list Hook: Kamasan B175 size 10-14 Thread: Fluo orange Danville's/ Uni 8/0 black But: Peach or orange seal fur Tail: Hot orange crinkle mirror flash Wing: Dark tipped roe deer hair Body: Brown seal fur Hackle:Red game or furnace hen To support my channel, get access to the monthly tying sessions and enter the giveaways, head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up or support through https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers

This pattern has been around for ages, and in my opinion is a perfect stillwater emerger. It's simple, buggy and floats low and flush to the surface film offering an excellent impression of a midge breaking through the meniscus. Materials list Hook: Kamasan B170 size 10-16 Thread: Uni 8/0, Black Shuck: Pearl crystal flash Abdomen: Claret seal fur Rib: Pearl crystal flash Thorax: Hare's fur well picked out   To support the channel, access the monthly tying meetings and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up or support through https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers

  This is a Crab that is on most Yucatan and Belizean lodges fly lists, and for good reason it has accounted for hundreds of permit and bonefish. It can be tied in any colour and in a range of sizes to suit every flats location or target species. Material list Hook: Gamakatsu SL11-3H size 6-1/0 Thread: Danville's Flymaster Weight: Lead, brass or tungsten dumbbells Claws: Marabou flanked by hackle tips Antenna: Crystal flash Legs: Medium round rubber Body: Wool or Mcfly foam glued together. To support the channel, get access to the monthly online tying meetings and enter the giveaways, head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers or https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers and sign up.

 Another old one I wrote for www.sexyloops.com Last week I wrote about wets for the mayfly. Their appearance is imminent and may even be starting in some places, so I thought I'd suggest a few dry patterns to compliment them this week. Now, if you already have favourite dry mayfly patterns for the rivers they'll most likely do fine for lochs and lakes.  The Wulffs are a great example of a style that crosses over well, yellow olive and grey being my favourites.  There are of course some that I don't think transition as well; Ollie Edwards'  Mohican mayfly makes an excellent, high floating pattern that works great on rivers and it will catch fish on stillwaters. Unfortunately, I've found it to be a less effective hooker on the lochs- I suspect the fly being essentially static or gently driftng with the breeze rather than drifting quickly past the fish on a river eliciting a different eat that is the reason. Similarly there are some patterns that are probably better su

  Ed Jaworowski's Essential Saltwater Flies is a great book for those starting out in saltwater fly tying and more experienced tiers alike. It has excellent photos and a collection of patterns that will cover pretty much any saltwater fly fishing situation. Essential saltwater flies is available here; Amazon https://amzn.to/3zGDKBW Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3t4lEsa Book of the Month 9, Kenny Abrames' A Perfect Fish is available here: Amazon https://amzn.to/3DKxadM Amazon UK https://amzn.to/31BKYul Alternatively it can sometimes be found on ebay https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=a+perfect+fish&_sacat=0 Wherever you can track it down, this is a great book and well worth adding to your collection. To support the channel, get access to 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. #bookofthemonth

  Will Bauers crab pattern is a great permit fly that works all over the Caribbean. It's a style that lends itself well to size, weight and colour adjustments, making it a good option for other species such as golden trevally, large bones and triggerfish. Material list Hook: Saltwater size 4-1/0 e.g. Gamakatsu SL12 Thread:140 den Weight: Lead dumbbells to suit Eyes: epoxy/mono crab eyes Legs: Square rubber ( https://www.lurepartsonline.com/Old-School-Flat-Rubber-5 ) Pliobond or contact cement To support the channel, get access to the monthly online fly tying meetings and enter the giveaways, head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up or donate at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers

  Designed by Florida Keys guide Jeffrey Cardenas, this shrimpy little number is a great addidtion to the bonefish box. Even when lightly weighted, this fly finds bottom quite quickly because of its sparse design, with slightly bigger eyes it is great for deeper water or stronger currents. DIY Bonefishing https://amzn.to/3AvD81Y Material list Hook: LS11-3H size 6-10 or your preferred bonefish hook Weight: bead chain or dumbbells Thread: Danvilles 3/0 Antenna: Crystal flash Body: Rabbit fur To support the channel, join the monthly online fly tying meetings and enter the giveaways, head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up or donate at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers Book of the Month 9: A Perfect Fish This beautifully illustrated book is quite hard to come by but you'll probably be able to find a copy by following my amazon links. Amazon .com https://amzn.to/3DKxadM Amazon UK https://amzn.to/31BKYul Using the link will help support my chan