Flicking feathers

 Another old  one I did for www.sexyloops.com Tales of the unexpected  A couple of weeks ago, I'd never have thought of swinging streamers as a viable option for carp on fly. It's almost the opposite of everything I've learned targeting carp on the fly; fishing blind instead of sighting targets, feeling the line rip out of your fingers instead of watching the fish to hit the eat before the fish spits the fly.  But last weekend I made a discovery while fishing for maruta, a sea running species of Japanese cyprinid. The run has been a bit late this year but they eventually appeared in numbers and blasted straight up the Tamagawa to spawn. The main way of fishing for maruta is a swung fly, similar to how you'd fish for salmon.  This year I caught a grand total of zero maruta, but on 2 separate days I caught multiple carp on a red streamer being swung on a sink tip. The first fish I assumed was some kind of fluke, then 2 casts after the release the line zipped away ...

 Another old one from www.sexyloops.com With the cherry blossoms blooming all around Tokyo signalling spring, I've been tying a lot of panfish flies as I get ready for the warmer weather. I stuck a few pics and how to videos online and the responses have been pretty mixed. I'm not surprised that some of the flies have been divisive-some of them are, frankly, pure filth but I have been a bit surprised by how many people are dismissive of panfish as a target.  Yes the can be very easy to catch, and are abundant within their range, they're aggressive but they're not always stupid and they're beautiful little and sometimes not so little fish. Yes trout are pretty -the disdain for the bluegill comes mainly from trout anglers it seems-, especially small panfish-sized ones can also be very easy to catch.  For me there's at least as much angling skill in going along a bank on foot or in my zoomy bubble boat (float tube) identifying structure, making a nice presentation ...

Another old article from www.sexyloops.com  Now that spring is in full swing, the cherry blossoms are opening all over Tokyo and the carp  are mostly finished spawning it's time for me to start hitting the rivers in search of mud bones.  So yesterday I went to a river near my apartment to see what I could find.  This place is where I caught my first carp on fly about 10 years ago, starting my obsession  with the species and my 60 day a year carp habit that lasted till some time in 2017. Since  then I barely fished for carp and I definitely lost my edge.  Last year my return to carp was a humbling experience and it felt like 2 or 3 fish days were an   impossible task, let alone the 6-10 I had become accustomed to expect. So the question is  why?.... Well I lost my sharpness; being stealthy, getting close, reading fish and hitting eats  had all - predictably - deteriorated.  The last few months have been an interesting time as I'...

  This super simple little fly is essentially a perdigon variant that is super quick to tie and catches trout everywhere. Try it in various weights or colour variations. To support the channel and be eligible for giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and become a patron or support through paypal.me/flickingfeathers Materials list Hook: Jig hook 12-20 Weight: Slotted tungsten bead Threads: Uni 8/0 rusty dun/olive (use other contrasting colours you like) Tail: Coq de Leon Rib: XS coloured wire Abdomen: Lighter thread Thorax: Darker thread

  Instructions for a flashy little midge pattern that works great in both rivers and still waters. To support the channel and be eligible for giveaways head to www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and become a patron or support through paypal.me/flickingfeathers Materials list Hook: TMC 2488 14-24 Thread: Olive uni 8/0 Weight: Rainbow bead Abdomen: Mixed flash strands Rib: Thread tag Thorax: Dark rainbow spectraflash dubbing

  Another old article from www.sexyloops.com Is chicken eugenics the enemy of good fishing flies? I think it is, and the fly tying fashion that is going hand in glove with "improved" genetics is creating a, possibly, vicious cycle.  The improvement in genetic dry fly hackle makes many things easier and for some flies like the Griffiths gnat or stimulator is a vast improvement on what was available before. However, I am not sure if the downside of these hackles has really been acknowledged. Yes they have longer stems that are thinner more flexible and less likely to break, but they also have a far denser count of barbs that are much stiffer and consistent than what you'll find on any Indian or Chinese hackle. On the face of it, this all seems good and makes flies look quit crisp on the vice but is it as good as it seems?  I remember a period in the late 80s or early 90s when the "trick" of trimming the underside of a dry fly seemed to be the top tip in every dry ...

  The peeping caddis needs no introduction, here I've tied my version using an instajig or offset tungsten bead which gives a hook up presentation but allows you to use a longer hook shank than a typical jig hook and slotted bead, which I think gives a better cased caddis. To support my channel and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and become a patron or support through paypal.me/flickingfeathers Materials list Hook: 1x or 2x long nymph hook (I used TMC 3761) Weight: Offset tungsten bead Thread: Rusty dun 8/0 Uni Peeping grub: Fl chartreuse ice dub Legs: Partridge or hen hackle fibers Case: Natural hare's ear or similar