Trout Fisherman 485 (Digital Sampler)

S T S E T R A E G E IV S U L C X E ng materials 7 pages of Rods l Reels l Fly-lines l Leaders l Tyi

NG AMAZIOFFER R READE

+ X O B FLY FLIES 200 9.99 only £2

FIRST FOR TACTICS, TACKLE & WHERE TO FISH

www.trout-fisherman.com

FOAM DRIES

Master thesmall s er at w Essential flies,

Keep your fly up for longer

Catch more in a

SCORCHER

How to tempt fish in a summer heatwave

POSITIVE HITS TIE AN OLIVE Turn lure taps into solid takes

Step-by-step to a top pattern

TRY FREE-FALL LURES Savage takes on the drop

ISSUE 485 £3.40 JUNE 22 - JULY 19, 2016

advice & top venues

THIS MONTH: FOAM DRIES Words: Russell Hill Pictures: Peter Gathercole

Flat-bodied foam dry flies sit low in the surface film.

6

TROUT FISHERMAN JUNE 22 - JULY 19

Beetles ABOUT

Foam Beetles sit low in the water, attract confident takes and take away the need for floatant. What’s not to like?

TROUT FISHERMAN JUNE 22 - JULY 19

7

THIS MONTH: GO LIGHT TO CATCH MORE Words: Rob Edmunds Pictures: Peter Gathercole

A LIGHTWEIGHT REEL CHOOSE a light reel to match your rod so that your tackle is balanced. Remember to set the drag correctly – not too tight and not too loose – because fish will run fast once hooked from the shallows towards deeper water.

FISH TAKE THE NYMPH OBVIOUSLY trout will be attracted to the Unsinkable Dry creating a wake on the surface. But, while on their way to take the dry, they’ll spot that small nymph on the dropper and mostly snaffle it with gusto.

12

TROUT FISHERMAN JUNE 22 - JULY 19

Less is MORE

Rob Edmunds believes flyfishing’s future is micro patterns fished on light outfits

LIGHT FLUOROCARBON LEADERS should be about 12ft long and around 4-5lb strength. Most fish you’ll catch should be about 2lb but if a 4lb-plus rainbow takes your fly then playing it on light leaders will put your angling ability firmly to the test.

A 9FT 2WT FLY ROD GIVEN that you’ll be casting only short distances towards easily spooked trout, and with small flies fished at or just under the surface, a lightweight rod is all you’ll need. It will provide delicate presentation to the fish.

TROUT FISHERMAN JUNE 22 - JULY 19

13

THIS MONTH: STILLWATER LURES Words & Pictures: Jeffrey Prest

Fred Bainbridge casts against Raygill’s distinctive backdrop.

28

TROUT FISHERMAN JUNE 22 - JULY 19

Let the lure DO THE WORK Just because they’re on fry doesn’t mean a day of aching arms. We watch Fred Bainbridge move barely a muscle in bagging up on lures…

TROUT FISHERMAN JUNE 22 - JULY 19

29

THIS MONTH: DRAB BUZZERS Pictures: Russell Hill

GO DRAB!

Adding hotspots and colour to our Buzzers has often made us forget exactly what it is we should be imitating. Russ Dyer gets back to basics…

TOO BRIGHT? SOME fly anglers argue that many modern Buzzer patterns are far too bright these days.

Are we using colourful materials just because they’re there? They still work, though...

R O MORE NATURAL LOOK SHOULD we take the more drab, natural route when tying Buzzers? Russ Dyer thinks that this is more in line with the ethos of our sport – they work too.

36

TROUT FISHERMAN JUNE 22 - JULY 19

F

LY anglers are always trying to create new variations of their patterns in order to stay one step ahead of the trout. But after a while – where imitative patterns are concerned – these little tweaks eventually lead to dressings that hardly resemble the natural insect at all.

Sometimes it’s good to take stock of where we are and return to trying to copy the natural as best we can. In effect, given that we’re always ‘moving things on’ we eventually go full circle and return to what we started doing in the first place.

The humble Buzzer has not escaped this gradual metamorphosis in that we now have variations that have such bright hotspots you’d need a visor to look at them.

Yes, they’re successful on their day but I prefer to stay true to the naturals as much as possible. That, to me, is what true flyfishing is all about.

Sometimes it makes you question whether the trout actually take these ‘modern’ offerings as buzzers at all.

To be sure that we’re copying naturals properly we must pay attention to colour and size – and that means recording closely what we see in trout spoonings.

Drab is natural So let’s get back to basics. First of all, natural buzzers are drab. So I choose drab, subtle colours such as olive. I also tie them on curved hooks because most of observations of chironomids in water have shown them to be curved. I use size 14 hooks to match the most common size found in spoonings. And then I add very subtle cheeks – nothing too bright – just so they look just like the natural. I name these

A DIFFERENT MOVEMENT FOR YOUR BLOODWORMS Russ Dyer ties his spanflex so it creates an up-and-down movement through the water.

TYING TIP

“Let’s get back to basics.

First of all, natural buzzers are drab. So I choose subtle colours such as olive.”

Buzzers ‘Outstanding Olives’ because they’re olive and closely resemble the natural buzzers I’ve seen – especially during early season. Then, by introducing subtle changes I will closely match the mature buzzers as the season progresses.

But these alterations are only very slight.

Buzzers score early season Inspiration for creating these naturallooking Buzzers started during an earlyseason bank session, which threw up a few surprises for me.

I was searching for fish with a black and green pattern called a Pitsford Pea and

Russ Dyer plays a Grafham rainbow taken on a Buzzer.

TROUT FISHERMAN JUNE 22 - JULY 19

37

THIS MONTH: STILLWATER DRY FLIES Words & Pictures: Jeffrey Prest

In the unseasonal murk, Scott Nellins fishes Thrunton’s new lake.

42

TROUT FISHERMAN JUNE 22 - JULY 19

Keep calm and CARRY ON...

Neither caenis, calm water nor drizzle stops Scott Nellins from persevering with dry fly to good effect at Thrunton Long Crag

A

S fitting as drizzle and swirling mists might look when you’re driving through the bleak splendour of rural Northumberland, these are the days when you don’t exactly spring from your car when you arrive at a fishery.

No sooner have I apologised for the Newcastle tailback that delayed my arrival at Thrunton Long Crag than Scott Nellins admits he’s only just got here himself.

Maybe he’s feeling the disinclination, too.

It doesn’t help that the last time we convened at this delightful northern outpost, it was on an evening bathed in sunshine. Today, mist shrouds the surrounding hilltops and the rain seems to be pacing itself for a lengthy appearance, arriving in the guise of persistent drizzle.

The lodge looks as splendid as ever, the new, second lake – still a muddy hollow last time I was here – looks like it’s been here for TROUT FISHERMAN JUNE 22 - JULY 19

years but it would seem that a dank afternoon more reminiscent of early November than late May lies ahead of us.

But then this is to look at the setting through human eyes and not those of a fish.

By rights, we should be hurrying to the banks ablaze with enthusiasm, for as Scott points out, this should be great for fishing: low cloud and no glare.

Surface movement Now that he’s tackled up, he certainly seems to be warming to his task, and talks of trying both dries and wets as he reacquaints himself with the main lake, on which there is comfortingly no shortage of surface movement. Thrunton’s fish are presumably hoping for an encore of the previous day’s mayfly hatch that we’d heard about.

They have a willingness to chase, too, so while he’s hoping to move onto dry flies later,

Scott begins with a Clan Chief and Bibio, fished 7.5 feet apart on 15 feet of 6lb leader: the latter sports a green butt and the Clan Chief a two-tone affair of red and yellow.

Allied to the predominant black of these modern wet flies, they represent Scott’s favourite colour combination on upland lakes like Stocks or Kielder. On clearer water, he’d add a Cormorant to the mix.

“I probably use more modern wets now but traditional patterns still have their day,” he reflects. “Soldier Palmers and Grenadiers are like older versions of a Blob, so if I’m getting follows, I’d definitely consider one of the older-style patterns. I like to have a bright fly somewhere on the leader to catch the eye, though.”

He employs fast, long pulls but adds that a fast figure-of-eight could work just as well, as long as the motion is constant. If you’ve ever wondered why fly anglers have devised specific non-stop retrieves like the

43

WHERE TO FISH

THIS MONTH

Spotlight on three venues worth visiting this summer Words: Peter Cockwill Pictures: Peter Gathercole

Spoilt for CHOICE It doesn’t cover a huge area but careful use of space by a hands-on owner make Thornwood Springs a joy to fish, enthuses Peter Cockwill

48

TROUT FISHERMAN JUNE 22 - JULY 19

He didn’t have all day but Peter made the most of it.

TROUT FISHERMAN JUNE 22 - JULY 19

49

NEW TYING COMP

The best ideas and patterns will make you a Flymaster

Fly Dressers’ Guild chairman Peter Gathercole judges Trout Fisherman’s new fly-tying competition First challenge comment A LIGHT summer nymph was the first challenge in TF’s brand new fly-tying competition and it was one met by a gratifyingly high standard of entries. Apart from a handful of entries which unfortunately didn’t fit the brief, almost every fly we saw was a perfectly acceptable fish-catching pattern and some, I’m happy to say, were very good, indeed. So much so that it was actually really difficult to pick a clear winner as a number of the entries had a lot going for them. The winner is pictured right and the ‘Best of the Rest’ on p72-73.

With this in mind all I can say is well done to all of you who entered and please keep up the high standard. I hope it encourages others to take part and show both me and other TF readers your creativity and tying skills.

If the first challenge’s results are anything to go by then I’m really looking forward to judging the future challenges. Well done to those who entered.

About Flymasters

TIE ON BARBLESS HOOKS

How flies will be judged

Barbless hooks are often seen as less effective at landing fish than their barbed equivalent – this isn't true.

Partridge of Redditch has played a long and innovative role in the development of barbless patterns – arrow points, dropped points and needle points all started here and have morphed into some of the most well known brands today.

Partridge’s PATRiOT Barbless patterns are characterised by the best of the features and benefits required by competitive and productive fishers:

TROUT Fisherman has teamed up with Barbless Flies to relaunch the Flymasters fly-tying competition, with Peter Gathercole as judge.

Each month a challenge will be set inviting you, the tyers, to put your creativity to the test. Your pattern should then be posted to us at the Trout Fisherman offices and will be passed onto Peter. Now the Chairman of the Fly Dressers’ Guild, author of the bestsellers ‘Fly Tying For Beginners’ and the ‘Fly Tying Bible’ and all-round game fishing personality Peter is well placed to be judge.

It’s up to you to impress him!

Peter is looking for innovation, a high standard of tying and creativity but this has to be tempered with the pattern’s prowess as a fish-catcher – after all, that’s what it’s eventually designed to do. All submitted flies should be squashed barb or tied on barbless hooks.

•Black nickel finish aids hook setting •Robust needle points to ensure that they set time and time again •Wire weights suit tough fishing applications

THE PRIZanEtsSreceive:

“Each month a challenge will be set inviting you, tr en d he is bl pu l rs Al ymaste the tyers, to put your dge, a special Fl well as a a Flymaster ba as s ie Fl ss le rb Ba creativity to the test... fly selection from ridge barbless hooks. packet of Part s: in w ar with Peter Gathercole for the ye Overall winner page article in TF as well 6a of . ar se st ca e a as judge.” a trophy, be th es mounted in of their best fli ty of

e as receiving on has the possibili for the year also ss Flies. r ne in w l al er Ov Barble association with asters vited to a Flym in e ar s er ty d in se y ca er t Fish All show y at Elinor Trou , ns tio ra st Celebration Da on with tying dem d an summer 2017, ch at m ng fishi food, friendly . presentations

70

www.barbless-flies.co.uk

TROUT FISHERMAN JUNE 22 - JULY 19

SPONSORED BY CHALLENGE 1: WINNER

1066 GARY COLLINS HOOK: Size 13 barbless THREAD: Light Cahill TAIL: Yellow Coq de Leon RIB: Glo-No. 11 floss BODY: Olive and yellow Squirrel Dubbing, mixed THORAX: 2mm black thin Fly Foam coated with UV varnish HACKLE: Yellow Coq de Leon FRONT HACKLE: Dyed yellow French partridge

The Glo-No. 11 floss rib adds a subtle hotspot to this nymph and impact to the body. Again, though, it’s complementing the overall fly.

A long-hackled nymph has bags of movement and can therefore be fished slowly. Coq de Leon is an interesting material but a grizzle hackle of same colour would have provided a similar effect.

The head is neat and tidy and the light Cahill thread is again a subtle hotspot.

But all the colours of this fly are well balanced. The UV varnish at the head adds something extra to this fly.

The fly is tied on a size 13 Tiemco barbless hook. Size 13 hooks might seem unsual to some tyers. in truth the fly would look the same on a size 12, that’s why size 13s are often skipped.

Peter says...

The 1066 was named such by its creator Gary Collins because he’s used it for Mayfly feeders on Powdermill Lake in Sussex – a water situated not far from where the battle of Hastings took place. It’s an elegant fly that uses an unusual material for the hackle – yellow Coq de Leon cloaked with a dyed yellow French partridge feather. While this heavy mobile hackle will help the fly to sink slowly, a strip of black foam for the thorax provides a touch of buoyancy. Well tied and nicely thought out, for my money the 1066 takes top spot for our first challenge.

Turn over for the ‘Best of the Rest’...

TROUT FISHERMAN JUNE 22 - JULY 19

CHALLENGE NUMBER 3 Tie a Daddy Longlegs pattern, either wet or dry dry.

Entries to: Flymaster, Trout Fisherman magazine, Bauer Media, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2 6EA. l Give fly’s name, full detailed dressing (including type of hook), plus notes on how the fly evolved. Attach fly to single page of notes, add your name/address, and submit. l All published submissions receive a Flymastes badge. l Entries cannot be returned. l Deadline for entries Friday July 22. Results in issue 487, on sale August 17.

www.barbless-flies.co.uk

71

DIGITAL SAMPLER www.trout-fisherman.com https://about.me/trout.fisherman

Print & Digital Subscriptions

www.greatmagazinesdigital.com/magazines/trout-fisherman

Available from