Saturday, 21 November 2009

Another excellent online resource. I was asked to submit the tying sequence for the Brassie to Front Range Anglers.



Front Range Anglers

Front Range Anglers - November Newsletter

The smallest things...

...can make the biggest difference.

Here are two very similar soft-hackled flies tied this morning. Only changing thread type, the simplest of changes can bring a pattern into a new light:




In the order the materials are tied:
Hook: Grip 12003 #14
Thread: Moser Power-silk 10/0
Hackle: Starling
Tail: Woodduck
Body: Rabbit
Rib: Tying thread




In the order the materials are tied:
Hook: Grip 12003 #14
Thread: Sheer 14/0, orange
Hackle: Starling
Tail: Woodduck
Body: Rabbit
Rib: Tying thread

~Dave

Friday, 20 November 2009

Check the BFFI 2009 on Sky Sports.

http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,26691,13019_5707799,00.html

Specifically featured is Ulf Hagstrom: fly tying genius & good guy.

~Dave.

Thursday, 19 November 2009



As we get hammered by wind and rain, it really feels as though winter is on its way. So for the time being, the rods are on stand-by and when we get a break in the weather-front, I'll try and get out for an hour or two. It's not looking hopeful at the moment. Although also limited, time in front the vice has been welcome, and I've just finished a couple of new articles for the new year...



If you're in need of a little 'warming up', take a look at the Catch magazine #8

~D

Wednesday, 11 November 2009

BFFI - the reflections

It was a fantastic show, as expected. Every year it seems to go from strength to strength and this was no exception. Bundles of amazing talent and some serious, serious skill to watch, experience and hopefully absorb. It wa all well supported by some serious humour and all round fun. It's great to see some friends there and meet some new ones too. If you visited, I hope you enjoyed it. If I chatted with you, thanks for coming over - your contributions made the weekend go fantastically. A big thanks to Steve Cooper for the invitation. His (and his family's) organisation and hard work has paid dividends - a great, great show.

If you couldn't make it (or even if you could!) enjoy the following:







Here's Johan's (unfinished) efforts to give the concept of tying spiders a truly different slant:







No pressure as I am watched by George Barron (a pleasure to tie next to him all weekend - a great guy and superb tyer):







Some of Roy's flies:






Ulf Hagstrom (Sweden)


Ulf Hagstrom's SRM Emerger (of which I am now a proud owner- thanks Ulf!):





Hans Weillenman (Netherlands)



Nik Dahlin (Sweden)




A copydex variant of Ulf's Killer (tied by Dennis Shaw):


Dates for 2010 are already released. I'm sure there will be more photos on the BFFI site soon.

~Dave.

Wednesday, 4 November 2009

Display for the BFFI

I have tried to tie up a few dozen flies for the display clips at the BFFI. A row of heavy weight bugs and shrimps, some smaller loop nymphs (a fly that has done well for me for grayling already this year), some loop wing emergers and some paraduns.



Hook: TMC 102Y #19
Thread: Sheer 14/0, tan
Hackle: Badger, rooster
Wing: TMC Aerowing, tan
Tail: Coq de Leon fibres
Abdomen: Wapsi superfine, lt. brown
Thorax: Rabbit under-fur

~Dave.

Monday, 2 November 2009

River Fly Box

With over 9000 hits to the blog since last December, it has been far more successful than I could have imagined. Thanks for visiting!

I also have a new venture on the go too: the River Fly Box.

Deisgned to host a range of tutorials for tyng my favourite patterns, I have already started with half a dozen patterns or so.

Hopefully I'll have some guest tyers appear too and perhaps some galleries of photos.

Please do take a look.

River Fly Box

~Dave.