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

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:

Johan Put (Netherlands)

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

Martin Stout (Netherlands)

Me!

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

Roy Christie (England)

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.

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.

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.

The Wylye today:






~Dave

I visited the River Monnow at Skenfrith today. It was a warm, lovely day but the river was holding a fair bit of colour. Only small grayling were showing and although it's a healthy sign for the river, it would have been nice to have connected with a larger specimen.



With the browns and reds of the trees, the smell of cumcumber-like grayling and some wood smoke from a near by fire, it couldn't really more like Autumn.



This is a beautiful valley, with much restoration and care carried out by the Monnow Fisheries Association. Presently there are opportunities to bid for all sorts, including flies and guided fishing, to help raise money for the Association. Take a look here and bid in the knowledge you may end up with a real bargain of an opportunity.

~D

Shrouded March Brown

A little variation on a classic winged-wet fly. I tied this using a much longer, webby hackle.Gone is the gold rib and a thread rib put in place, over a very soft body of beaver fur. When submerged, the thread rib shows up strongly with a clear segementation of the body. Even in the Autumn, wet flies can move a good number of fish. I like to fish them either singly or sometimes in conjunction with a dry. Slip-winged flies may not be as durable as some of the more modern materials, but they are unbeatable in wet flies.

Shrouded March Brown



Hook: B175 #12
Thread: 14/0 Sheer, tan
Hackle: Hen, dun
Abdomen: Beaver
Wing: Hen pheasant
Tail: Mallard