Posts Tagged ‘Fly Fishing’
Fly of the Week – Mayfly Nymph
The Mayfly Nymph is the first stage of a Mayflies life cycle, preferring to live in silty or sand bottoms, this nymph becomes part of a trouts main food source over the next month or so. The mayflies usually last for just over a month with the abundance of them making an appearance in just one to two weeks. Keep your eye out and be prepared for when the fish turn onto them!
Attach a Kamasan B175 hook into the vice and lay a neat bed of thread onto the hook shank. Mayfly nymphs seem to move like it’s olive counterparts, in short fast darts, so adding six or seven turns of lead will help give the flies that movement your looking for. Run the thread over the lead securing it into place tapering at each edge.
At the tail, attach four or five strands of pheasant tail and cut the excess off. Then for the rib, simply tie in three extra pheasant tail strands by the tail to get a thin to thick tapering effect from the rib. Dub some tan coloured dubbing onto the thread and wind up over the lead stopping around 2/3 of the way along the hook shank. Rib the body with the pheasant tail and tie off. Add a thorax cover of pheasant tail, this time tied in with the tips facing backwards so when it’s pulled over, the excess PT will create legs.
Gently dub a lighter coloured dubbing as the thorax covering the lead right to the eye. Pull the PT over as the thorax cover and tie in. With the excess tips over the eye, carefully split the remainder evenly over each side and secure with a few turns of thread. Whip the thread off at the head and varnish.
This fly will guarantee fish when the trout are feeding on mayfly!
Tags: Fly Fishing, fly tying, how to tie a mayfly nymph, mayfly nymph, tying flies | 
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Fishtec Facebook Competitions!
Why not try your luck in one of our Facebook competitions? You could just net yourself something decent!
We’ve decided to offer our Facebook fans a great opportunity to WIN over £1000 worth of fishing tackle! All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is:
Sign into Facebook > Go to one of the following Facebook pages > Like the Page > Share our competition!
To enter click here: Fishtec Coarse Fishing Facebook Page
For the Coarse and Carp anglers, we’re offering 3 sets of 3 TF Gear Project X carp rods, a new product we have recently launched and introduced to our range.
What’s so good about the Project X carp rods?
Each model combines raw power with subtle playing actions. Not only will you enjoy extra casting distance, you will benefit from the highest quality carbon construction, unrivalled balance and incredible sensitivity.
Delivering all the qualities and specification demanded from a top of the range carp rod, the Project X offers you the opportunity to experience superior accuracy, unmatched fish control and the versatility of a truly special rod.
To enter click here: Fishtec Fly Fishing Facebook Page
There’s been much speculation to how good the new Airflo Super-Dri Fly Line are, so we’ve offered 10 super-dri lines to ten of our lucky Facebook followers! If you like Fishtec Fly on Facebook, share the competition image to be entered into the draw!
About the Super-Dri Fly Line
The SuperDri technology has been developed for the serious floating line angler, featuring a friction reducing coating which lets the line glide through the rod rod rings and adds yards to your cast. The SuperDri’s coating gives you unparalleled floatation with the ability to repel water, dirt and surface scum better than any material in the history of fly lines.
To enter click here: Fishtec Sea Fishing Facebook Page
With plenty of fishing coming back into the shorelines and some monster Cod out in the deeps, what’s better than being able to catch these fish on a brand new multiplier reel? We’re offering 3 TF Gear Force 8 reels to three lucky Facebook fans!
About the Force 8 Reel
The TF Gear Force8 reels are designed and manufactured utilising the very latest CNC engineering and highest grade materials to create what we believe are without question the finest sea fishing reels available today. Tested and developed by top sea angler, Alan Yates, we can say these reels have been tested in some of the harshest conditions, and will confidently reel in almost anything you can stick a hook in!
Tags: carp fishing, coarse fishing, facebook fishing competition, fishing tackle, Fly Fishing, sea fishing | No Comments »
Airflo Airtec Switch Rods – Reviewed
As being part of the Airflo team I have the pleasure of being privy to new products before they are introduced to the general fishing public. One in particular that caught my eye was the introduction of the new range of Airflo Switch Fly Rods. I have had the pleasure of using many switch rods in the past for various fishing situations and was keen to see what the Airtec’s had to offer.
There’s been a lot of buzz in the past couple of years about switch rods – lightweight double-handed rods in the 10 to 12 foot range that are designed for both two-handed spey casting and single hand overhead casting. Traditionally these rods have been designed for fishing rivers for Salmon, steelhead and sea trout, of late, their ability has been rendered and switch rods have been set-up on smallwaters all around the UK.
Mainly, Im a river fisherman, but growing up in south Wales I’ve been lucky enough to fish many hill lakes and reservoirs where these switch rods would came in handy. When the first batch of Airflo Airtec Switch rods came into stock, I could not wait to get my hands on the 11′ 3″ 6# switch.
I had plans of teaming the rod with an Airflo Speydicator #6, to give that extra bit of distance on a river that averages 20 yards in width. You’d normally struggle to hit some of the spots using a traditional single handed rod because of the lack of back cast. With some knowledge on double handed rods I felt fairly competent with my roll casting, so pulled off some line and gave it a whirl. After just 30 minutes of casting and getting used to the rod and line combination, I was having some incredible fun and was lucky enough to hook into a decent trout from one of my favorite pools.
Having used it for a full day on the river and thoroughly enjoying my time with it, I decided to take it with me on my next lake trip. Many of the lakes I fish have a difficult back cast and often anglers will sacrifice distance because they struggle to get the best back cast. I decided to team up my 11’ 3” #6 Airflo Airtec Switch rod with one of my 7# Airflo 40+ fly line. Me and a colleague Ceri Thomas took a trip to one of our local reservoirs and when I pulled out the switch rod, he was skeptical to say the least.
I stripped out my 40+ and with a single false cast to get the 35ft head out I powered out more or less the whole fly line! Ceri’s skeptism changed slightly into awe. I knew from previous experience with these rods that they can really power out a line, and partnered with the 40+ you’ll be casting to distances only ever dreamed of. I handed Ceri the rod and he used it for the rest of the session. Not only does it handle the overhead cast well but also the switch style butt, you can create easy roll cast’s with maximum distance.
Even though the switch rods were created mainly for salmon, steelhead and sea trout I have used this across the board for most fly-fishing situations and am very impressed with how it handles. I’ve got some highland lake fishing planned for late spring, so will get another review on the site when I get chance.
In my opinion the next few years we will see an increase in the amount of anglers that will be using the switch rods. This rod does not only appeal to the river fisherman but to the whole fly fishing world as it offers diversity in it’s casting ability. I must say that these fishing rods take a lot of getting used to, if you do happen to purchase one and you’re struggling to get to grips with it, I’d recommend getting some casting tuition from a local instructor, im sure you’ll reap the rewards!
New Airflo SuperDri Lines – In Stock!
The revolutionary SuperDri fly line range from Airflo! Full stock of these fly lines will soon be on the shelves here at Fishtec and at your local fishing tackle store. We’re looking for them all to be ready by the middle of next week, 17/04/13!
The Airflo Super Dry fly line has been developed over a long period of time, taking into consideration all aspects of floating line fishing and developing something that will perform to the highest level possible, without compromise. Designed specifically for the floating line angler, the Super Dri lines feature some super impressive traits.
Super-DRI Features & Benefits
- Ultimate high floating PVC Free material – Floats 12-15% higher than any other floating line.
- Repels water better than any other material.
- Repels dirt and surface scum with a vengeance.
- Slides through the guides better, adding distance to every cast with ease.
- Floating material Permanently part of the line, not a coating that leaches out – migration is only good for birds!
- Easily lifts off the waters surface, less disturbance adding stealth to every fishing situation.
- Easy mending capabilities due to higher floating, adding length to drag free drifts.
- Looped at both ends for easy leader changes.
- Ridged for greater shoot ability and less tangles.
- Power Core for ultra low stretch, extreme feel, and solid hook set.
Zone Technology is another new feature of the SuperDri range. This new technology gives us the opportunity to use different material configurations in every part of he fly line, imagine a line that has a super high floating tip zone, a supple belly zone that throws loops that are exceptionally tight and features a strategically places ’hauling zone’ that incorporates harder material with less compression making double hauling effortless and extreme durability in high wear areas. This new line technology minimizes friction during the cast, helping with distance and extending the life of your floating line. You will notice the difference from your very first cast.
Float ability of a fly line is key. If it sinks at the tip or throughout any part of the line, it’s not doing what it should. Below we’ve pictured an 8# SuperDri Mend with a conventional 7# PVC fly line and the ‘ride height’ is very noticeable. SuperDri lines float high on the waters surface rather than in it, sitting 10-15% higher than any other floating fly line.
Airflo SuperDri Elite
The Super Dry Elite has been designed for the average caster, with Airflo’s ‘go to’ trout taper. This line will be ideal for fishing buzzers, nymphs or dries on large reservoirs, still-waters or for the small lake angler. The standard head length and modest front taper allow casters to present the fly well at distance or in tight spots when pin point accuracy is needed. This line does it all, and available in both weight forward (WF) or double taper (DT) make ups, you’ll find something to suit you!
Airflo SuperDri Xceed
The SuperDri Xceed has been designed to load today’s faster action fly rods. This slightly heavier weight forward head has a condensed taper optimized for casting into the wind and generating higher line speeds. This is the best floating line whether your fishing dries or subsurface. Available in weight forward (WF) configurations from 3 to 9 weights.
Airflo SuperDri Mend
Designed to make nymphing and chucking big bugs easy, the Airflo Mend SuperDri is the ultimate nymphing fly line for both rivers and lakes. This line has a thicker tip diameter which helps turn over indicators or bungs, coupled to an extended head for enhanced mending control when fishing that crease across the other side of the river.
Airflo SuperDri Lake Pro
Airflo’s Super-Dri Lake Pro has been specifically designed for the Stillwater use, this line utilizes the popular DELTA taper profile for easy distance even when casting multiple flies. This is the ideal fly line for lough style fishing with multiple methods.
Airflo SuperDri Distance Pro
The Super-Dri Distance Pro has been designed for ultimate distance whether your fishing from the bank or boat. Featuring our longest belly on any single hand fly line, the Distance Pro is a firm Pro-Staff Favorite.
Tags: Airflo, airflo super dri fly lines, Fishtec, Fly Fishing, fly lines, super dri lines, super dry | No Comments »
The Airflo Story
Behind the scenes at Airflo with ‘The Airflo Story’!
Most standard fly lines may look or feel the same, and you may think they are made in the same way, but here at Airflo we like to spice things up! Richard Wothers, Production manager at Airflo, shows you the development and production of Airflo Fly Lines. This video describes to you, the angler, the thought process behind designing our fly lines along with an on the water and in the factory tour explaining Airflo’s patented materials and manufacturing process.
Airflo have always been at the forefront of fly line technology and design, being able to producing some of the best tapers and most technically advanced fly lines on the market. With the opportunity to test and use some of the absolute best materials available, we’ve been able to create some brilliant fly fishing lines that will suit any fly fishing scenario around the world.
Tags: Airflo, airflo fly lines, Fly Fishing, fly fishing lines, fly lines, the airflo story | No Comments »
Fly Fishing on the Wye for Brown Trout
Having fished on Saturday for the first time in quite while (and with a little success) this past Sunday was meant with some excitement. It had been cold the past week but dry, which meant the rivers were at a good level and clear for this time of year.
Eager to put my new Streamtec Nantec fly rod through its paces I decided I would fish one of my favourite spots, hoping to pull out a couple of good fish. The river Wye, a beautiful river which runs through the heart of Wales, and one of my all time favourite places to fish. The pool I intended to fish was just below the confluence of the Irfon and the Wye. With the weather being very cold, I layered up and slipped into my Simms Freestone Waders, and met up with my good friend Dan Graham for a few hours fishing.
With the trout season just kicking in and the cold weather still present, the usual sport on the dry fly didn’t seem so apparent. Armed with my 8ft 5# rod, I’d decided to fish the Duo whilst Dan opted for the Czech Nymphing setup for the faster water.
My set-up for the day was to be the Streamtec rod paired with an Airflo sixth sense floating line. Attached to this, a 5ft tapered leader with two addition lengths of 4ft & 3lb G3 fluorocarbon straight to the dry olive klinkhammer on a fixed dropper. Below I attached a silver bead red hot spot nymph. Recent conversations has brought to my attention the benefits of a sliding dropper knot. Something I will be learning and practising a lot. With the ability to vary the depth at which my nymph is fished, could well have landed me a couple of extra fish in some of the shallower water.
Having fished a few likely looking spots (excellent for dry flies when the fish are on the feed) I made my way up river until I was just below ‘Aber pool’. Aber pool is a keen spot for the Salmon boys and also the coarse anglers as the pool has an extremely deep run and holds a lot of big fish. Casting diagonal with a little up stream mend, I let the flies drift down past me and repeat along the length of the pool, covering all likely looking areas.
After wading and fishing my way along a very likely looking crease to no avail, I waded further into the river searching a small depression behind a large boulder. The klink suddenly dipped under the water and I had finally struck into a fish. The fish was very lively and fought extremely well considering it’s early season condition. I finally netted the gorgeous wild brownie, the first of many for the oncoming trout season I hope! Having unhooked the nymph from it’s scissors, Dan took a quick picture before I released the fish back to the water.
You could tell that the fish had recently spawned as she was slim. However weighing in at one and a half pounds it was a lovely fish to start of the season. You can just imagine what weight she will get too after feasting on the early season files!
With Spring seemingly disappearing back into Winter, I along with nearly every river fly fisherman am looking forward to the mass hatches of Blue winged olives, Brook Duns and hopefully the odd March brown, that adorn our rivers during the day and the sometime spectacular hatch that we see in the evenings.
Check out Craigs blog here: finallyfishing.blogspot.co.uk
Tags: airflo streamtec nantec, Fly Fishing, river fishing, river wye | No Comments »
Fly of the Week – Pink Tail Caddis Jig
The Pink Tail Caddis is Kieron’s variant of the ‘peeping caddis’. Tied in exactly the same manor as the original, but with the addition of a CDC hackle and tied onto a jig hook. The jig hook helps this fly fish head down with the pink tag facing upwards, hopefully looking more enticing to the awaiting fish. This pattern can be easily changed by simply altering the colours of the wool – It is also good to change the position of the hackle such as around the bend of the hook just after attaching the tail.
Take a length of wool and burn the end with a sighter. Slowly push the end of the wool towards the flame to singe the end and create a dark ball. This will act as the caddis’s head. Slot a slotted bead onto a Jig hook, here I have used a 3mm tungsten bead with a size 12 Fulling Mill Force Jig Hook. Attach brown UTC 70 denier to the hook and build a layer of thread behind the bead. This is to ensure the bead stays in place and doesn’t slip down the hook.
Run a layer of thread to the back of the hook, stopping short of the bend and attaching the tail. Cover the cut off of the wool with thread to create a net, even under body and attach a length of gold wire to the hook. Dub a generous amount of Hares Ear fur to the thread in an even formation, this ensures the body stays even throughout the length of the fly, just like the real thing. Wind the dubbing to the head of the fly and stop just short of the bead. Wind the rib through the body in even, spacious turns and tie off.
Prepare a CDC feather for the hackle, stroking the fibres back from the tip so it can be tied securely in place behind the bead. Clamp the hackle pliers to the CDC stalk and wind onto the hook. I prefer just one turn of CDC, but add as many to your satisfaction. Tie in and tidy up with more dubbing. Pull the CDC feathers back along the fly and tare where you feel necessary to create a ‘leggy’ look.
Pink Tail Caddis Material list
Hook: Fulling Mill Force Jig Hook Size 12
Bead: Slotted 3.5mm Gold Tungsten Bead
Thread: Brown UTC 70 Denier
Tail: Wool (burnt)
Rib: Gold Wire
Body: Hares Ear
Hackle: CDC (wound)
Thorax: Hares Ear
Tags: Fly Fishing, fly tying, fly tying video, jig hooks, tying flies, youtube | No Comments »
Cat Cubie Casts a Fly Rod
Cat Cubie, Scottish television weather presenter currently working for BBC Scotland opens the official Salmon fishing Season at Dunkeld, Scotland January 15th.
Along side guest presenting and writing for a number of different broadcasters, ‘Cubie’ hosts her own show on Real Radio and writes a weekly column in the Evening Express. As an experienced event host and compere, Cat accepted the invitation to cast the first fly rod on the Tay this season. The symbolic opening ceremony is the start of the Salmon Fishing Season on the Tay where hundreds of anglers meet in anticipation of the first Salmon of the year .
When Cat’s not behind the camera or microphone she loves to play in the Scottish Highlands – Skiing and walking along some of the most beautiful scenic paths and ridges. The Scottish Weather woman also enjoys heading to warmer climes to scuba dive or trying her hand at more unusual hobbies like circus skills and fly fishing, among other outdoor activities.
Reports all around the river are showing that opening day on the Tay was worth braving the cold. A number of fish were caught on a range of fishing methods; being so early in the season anglers who fished lures and spinners seen best results.
Below is a perfect example of a 21lb Tay Springer, caught by Gordon Nicoll.
Tags: cat cubie, Fly Fishing, fly rods, salmon fishing | No Comments »
Bristol Reservoir Fly Fishing Dates
Bristol Water Fisheries, home of the UK’s top fly fishing and pike venues, Blagdon, Chew and the Barrows have recently released their Bristol Water competition dates, a great chance to get involved with competition angling, see how the serious competition anglers set about their fishing day, or for the seasoned competitor to try and get their names on the cup.
Competition Dates
Snowbee Competition – Saturday 13th April
Orvis Competition – Sunday 16th June
Hidden Teams Competition – Sunday 28th July
Hidden Pairs (Blagdon) – Sunday 22nd September
End of season Bank (probably) – Sunday 13th October
The past year has been a real blinder for Chew and Blagdon, with some cracking fish coming out, especially at the end of the season. This unseasonable weather we’ve been having of late means that the water quality will stay as good as it’s been on both lakes over the winter, with some great fishing expectations for the coming season! If you haven’t already and have a spare day in your calendar, take some time out and visit next year and you could be in with a chance of latching into something like this!
Check the Bristol Water Website for more information and catches from 2012.
Tags: bristol water, BW competition dates, chew fly fishing, Chew Valley Reservoir, Fly Fishing, trout fishing | No Comments »
Why Fly Fishing late season pays off
I have never understood why many put there rods away come October or November. I took a trip to Grafham late November and caught the record 8 fish bag weight for 2012, 33lb 14oz.
The fly fishing was outstanding at the best fish was a 6lb 4oz Rainbow which I caught on my third cast on a new 2013 buzzer pattern. I was fishing a floating line with a buzzer, 2 cut throat crunchers or a sz 8 Killer Shrimp with a Candy Split Blob on the point. This is the same set up I used to win the Grafham Trophy for Team England September last year.
The fishing gear I used was my trusted i#8 Enigma fly rod, coupled with a #8 line and 8lb G3 fluorocarbon. It is imperative that you use fluorocarbon this time of year as the water is often crystal clear.
Fish like it slow this time of year and that day was no exception. They literally wanted it static! I was guiding for the day and my pal Paul Norris soon clocked on to this fact. We would cast it out and simply leave it alone for 20 seconds or so. We would then do 2 or 3 quick ‘flicks’ of the line like a fig of 8 and count to 20 or so again. It was a calm day and we were fishing relatively short lines as often fishing in 3-6 foot of water close to the sailing club shoreline between the yachts and The Seat. More often than not we would see our fly lines start to move before we saw anything at out finger tips. This is key if you want to catch more fish!
Although I stuck with the Blob and Nymph method, my partner tried a Minkie and caught a cracking Rainbow of 4lb 9oz, a personal best and first fish from Grafham after several visits with no joy. He landed 5 for 16lb and had plenty of other action on what has to be the 2nd best days fishing on Grafham I can remember. The best being 2 years back on Buzzers on the West Bank when it was almost a 3lb+ fish every other cast and there’s no better way to catch them than nymphing on a floater.
Dust down them resting fly rods and go fishing. Winter fishing is often superb, if like me, monitor the weather and choose good conditions. Next trip Farmoor 1 Reservoir where the sz 10 size limit of fly has been lifted and the Booby ban has also gone. See how I get on here first!
Tags: Fishtec, Fly Fishing, fly fishing gear, fly lines, grafham water, iain barr | No Comments »