John Bailey Meets… Geoffrey and I both worked on the BBC fishing series ‘Tales From The Riverbank’ many years ago but we only actually met face to face filming afloat on the Wensum a couple of years back. It was a delightful day as I remember: late summer and all sunlit browns. “It looked very […]

There are around 200 different species of sedge (or caddis) fly in the UK, belonging to the order Trichoptera. With the exception of the egg, all stages of the insect’s life cycle are of interest to the fly fisher at some time or another. From the egg, the first stage of the sedge’s life is […]

Black & Silver Hook: Long-shank, size 10Thread: BlackTail and wing: Black marabouBody: Flat silver tinselRib: Silver wireEyes: Small chain beads When I was asked for my most successful three flies, this pattern was at the top of the list. It’s a very simple creation, originally developed for the mighty ‘Loch Leven’. This fly has been […]

Fish the pattern on a floating line and a 9ft tapered leader; this will ensure good turnover and that the fly is going where you want it. If you use a single, straight-through breaking strain the fly will have a tendency to ping to the left or right, which is not good. Target individual fish […]

For best results, fish the fly on a long leader and a floating line. Fish it by using jerky pulls; this will allow it move up and down in the water column, similar to how the natural would behave as it leaves the bottom to come up for air.Target weedy areas and you won’t go […]

The Big Red is a fly that has been doing the business for some years now and one that seems to make those wily trout throw caution to the wind. Fish the fly on its own to target individual fish – use a tapered leader. Also, try fishing the fly on the point, with some […]

John Bailey Meets… I’m excited to be talking to Rob Jones. He’s an environment officer for the central Devon district and that means he covers just about all my favourite rivers in the British Isles, the Exe, the Barle and the Lyn. From the mid-1970s, I’ve enjoyed some of my happiest times down there with […]

A relative of the dragonflies (order Odonata), the damselfly is a favourite summer food item of the stillwater trout. While trout will, at times, take the unmistakable, vivid-blue adult insect, it’s the nymph form of the damselfly that is of most interest to them… and, therefore, us, the anglers.The life cycle begins when, after mating, […]

Three-Tone Blob Hook: Kamasan B175, size 10Thread: RedTail: Bunch of pearl Flash Attack Body: Hot orange and sunburst Flash Attack Fritz I’ve chosen this because it’s a fantastic all-rounder for me and it’s not often that it doesn’t feature on my leader. It seems to catch everywhere, at any time. The fly is most regularly […]

It’s built to create a disturbance near the surface, which is a great way of bringing those wild trout up to investigate.A floating line will see this fly perform best; however, don’t make the mistake of getting stuck in a rut. Anglers experimenting with ghost and midge-tip lines have taken many brownies. These lines allow […]

July is a difficult time on many of our small waters but this fly, used in conjunction with a sunk line, along with a fairly brisk figure-of-eight retrieve, can often save the day. A floating line and long leader can also be an effective combination with this pattern; quick, jerky pulls will give the fly […]

Stillwater To be able to hold a nymph an inch or two under, try using a buoyant pattern to suspend it. Use the Big Ball Buzzer on the point of your leader, with a normal buzzer on a dropper above it; not only will the Big Ball suspend even heavy epoxy buzzers with ease, but […]

The MidgeMidges, in one form or another, are present in nearly all stillwaters in the UK and Ireland, if not worldwide. The family that is of particular interest to the trout and, therefore, the angler, is the non-biting midge or Chrionomidae.The life cycle begins with the female midge laying her eggs on the water’s surface, […]