ROSA Uma get So ae ba TL _ DEAE Mae Amalie) al CRS. : RINKLES FOR RF Celt s a CMe stiri SO ie as Ce (|The) (ee : = loop-knot Peer el berate setaemonn in 5 eyTuneD rrosting BUCKSK - Sleek, textured coating with low line memory and ou Featuring the exclusive Triangle Taper profile with, PET EL UBMs) Sana Distributed by Fordham & Wakefield. see fordhamandwakefield.co.uk for stocki or call 01892 770344Uke us on Facebook: Fy Fishing Fy Tying Magazine Publishing Editor Mark Bowler Markt tbentsnetcom Tolingver2mae com y erFrTitag Chiet Reviewer Magnus Angus Advertisement Sales Patcamber Tel 144 (031634 365481, Or 4a (1887 224408 eben fbintemet.com Production Herel Brooke azlitbtintsmet com Subscriptions Tan James lan saptintenetcom site ttebtinemet com Annual Subscription Rates (22 Issues) rom: UK 552: Eoope 70 US, Canada, FarEast £75: ‘tralia New Zealand 878.40 Subscription Hotline and Enquiries “rr (0)1887 829658 Fax. 44 (0)1857 829855 «emai sus teebtinteret com Tansteetinteretcom Issn 0950-8303 Distribution Seymou Distribution Ltd Printing Warners ands) ple a Rona Creo Foe tad a aoe EX-H Ee O Published in Scotland Printedinenelond ade mB Distribted wore Ped eet cor Lt) @ speriers~one ofthe secrets to minktng ut resting sea trout The ‘last resort files What can you do when fishing for salmon on a low, shrunken river? hae prolonged spell of dry weather in late spring caused a massive headache for anglers all aeross Britain and Ireland. When the Tay ~ the river with the biggest discharge in Britain ~ shows its bones in June, then you really have to start thinking seriously about drought. Bearing ths in mind, I asked Ally Gowans to dig into his tactical portfolio, asking how would he pe suade a salmon to take when it hasn’t rained for weeks? Ally’s been hunting, observing and study ing salmon all his life, and the tactics hidden in Ally's last resort file were most revealing (see p. $5) ‘Nymphing is one technique which he picked up from anglers on the Hampshire Avon, who told him about sight-fishing for salmon, and the flies the used. Ally ook the idea, tied one of his own Ally's Shrimps as a Nymph and then, using a similar action used by those Avon anglers, began employ. ing it on Seotiand’s rivers ~ fishing ‘blind’. took him to a pool where, previously, 'd seen Shree things la de this month PAGES PAGEZ2 BE CAREFUL DAMSEL DIFFERENCES WHAT YOU WISH FOR... ‘Why our fies vary between Planahead for salmon arms | large lakes and small ones fish move at dusk. They would sil be there [assured hhim, pointing out some smooth, deep water where the current deflected, halfway down the pool He set me up with his Nymph, telling me how to ish it, but then pointed me upstream ofthe glide, tothe deep channel below the white water in-low. “IFT was a salmon in this pool in this low flow, P'd be in there”, he assured me, saying the fish would probably only drop back into the glide at dusk “Sometimes fish follow the Nymph and take just as you liftoff, so wateh it carefully”, he warned. I fished down the channel as hed instructed an, just ashe described, as I was preparing to lift of, alarge grey shape loomed up in the flow, glided up to my fly took and tamed down in a spell-binding cou- ple of seconds. I have never witnessed a salmon take so closely; too much detail, actually, as I struck too early and missed it! But still one ofthe most exciting salmon takes I've ever experienced. "There's more on this tactic in the next issue, too. ‘Mark Bowler, Editor PAGE40 TIPS FOR RESTING SEA TROUT Using U-turns,night-sight, ‘moon-pools and fast:sink es woe hing and ying August 2025 | 3w ey at Me cuca is ae Soni) 6 SHOTOF THE MONTH ‘72 NOTES FROM bankside st A river i vreakfast Magnus Ang the sign aqui on and abduction. 12 NEWSCAST or Frank Saccente. Filing a box with memories. Natural or artficia? Perfect qul bodes. nga yyingsoukPeony rors rs 4 SALTWATER FLATS SCHOOL 2023 Join FFAFT to experience tropical saltwater flats fishing in the Bahamas this November, with Editor, Mark Bowler. 61 QUIZ Wina TT Premium textured fly line in this, month's Quiz! mm saat *~ mn Not ust fishing club. td Cy 34 NOSWEATSMALLSTUFF lochs ofthe Flow Country, NickThomas demonstrates where he was glad tohavea his easy system for tying Capuchin Kate in is box. tiny imitations. 62 ACTNATURAL 16 BE CAREFUL WHAT 52 KEY TO THE NeilPatterson asks: where YOU WISH FOR. ‘SUTHERLAND LOCHS. does fy-tying end, and with regard to eradicating Andy Sturrockheads to the ‘model-making begin? Salmon farms, says Malcolm Dutchman-Smith, who puts together a plan for the way ahead. 64 ANGLING CLUB OF THE MONTH Mark Bowler meets the St Michael Fly Fishers Exploring how we might shape the future of salmon farming, 22 DAMSEL 45 BETTER THAN DIFFERENCES PERFECTION? Charles Jardine details the Richard Wrightintroduces sizeable variations in style Us to Ashley's 1036 knot - a between our Damselfy, worthy and slimmer [Nymph patterns for alternative tothe reservoirs and those for perfection / fisherman's small waters Zangiers loop’ and a useful 40 THERESTIS dry fly knot, too. (NATURAL) HISTORY 56 LOW-WATER OPTIONS Pat O'Relly explainshowto Alastair Gowans employs tackle resting sea trout in Variety of tactics to get the dead of night, using ‘salmon to take his flyin low wrinkles such as U-turns, water, ashe fishes three right-sight, moon-pools, different pools with Mark and fast sinking fle. Bowler woveching-ad-Syyngeouk| August 2023 | 5IN site Many ale Magy ,Walkers —— OF TROWELL @Q Since 1971 0115 930 1816 ockists of Hardy: Simms; Rio; Vision; Greys ‘Wychwood; Seagaur; Falling Mil, Abs; Royal Wulf Sage Full range off tying equipment and materia l-2 veteton fs Tove. Nester NORA Tet SSO enaeowe on www.walkersoftrowell.com ets pool crs FlyFishi a Fly’ eying? Keep yourFF&FT ealction tidy and easy to reference with a smart, dark green binder. Each binder holds 12 issues (ayear's worth). UK £15.00, Europe £18.00, ROW £21.00 Order securely on-line www. fyfishing-and-fiytying.co.uk aed sito) NBO] Cod are Rey te aes 4 Our mission is to provide top quality tying materials to put you that one step closer to catching that prized fish. We don't sell any materials that we wouldn't use ourselves. Along with our own brand we stock many other top brands. including. Veniard, Partridge Hooks, Turral, Hanak, Flybox, Textreme and many more. Use Discount Code NEW10 To Receive 10% Off Your First Order www.chucknduckflytying.com 8 | August 205 | www ishing and-Atying cok it our on-line shop for high quality fly tying tools and materials =x. Your 2023 fly fishing guide Be fully prepared with the Editor's Fly Fishing Manual Features: z= “The fish youare trying to catch and getting to know your quarry. * Choosing the right kit settingit up, and how to cast with it + Types of es and Understanding why and how touse them to best effect + Fishing on lakes, rivers and wild lochs and the range of tactics you can employ to your advantage “Allthe extra skills you requireto be more successful retrieves, playing fish, handing apoat ana presentauon casts, + Mastering the modem specialist styles: Saltwater fly ishing Pike on fy: Float tubing; Tenkara Available on the secure website: ‘www flyfishing-and-flytying.co.ukYioutr Buy Write to: The Editor, FF&FT, The Locus Centre, The Square, Aberfeldy, Perthshire PHIS 20D, UK. Email: mark fft@btinternet com, Please include your name and postal adcress with all correspondence ADDUCTION AND ABDUCTION enjoyed reading John Symonds’ article about casting technique (une 2023) and the contribution of wrist movement to the end result. However, [was somewhat confused by the repeated use of the term ‘west rotation’. ‘The wrist is a complex joint with three pairs of opposed ‘movements. fone imagines your arm hanging vertically by your side with the thumb forward and the palm facing your thigh, the ‘opposed pairs of movements are as follows: + Flexion and extension, In flexion, the finger-tips are moved towards the thigh exposing the palm, Extension is the opposite, so that the finger- tips are moved away from the thigh exposing the back of the hhand, Movements that have litle relevance to casting a fy. + Radial and ulnar deviation, oF adduction and abduction. In these ‘movements, if the palm is kept parallel to the thigh and the wrist ‘moves so thatthe long axis ofthe thumb becomes more horizontal, iis adducted, and if the wrist ‘moved so that the long axis ofthe thumb points more vertically down, itis abducted. The normal range of motion isalitd ess than 300 for adduction and about 100 ‘more for abduction, + Supination and pronation. In these movements, with the fingers pointing down, if the wrist is rotated so that the palm is exposed, itis supinated and if rotated So thar the back of the hhand is exposed, itis pronated. I don’t pretend to be as competent a caster as the author, ‘but when I cast and see others cast, the main wrist movements are adduction on the baek-cast and abduction on the forward cast with the palm kept in much the same orientation to the direction of the cast throughout, ie not rotated, Is this correct, or is he Latter of the Hlenth ‘The writer ofthe Letter of the Month will receive a ‘Seaguar spool oftheir choice from Fordham & Wakefield. 1 always enjoy reading Charles Jardine’s aniclesin FPSFT, ofhis fishing adventures with added ‘examples included to illustrate his point. ‘There were two aspects that attracted my attention in the June issue (The Viear of Pitsford). The first was the fly, The Vicar, that looked remarkably similar to a thin Buzzer that I regularly tie for myself and friends. The pattern I use ‘comprises two siretched strands ‘of Spantlex to construct the body. Both patterns are covered with clear or nylon varnish and show the slim profile of Chironomid ‘pupae that are taken by trout. ‘The second comment that Charles made was that of ‘watching the line when Nymph fishing. [find itdifficultto handle leaders longer than one-and-a- half rod-lengths (I am fishing shallower waters, rather than lange reservoirs), but do try to have a suitable length leader, ‘comprising a thicker, greased Dutt and de-greased tippet. Observing the signs ofa sub- surface take requires a lot of concentration, not always: my Reading the signs strong point, so some form of | successful method to use, and “take detection’ method canbe | thiss olen alg Nymph to sh productive. However, my | justunder te surface. experience of Moating markersis |” Twas fishing one ake cently, limited, and T usualy end up | part of a complex. nested losing. them, watching them | amongst the Suey Hil, when detach from the Tear and lat | fish were taking small Buzzers offacoss the lake! used to try | about one toto fet below the and follow Oliver Kite’s “dipping surface. I was watching one trout point” method, and_ this is | move lazily into a shallow bay possible in shallow, still water, | nenrby; then suddenly aster bar where the line can be clearly seen. | of solid rainbow leapt clear of the Baton wind-rfled waters, with | wate landing about thee feetin the Tight against you, tis is | font, heading out nt the lake. alimoet impossible for ny tre | Off came the small weighted eyes. ‘Nymph and on went a Cruncher. So when Igo fishing, am | Teast out in front of me and always. Watching what is | theneawa iver Nash, just about happening, both on the water | veel thought my shoul be, andthe other fishermen. IFT | I lied the rod and a solid See the swift and sand marin | rexitance was fel This sh had dipping over the water, know | been feding on small buzzer, that flies are hatching (even if] | shrimp and a hog-louse. Now, if annotsee them) and fish willbe | Thad been doing my usual trick feeding. watch other fshermen | of watching how others were cactng,andmarelat ther tight | Shing, nd pot concentatingon Toops onthe backcest and the | my own fishing, may wel have slovemocion forwardeast witha | missed that one. So, Chases is entleplopofthefiyorahewier absolutely corre: observa Splash, indicating what ype of fy | all-important, plus the ably to the sdccessfl angler might be | recto instant signs using! Observation allows me to | John Sawtell, make a choice of the mast | vicemai advocating some supination or pronation in the casting stroke? John Hay, ‘West Vancouver, British Columbia. PUT. CORMORANTS AND GOOSANDERS ON "GENERAL LICENCE" Inwriting this lewer, [hope I can persuade those who have the power to address the issues relating to the plight of Welsh salmon and sea trout stocks, and alter their stance and views on including goosanders and cormorants on the ‘General | years’ time, an unnecessary and Licence’ (which enables a land | incredible situation. owner, occupier or authorised | I am extremely concerned person tokill or take certain wild | about thelack of understanding of birds to conserve wild birds, flora | the appropriate departments of or faunaof conservation concern), | NRW, despite many requests by so that keepers ean cull these | various concerned anglers, clubs avian predators and protect the | and riparian owners of fisheries diminishing stocks of salmonids | within Wales to have cormorant {nour steams and rivers and —goosander numbers ‘This needs to happen sooner | controlled more firmly. Including rather than later in order for our | these avian predators on the salmonids to survive. Natural | ‘General Licence’ isa mustifour Resources Wales (NRW) recently | salmon and sea trout are to reported that that salmon and sea | survive. Our concems have been ‘routstocks could beextinct in ten | ‘listened to’ by NRW, but they» ying m-yyingouk| August 202319US SU rod We also supply fully compatible kits, re Tee ue) me Remaenuem cn Sey eu ss Sareea cus finish for around £140 ~~ Design and supply a range of fly fishing equipment such as fly lines, tippet, leaders, fly boxes and a range of tying materials including hooks, beads, dubbings. REDE | we yching-and-yingcokYOUR SAY eo ee eee ee don’t seem to‘hear what is being said. ‘The present ‘Licensing Scheme’ is not working; itis a complicated process to obtain and, when issued, is restricted t0 only a small number of these predatory birds, relying mainly on disturbance to move the birds. Anglers and custodians of our rivers only intend to conteol the birds in sufficient numbers to redress the balance in nature so that our salmonids are given afar chance to survive, and to avoid the long-winded current system in operation when seeking permission for a limited, controlled cull. Any disturbed cormorants and goosanders simply move either upstream or downstream or even to another river or tributary to continue predating on young salmonids, Please see the attached picture (above) of female with a ‘creche? of 30 goosander ducklings, showing the prolific breeding KEEP ‘EM CLEAN Fishing witha few friends recentiyimadeachance ‘commentabout the numberof timesicleanmy floating fy lines. This openeda bit of debate, andsurprisedmea it, (Cries of "What! Noway?" followedmyadmissionthat! clean my lines reguiarly.andby this, mean weekly or fortnighty, dependingonhow ‘many times|'veusedtheline, and where. How often Ifishis obvious; for me, the feel andaction of your potential of this species (brood size on average is 8-12). On another day, I came aeross flock of 22 fully grown goosanders on the upper river Dee in Corwen Working through a pool before being disturbed by my presence, only to fly off downstream, 200, yards or so, before starting to ‘demolish the salmon fish stocks present there ‘As a case in point, the river Dovey catchment, which consists ‘of 300 miles of tributaries and rivers, was in the early days of ‘icensing’ given a culling licence for 4 cormorants and 6 goosanders in total. In 2023, a Ticence was granted for just 2 cormorants and 4 goosanders. We know they are voracious birds. So, if a flock of 22 oosanders eat an average 20 salmonids each, daily, that equates to 3080 salmonids a week Is it any wonder why there isa shortage of these precious fish stock? If this was on the Dovey catchment, only 4 (of that flock) could beshot this year, leaving 18 to continue the damage and left on to breed next spring to bring yet more goosanders into the equation. Assuming that 9 birds ofthose 18 were female and ready to breed next spring unchecked, the muliplying effect on the salmonid population is ‘unsustainable, How does NRW ‘make its decision on numbers that can beculled? In 1880, there were no goosanders in the UK. Berween 1880 and 1954 there were a few goosanders, but mast were shot as part of Salmon Fisheries ‘Management. From 1954 onwards, ‘goosanders were protected when breeding, but stil shot by fisheries ‘managers and anglers outside the breeding season, In 1981, goosanders and cormorants’ were offered full protection under the Wilde and Countryside Act. From 1981 t0 2018 goosander numbers rose froma few hundred to 20,000. This is clearly ‘unsustainable, and that does not take into account the cormorant situation, which take langer fish — also a UK-wide problem. Ist any wonder that the salmon population has plummeted between 1981 and 2018 We anglers are charged a substantial annual lence fe to fish for salmon, We pay our way, Bast of the Blogs ‘oatinglines adds the overall enjoymentof the time you're out chasingtish...andithelpstoo. That feelingofa’dity line’ going through the rodrings, especially if ‘you'rein oraround sandand sit, isapethateofmine. Thedamage torodor line being the obvious reason fornot ikingthis,butthat {eelingofadirtylinegoing ‘through the eyessetsmy teeth on edge, lkechalkscreechingona blackboard, Ihatelt. Thingis,notcleaning your floating ines takes cistanceoff your cast, effects accuracy and compromises thefloatabilty resultinginthe tine, eventually cutting through thesurface, especiallyatthe narrower. front taperproducingmoreasinkstip effectrather than floater. Drag conthelineand fy follows, soyou couldaddafellinfishnumbers but where ae all ofthese monies actually allocated? For years, anglershave harped fon about these problems whilst ‘our ‘fisheries managers’ have spent money on water-voles, planting trees, fencing ficlds, ‘otters, and the like, opening up spawning grounds whilst avian predation grew out of control ‘They now blame matters out at sea. There is a possibility that there are problems there, but i's a case of fiddling whilst Rome burned. ‘Unfortunately, there is no time for more reviews and further inaction. I believe fishery departments should be resurrected outside the scope of NRW, for its views fail the rivers ‘whieh they should be caring for. It needs to be replaced with Fishery Orientated Managers/Leaders ith scientific and common-sense based outlooks... and action. Guitym Hughes, Pullheli Guyneda. Edited copy of alter sent 0: various politicians including ‘Mark Drakeford FM; Clare Pillman, CEO NRW; SETC; Enyr Lewis, Retired Fea Enforcement Officer, North ‘Wales; Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas Gwilym’s Petition © Save salmonids and other fishes at heips://ehngit/DBNFO6X72 caughtinto the equation, especialy iftargeting surface- ‘eedersinrunning water. Whatissurprisingisjust how uickiya ly line wil pickup dirt andsilt,andhow quicklyitcan become compromisedand starttoatfect yourfishing. I's alsoamazinghow much dirt buildsuponatiyline,notonly ‘romit fling ontothe bankor bottomoftheboat, butaiso ‘fromthe water itself especially ifitearriesany algae. Allan Liddle Read Allan's fullbog, and othersonthewebste. WWW.FLYFISHING-AND-FLYTYING.CO.UK/BLOG oy EY Teeeame ogee me woneishing-an-yying nuk August 2025 [12CoS PON aU on TERN FLY FISHING AND, FLY TYING ews Gaol nail the news desk at: olingriver@mac.com or telephone: O1887 829868, For news as ithappens visit www Avishing-and-tytying co.uk Wye and Lugg downgraded by Natural England .. BUT NRW CONTINUE TO FIND 'NO REAL EVIDENCE’ OF POULTRY POLLUTION aural England has ade in the overall Condition ofthe rivers Wye and Lugg after a small-scale assess ment classe designated sites as “because should they have found evidence of environmental damage, under the Environmental Damage Regulations they have a duty to investigate poultry producers in the catchment and require them toprevent farther pollution and, where possible, to undertake remediation work: In shor, they'd hhave todo their job and regulate the industry” ‘Akey pollutant within the Wye catchment is down to excessive phosphate loading; the effect of yet to confirm whether they have tonnes of poultry manure that is found environmental damageto turned into digestate and spread the river Wye. thas now downgraded the overall condition of the Wye, but NRW claimthere on land in the catchment. Fish Tegal first notified feno real evidence forthe cause Intensive poultry units have been ‘Natural Resources Wales (NRW) proliferating in the catchment in thatenvironmental damage was | investigations intothe reasons for | protected plants and wildlife in | recent years, and Fish Legal has being caused by Intensive Poultry | the deterioration were being | the River Wyearein declin...Itis | been pursuing a number of legal Units (IPUs) in Wales in June | “prioritised”. NRW has said that quiteextraordinary that NRWare | actions to address ongoing 2020, and again in 2021. itis not prepared to confirm that | saying to us that they have | pollution in the river Wye, NRW had concluded in 2022 | the downgrades are “real” until | evidence of potential downgrades | including challenging planners* that there was no evidence of | those investigations are | in Wales, but they are not ready | failure to properly assess their deterioration or environmental | concluded, and have since | yet to confirm whether they are | affect on the Wye an its damagelinkedto theindustry,but | maintained “radio silence” | “real”. This new ‘reality’ test that | tributaries. ‘were using using figures eating | according to Justin Neal,Solicitor | NRWhasintroduced hasno basis | Powys Council has said “unfavourable declining’ when looking at four specifie features However, in its atest round of assessments, and despite indi cating to Fish Legal in Novem- ‘ber 2022 that eleven waterbodies in the catchment have poten: tially been downgraded, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is still tothe period 2009 to 2015. Later, | at Fish Legal ila publiely that it had not granted NRW ater admitted that several | He added, “It is interesting | THe reasons that NRW want to | permission for any new poultry ‘Wye waterbodies had potentially | that Natural England has come | delay making a decision about | units in the Wye catchment area deteriorated between the more | out this week to announce that | whether or nottheyhavefounda | since Fish Legal’s case against recent 2015-2021 period,and that | their assessments show that | deterioration on the Wye, | them in March 20: M' cuts cake at Wimbleball in dune, when celebrated actress, Dame Judi Dench, ee ad eee te acs ee tee ee seers ‘Academy Award for Shakespeare in Love alongwith ‘numerous BAFTA awards, helped t cut the birthday cake ee es 22 | August 2023 | wyfishing-and yingSewage overflow challenge WILDFISH LAUNC ildFish has been W given permission to apply for Judicial Re view challenging the Govern ment's ‘Storm Overflows Dis charge Reduetion Plan’ which hhas set targets for water compa: nies to progressively reduce spills from storm overflows, with 8 long-stop date proposed for those reductions at 20 ‘WildFish says the Plan is: confusing and. contradictory fails to deal with the overflows that are eausing the problem; sets targets which would allow water companies to continue dumping unacceptable amounts of raw sewage over a prolonged period, in some eases up to 2050. "The regulations to deal with the problem of untreated sewage ‘overflows in anything other than extreme weather conditions have been in place since 1994, and WildFish will claim that the un derlying cause of the current problem is the continued failure ff the water companies to com ply with the duties imposed on them, and the government, 10 properly enforce them, and that the Plan does not deal with this. Tt argues that the Plan ap: LE CHALLENGE OVER "CONFU ‘The government's plan to reduce sewage overflows "sirelevant” fit does not deal with illegal discharges, says WilFish. proves continuing unlawful con duct, fails to consider the exist- ing law, breaches the Habitats Regulations, and is irrational and unlawful Leading environmer barrister, James Maurie K¢ Charles ‘Bishop of Landmark Chambers, and Fieldfisher LLP, will bring the challenge on Wild Fish’s behalf “Years of underinvestment and absent regulators have got lus where we are today with widespread illegal sewage dis: charges. Ifthe Plan is intended ING AND UNAMBITIOUS" PLAN to deal with illegal discharges, itis unlawfully encouraging law. breaking for years to come. If t is not intended to deal with these illegal discharges, itis irrele vant” said Nick Measham, CEO of WildFish, We have no problem with the Plan being used to arrive at fn initial rough estimate of the costs required to provide up- grades to storm overflows, How- ever, its failure to deal with the vast majority of relevant outfalls fand the production of sub-tar- gets and headline targets, which have no basis inthe application of the existing regulations, is un acceptable, “We want the Government to tive the relevant agencies the ‘mandate and the money to en foree and compel the water com panies to deliver the infrastruc- ture urgently required to end sewage pollution, We want ac- tion now not plans for the never, Wildfish’s challenge to the plan will run separately to one taken out by Marine Conserva tion Society, Richard Haward’s Oysters, and Hugo Tagholm (via the Good Law Project). WSP7s should “not continue ‘the status quo” RESPONSE TO PLANNED WILD SALMON PROTECTION ZONES TO "PROTECT WILD SALMON AND SEA TROUT FROM SI tion of the sector were required. The West Coast Tracking Project (in partnership with Fisheries Management Scotland ‘and Marine Scotland) has been ‘SEPAplans to introduce Wild Salmon Protection Zones to protect them {rom salmon-farm sea lice. generating data which can in form that process to support bet- ter protection for wild salmon and sea tout. ‘The processhas now entered PA LICE" its 14-week consultation phase fand the Atlantie Salmon Trust is preparing a detailed response to ensure that this important milestone is a positive turning point for wild salmonids. AST says its response will aim tocensure that the WSPZs: + Do not permit a continuation of “the status quo", + Provide genuinely better protection for wild salmon and sea trout + Are introduced in a timely ‘manner to match the urgency of the salmon crisis we face + Support regulation that is transparent, accountable, and enforceable. » wonyfshing-and-yyingsoal| August 2035 [13Sea lice threat of marine trout farms RAINBOW TROUT FARMS HIGHLIGHTED AS "WORST PERFORMERS” ‘Seaarmed rainbow trout are carrying even higher numbers of soa dFish has spot W lighted the potential dangers of sea lice ‘emanating from marine rainbow ‘rout farms as it identified Kames hen the Good Lord W found John Mur- phy in his landing net in March of this year, he may well have turned to Saint Peter and said “We have a specimen here”, John lived life to the fullest and his many accomplish ments Were nothing short of remarkable, He fished for Le inster and Ireland, and his im. mense talent for fly fishing earned him many accolades and fly fishing awards around Ireland and beyond. His skill and passion for the sport were truly unmatched and his presence on the water will be deeply missed. But he Fish Farming, one of two rain bow trout marine farms in Seot- land, topping May's sea lic leaderboard with an average of 6.42 adult sea lice per fish at a than salmon, farm in Shetland. It highlights — open-net production of rainbow trout can result in many of the same environmental, sustainability John Murphy Ad John Murphy, whose presence on ‘the water willbe deeply missed. 4 | August 2023 | wowishing-and-Ayyng cok ‘was mote than justa fisherman, hhe was a man who loved to cul tivate life and beauty as evi denced by his passion for gar- ening, and as a superb fly tyer he also created along with the author the Watson's Bumble fly, He also had a deep apprecia tion for the narural world and enjoyed diving into the depths of the sea to explore its mysteries, Although born in Dublin and in tuocueed to fly ishing by his fa ther Peter on the river Dodder, John lived most ofhis life in Ca~ van in a lovely home right on the shore of his beloved Lough Sheelin, sometimes with his sis ter Bernadette, who was a con- stant support to him through and welfare issues associated with open-net salmon farming. It says, Dawnfresh, a rainbow trout producer, has reported the highest weekly sex lice counts of any Scottish pro ducer (for rainbow trout or salmon) for the last two years running. The Dawnfresh Loch Etivesite has reached an average adult sea lice count as high as 25.26 and 1773 in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Despite suffering from the highest recorded sea lice levels in Scotland, and reports of 26,000 fish deaths in a single week, salmon farming giant Mow pur. chased Dawnfresh in February Mowi plan to switch from grow ing trout on the four seawater farms in Loch Eve to growing salmon, claiming, bizarrely, that “the lower salinity in Loch Etive also means @ lower sea lice pop- ulation”, Records over the past ‘ovo years have shown that state- ‘ment to be completely false During May, 31.3% of farms breached Scottish Government sea lice limits of above two sea lice per fish, with 117 farms (al ‘most one-fifth) submitting a ‘No count’ loophole in the reporting procedure that a numberof farms are exploiting (see last ise), out his life But above all he was a man who loved to have fun and was always up foralaugh and a pint, and with his infectious energy, \Which was contagious, he could light up any room. A remarkable ‘man, whose death is a great loss toall ofus, butas we mourn his passing we ean take comfort in the knowledge that his legacy will ive on through the eount= less lives he touched, and the many happy memories he left behind. While he will be deeply missed he will never be forgot- ten, Rest in Peace, John. Noel] Ross © News continues on page 52ARE TOOLS LETTING YOU DOWN? — ul TOOLS 1 IN TOWN The WizTool Range Peang « Nipper + Sharpener « Magnets + Mitten Clamp + Tungsten Carbide Nipper + Clamp 175mm Straight Clamp 150mm + Curved Clamp 150mm Large Loop Scissors « Hook Sharpener GEOFF ANDERSON A family of effective fishing tools, assembled and quality tested in Denmark. These magnets are a perfect match for our tools and. other brands, enabling you to mount tools securely to your jacket or vest BUY ONLINE ‘wwnw.spritefishing.com + ww.fishingmegastore.com + www.barbless-flies.co.uk » www flyfishingireland.com » www.seriousfishing,com wwwflytyingcompany.co.uk « wwwanglers-lodge.co.uk + www.cotswoldcountry.co.uk » www.chucknduckfiytying.com wwwfishingtacklewarehouse.co.uk + www.lostlakefly.co.uk + www.atlanticrivers.com » www.pacifcrivers.comBe careful what you wish for... ..With regard to eradicating salmon farms, says MALCOLM DUTCHMAN-SMITH, who puts together a plan for the way ahead ‘Salmon fish farm in Bergen, where the Norwegian government i inthe process of implementing a40%6 tax rate on salmon farms. nderstandably, the an- [ tling community in the United Kingdom is ve hhemently opposed tothe salmon fish farms that are in operation, We have every good reason 10 take that view, given the pollution and parasitisin they cause lead ‘ng to harm and contamination of wild salmon (and sea trout) stocks particularly on the West Coast of Scotland, Salmon farm ing now forms a significant part of the economy of Scotland and the threat i spreading with an in creasing commercial desire for companies to extend their oper ations to meet the undoubted market that exists for their prod: uct. ‘The response of the Scottish Governmentio this seems to place environmental and conservation concerns as secondary to the need for economic growth in the field, ‘which is in marked contrast tothe \way it usually reacts in other areas of concern, such as climate change and the like, Large-scale production of farmed salmon seems to have started in the 1960s in Norway, but by 1971 the first such project had been started in Scotland, and there has been consistent expansion ever since. ‘Tam embarrassed to say that \when this development reached our shores I welcomed it. 1 Wonder how many other anglers 16 | August 2025] wo yshing ani Pyping oak took this view atthe time? think that there was a basic logie to my (with the benefit of hindsight, admittedly naive) belief that this ‘was of benefit to conservation of wild salmon stocks and, hence, salmon angling. It was also of advantage to the general public, ‘sit appeared to open up to most people a healthy, delicious food source that had once been an expensive delicacy, rather than a staple diet item. The price of salmon would also plunge, making netting of wild salmon uneconomic and unnecessary ‘This would make such practices wither away or ~ much easier~t0 ‘buy out and close down, Well, to avery large degre, the anglers’ campaign to do away with river, estuary and coastal netting for salmon has been sucessful [thas taken time, effort and a not insignificant amount of ‘money. This would not havebeen achieved without the actions of the angling community and the organisations that they founded todraw attention to the perilous position of the wild Adlantic salmon as an endangered species, On the other hand, governmental efforts have been at best Jukewarm, Politicians, with their eyes as always on the ballot box, are too ready to give way to the misguided opinion that our protests emanate simply from the selfish desires of “tolls to grab aPAWN[e2 SSNS BEEN RETURN- ING VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE SALMON THEY CATCH’ greater share ofthe salmon runs | effortshave not had the necessary to catch and kill purely for their | effect and the serious decline in amusement, Tis ignores the | stocks seems unremitting. Catch- basic premise that overall while | and-release, however necessary it salmon stocks are desperatdlylow, | may be poitially to our cau: they would doubtless be even | makes lite difference (asthe lower without the efforts anglers | year record on the Aberdeenshire hhave made to stop commercial | Dee testifies) and the dreadful netting. Now, and for some time, | eatch-returns from the early anglers have been returning | spring of 2023 makes very virtually all of the salmon they | depressing reading, catch: a state of affairs that is | Tn fairness, in recent years, likely o continue indefintely,and | scientificknaviedge and research probably permanently. has identified for us further important causes for the problem itt i, including climate change, the Unremitting decline etren of naural predation in to be acknowledged that, | rivers, estuaries (particularly in as we may have hoped it | respect of descending smolts) as ‘would have been different, these | well as on the high sea, habitat COMMENT + SALMON FARMS De er eee ee Talegge’it clearly not enough tosave te spies wih pe marten een tN degradation and pollution in particular from fish and poultry farms, Future generations Despite the weariness and despair felt by the many who have hitherto “done their bit” in the cause of salmon conservation these factors all need to be addressed vigorously and effectively if future generations are to have wild Atlante salmon running into their rivers and the opportunity of the pleasure for angling for them that we sil just about enjoy. I have litte doubt that unless the angling community rallies round for a further thrust this will not be achieved. Ieis vitally important that the efforts that are made should be focused, pragmatic and effective sand isin this regard, with regard tosalmon fish farms, that I have concerns that we are in danger of taking the wrong route in trying tw obtain the best outcome, as 1 sense that the mood is growing fora larger, concerted campaign forthe abolition of salmon farms in the United Kingdom. The harbinger of this isto be found in some ofthe press of eampaigns to persuade supermarkets not to stock and the publie not to buy farmed salmon, as well a publicity given to certain 2 ishing lying August 2003 127(COMMENT + SALMON FARMS ‘NO GOVERNMENT OF ANY PERSUASION WOULD EMBARK UPON SUCH A PROJECT” high-class restaurants announcing that they were taking such salmon off the menus. Eye- catching and superficially attractive as these protests may be, they have no realistic prospect of successfully achieving the objective, assuming that it will result in the cessation of salmon fish farming in the United Kingdom. Sensibly, in my view, the WildFish campaign to take armed salmon “Off the Table” concentrates on trying to end ‘open-net salmon farms at sea as first important stage. It is somewhat ironie that the horrendous spectace, some years ago, of, T think, the Canadian government secking to deal with an explosion the seal population by clubbing the newborn seal ceubs has underscored the long- standing public refusal to countenance any effective culling ofseals, notwithstanding the fact that the population is expanding to such an extent that the food needs to sustain it require the exploitation of stocks of fish that are seriously endangered species. By the same token, the public having got used to farmed salmon inthe diet would not understand fr countenance its removal. No government of any persuasion would embark upon such a project. Furthermore, what would be the consequence of actually achieving the unachievable with the closure of salmon farms? I ‘would suggest that it could result in the real possibility of the re- emergence on a much wider Seale of commercial netting of wild salmon, which current stocks simply could not tolerate, Netting hhas not been abolished permanently. We have in the main achieved cessation, albeit that some nets do remain and in particular, and ironically, there is siill one operating in Berwick on Qoreeute It’s theend of the line for farmed salmon, ‘eon ppt date WiaFish’s OF the table’ campaign calls ‘on chefs and restaurants to take open-net {armed salmon of their menus. ‘Supported bya coalition of UKand International charities and community _roups, the campaign exposes the ‘environmental sustainability and welfare {issues related to salmon farming. ‘Tweed. Last year, the press contained some eye-watering reporsof the price being paid for ‘wild Aulantic salmon in the fish ‘markets in London and fillets in the restaurants there. The market for such salmon would inevitably increase substantially, and the attration ofthe prices that could be obtained for wild fsh would be avery strong temptation to those in a position to do so to revive netting. In those circumstances, ‘on their current track record, governments would be ualikelyin the extreme to prevent them from so doing, and we would have simply replaced one serious problem with another that was perhaps ofa greater magnitude. That is not to say that we should embrace salmon fish farms and meekly acquiesce in their ‘continued methods of operation and expansion. However, our ‘efforts should not be wasted on a futile campaign to abolish them, Encouraging. publie bodies 10 properly control them may not be enough and taking vigorous steps, ifpractcabl, by ligation, to force ‘them to dosoor, directly by those ‘who have suffered loss to claim ‘damages caused by ther pollution and failure to control escapees that interbreed with the native stock. Unless and until these aspects have been addressed, we have a strong argument for ‘opposing any further extension of their operation and we should do 0, To beefetive such objections need to be detailed and professionally prepared. We need a hant-hittng (and I fear, expensive) publicity campaign t0 cediucate the public as to the true effets of what is occurring, so that it will be apparent that the 8 | August 2025| www ching ant fying oak motivation for something to be done ~ and done quickly ~ is not simply of importance to anglers. do not suggest that we should embark on the type of activities that certain climate and eeological protesters adopt at the present time, albeit they certainly seem to ‘get matters into the public arena and, in some ways surprisingly, generate wide-ranging support. Publicsupport Without support amongsta much wider eross-setion of the public ‘we are unlikely inthe extreme to ever achieve What, frankly, will inevitably be necessary to make the meaningful difference that is to persuade governments to take fective, speedy stepsto deal with the obvious matters that need to bbe eradicated but which, currently, they choose to ignore. If ‘we ean achieve that then itopens ‘upso many more effective ways of bringing these commercial operations to hee Policing a detailed poliey of regulating the farms effectively is of course expensive. Recent steps taken by the | Norwegian government do, perhaps, show ‘what may be a’ more autactive ‘option to getting to grips withthe ratter. We have “windfall taxes” to cover energy companies Norway is in the process of introducing anew 40% tax rate cover the _ salmon-farming industry, much to the shock and distress ofthe various companies involved, Imagine what the serious threat of so doing might have ifthe Scottish government did the same with regard to those operating inthe United Kingdom? The threat ofs0 doing, “WE WOULD HAVE SIMPLY REPLACED ONE SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH ANOTHER’ — if meaningful rather than sabre- rating, might result in atleast some immediate changes but if the tax was imposed then, assuming it was“ring-fenced”, 0 deal with regulation of the industry it would doubtless be possible for it to be much more effective. However, the chances of persuading a government of any persuasion to do this would only have a much better prospect of success if in advance, the general public had been sufficiently informed to be on side with regard tothe necesity of so doing. “Equally itis important that we don’t fll into the wap of putting “al our eggs into one basket” by failing to give full atention wo the other identified aspects that need tobe addressed. With the benefit of hindsight I suspect that to a certain degree we became ‘complacent inthe past, believing that dealing with netting and ceatch-and-release would solve the problem. Unfortunately, it has ‘early not done so, ‘Malcolm Dutchman-Smith, a re- tired lawyer, iea keen salmon Jisher who visits Scotland's ‘salmon rivers regularly through ‘out the season,LOYNTON Trout Fishery Near Norbury, Staffordshire eoanl 3 spring fed lakes, acres in total Day tickets start at £25.00 ‘Superb caravan facilities on-site Tel: 07949 251732 www.loyntontroutfisheries.co.uk On the A519 Newport to Fecleshall Road ala —_ =) Ne) Tale) ICC Ua Telelsy VARIVAS LEADERS Cisa tet ome ele GEOFF ANDERSON CLOTHING Cea SRL UNL! Visit today www.spritefishing.com eat FLY TYING MATERIALS. See Our Exciting and Unique Online Guide/Catalogue at: © Vast Mat als Range © Comprehensive Product Information © Fly Tying Tips © Fly Tying Vid Tie with Semperfli! 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As any fly tyer will recognise, it is designed around pheasant tail feathers often used for tying classic wet flies. 4 It can be worn in a variety of different ways: Scarf Face mask Neckerchief Head-band Wrist-band Headscarf Alice band Balaclava Hair-band Pirate cap Skull cap —" r a ORDER BY PHONE: 01887 829868 © Have Fly Fishing & Fly Tying delivered to your door © Buywisely usingourimpartialtackletests @ Tiethe QUOTE 'NECK-TUBE’ deadliestflypatterns @ Findnewplacestotish @ Be ALTERNATIVELY, E-MAIL: subs.ffft@btinternet.com __firstwiththenews @ Accessallareasofour websiteFF&FT ‘pheasant tail’ neck-tube + Seamless + Elasticated + 100% polyester technical microfibre + Washable at 40°C Yes, | would like to take up the offer and receive the FF&FT ‘Pheasant tail’ neck-tube! (7 issues for £52 (UK postal adress) (7 issues for £70 (European postal address) (7 issues fo £75 (USA, Canada and Far East) (L issues for £78.40 (Australia and New Zealand) For multi-year deals, digital-only subscriptions ‘or subscription package deals see our new website: ‘www flyfishing-and-flytying.co.uk Name Address _Post/ZipCode ‘Send subscription confirmation and gift to recipient? [_] Or send subscription confirmation and gift topayer? |) enclose a cheque made payable to Roling River Publications Lt, Orplease debit my: Mastercard [] Visa[] Switch [] Total amount § Credit/debit card details COTTA TT TT} vatid rom[[[_[_] Expiry Date [ [| |] Switch Issue No Signature —_—. Postto: FFT Roling River Publeatons Ltd, Locus Cente, The Square, Aberfeldy, Prtnshice PHIS 200, United Kingdom. -Aerraiely, fx: O1887 829655, ‘Teas DCoNOMONS Yar atone th he bike serghy Sommaire suns bes plchce uraniewe ese eghoses aerate 6differences Cola N RB. el rel Ren agree] 9 Rare our Damselfly Nymph patterns for reservoirs and those for small waters ouhave to love irony. Itwas all ‘going to be so easy: accept an invitation from the St Michael Fly Fishers to visit the green Sussex idyll that is Lakedown, ‘and then fish the various creases, drifts, nooks and crannies and bays of Chew ~ with their burgeoning damsel hatch, and to do so with one of the area’ nate experts (right wont!) Paul Sweatman,fsh a new(ish) Damsel [Nymph design, catch the add trout, talk about the tacties involved, and that would be that. A nice, topically based piece that highlights an interesting Yin and Yang of our sport; job ddone..most people happy. 22 augue vw yichingand-Seyingcoak But... I hadn't considered a missile-ike unhinged cockapoo on a retractable lea, and ‘an enduring heat wave. Life sucks sometimes. So, a8 [write - my right hand in aplaster-cast ~ in stupefying, moist heat with impending torrential thunderstorms, itis very hard to imagine those north-easterly winds, which ‘only aweek previously had stripped us bare of moisture and hatches, and provided brittle ‘weather to go with clear, unrelenting skies and frigid nights. Most have suggested i's been a poor Mayfly hatch at best; but conversely there's been great reservoir fishing... if you Fhappened to be hugging the margins. And, if ‘you happened tobe at Lakedown ~ or indeed, many other similar waters ~ the water clarity and temperature provided superb fishing and ‘wall-conditoned, hard fighting, activ ‘rout, No lethargy there ‘The odd thing is ~ was ~ that whilst rivers seemed to suffer in the south (the challstreams re especially die) the rivers in Wales, whilst srunken, were sublime. The chalkstre hhatches were as fickle as an remember onal epic days, interspersed vith a majority that were slow. Conver the Usk, the olive upright, Ma ddun hatches were sparse, but sufficient to ergise the trout to eye the surface with eager rising anticipation: it's been fun,FEATURE On stillwaters, sun and early summer ‘means the damsel fy hatch; I can’tthink ofan insect which so neatly binds large and small waters together, and yet in such differen w Patterns that have evolved on our bigger ‘waters ~ such as Killers, the Bejesusand others 2s——o— se are so very different to the Blue-fash Damsel reer eeiaereier rs. § and other faney concoctions of the smaller £ water — not that they don’t work when transported between one location and the others it's just thatthe ethos of Damsel design seems alittle different. Smaller on the bigger waters, longer and more lithe on the smaller tones. there's that word irony again, ‘A few seasons back, I hit on a bonanza of damsel opportunities on Blagdon ~ then, squirrel-strip designs kept short where absolutely de rigueur. Shorter and lighter seemed to be the key. ‘Why? One theory is depth. Reservoir fish seem to prefer their designs as the natural intended ~ closerto the surface, small and - lets face it ~ spinster-like and dowdy (not that all spinsters are dowdy, he types quickly.) "The smaller water brethren, on the other hand, seem to prefer their Damsels shall we say alittle more obvious. Long-tailed, wi with abitofflash. Depth, though, seems to be the erucial aspect be that via the fy, or the fy line. ‘Whilst I am not averse to using beads ~ tungsten or otherwise ~ I do think that they “kil” movement and aspect litle. A tungsten bead is not a panaces. Butgetting your design to where itneeds to be is erucial ~ especially on waters such as Lakedown, where the deadly Damsel depth seems to be,even on the brightest day, around four to six feet down. I guess it's because rainbows prefer patrolling at that depth, and feel comfortable in that water-band, Enter the fy designs [offer here and/ intermediate line, or long leader if you are restricted toa floating line (or simply prefer using one). Tip’ Hines (sink tips) are aso a plus ‘when it comes to presentation, but the fatter sinking profile of an intermediate really does ‘There were plenty of damsels about, but when awater-any US eee ES ee eg eae ee cee ey comes to fishing Damsels » Cee oond Et only ever takes just one trout to make season. This was mine! A classic Usk brown trout snftled by using commendo- Style tactics, sliding down the side of a bridge, clinging onto @ stanchion and exciting, breathless, For what seemed hours Cit was probably ten minutes), whilst the treet came back to its lie under a overhanging willow. Then, the merest Hick f a #4 rod- dip and ay #t leader with a Spent Ware's Lar Maptly. A ferecieus surge to the dry Aly gripped in the film Followed. 24 | Augus.2009 | wunyfsingand-yying coe OA! Hou we longed For the fish to be hard on these | Te classic. red Holographic = the nemesis of the day we tried Dis; Sweeps) wwe tried tips’ (of every conceivable variety, float Vines, intermediate lines: deadly on their day, just not the day we fished! Past! Suseat eran ard Z drifting ~ rather Forlornly it must be Said | - towards the only rising fish ese Saud in the fasting) Fish we Seu in water. Great company of damsels... Happens.TACTICS + STILLWATER Not every Danse! Nyoph it @ seams, have bead heats, be shards ard pulses of ‘Aucrescence. This natural ‘hatched on the jetty of Chew. Its as drab as you (please. Do we use too mich ‘colour in our” imitations” to a point that they become a mere parody ard almost @ detractor a5 opposed attractor? Discuss. The scene of my one-armed” success”: Lakedouwn's third lake has dways been a twourite and @ tabiilous area to tish imitatively using @ lang leader and a Heating line; For years, that dl you could use... bud in Fact, it was al you redly needed. Because of the need to vay depth, whilst still adhering to the riles and dso the natural’s sub-surbice ction, this extracrdinary Sussex water lead me to explore using Damsel Nymphs that were weighted to grab the depth reguired, but net so much as to” kill” the fi's mevement, nor over-colaur the naturd’s drabres ‘ sign is merely simplification of the Down & Dirdy Damsel Le: 5 ew fsingand-yingcoak | August 2025 | 25The Damsel-rich plaground of the ‘third lake with its wild Flower mospificerce ard (rst imescribable beauty. “Lcan't explain.” were L am trying hard to explain to the endetring rock legend, Koger Daltrey, just how an ottt-of-control cockapoo on a retractable lead to Send me tumbling across a service-station Forecourt, rendering me a one-armed fisher. Bien Reger - the mastermind behind Lakedown all those years ago = looks pretty amazed and, let's Face it, that man has Seen more than most! jiele me, Since haling this injury, I hove a hetge and growing admiration for anjone who is disabled and is unable to tly-Fish in in the comentional sense. However, it is possible... ard cathartic. But the easy - ard taken for grarted - suddenly becomes avery red/ issue to overcome. ZT - indeed, all of us - should perhaps bear this in mind when we next go out Fishing.TACTICS + STILLWATER Three members of the rather wonderful St Michael Fly Fishers fishing amidst the Spring gory of Lakedowmn. T was deeply to be their quest, invited to join them on this Sussex water to raise a few * bob" for my initiative: Fishing for Schools: Lan dwas humbled by everts like this; people, clubs and occasions that do so much to titel what we dein areas where youngsters wart to fish and often hare little opportunity to do so. We strive to make a difference ard do so throcgh the generosity of clubs like St Michael FF. One of Pete Cockwill’s and ory Pavoured haunts on Lake Tivo at Lakedown. Both of us have hed So much success from this one Uittle” swim": the deep water at one's feet is a perennial haunt for the large brown trout that have grown Fat on the insect life ard ‘Sezttdling forms of craptish. I hare often thought I should try a Crapfish design one of these days ~ now wouldn't that be Fun?! As it is, this is my" go-to” spot, especially For larger than ae especialy es hen tre intermediate Ay line. Tf ayone doubted that Lakedoun was among ~ if not the - prettiest Small-water fisheries in the Uk, just take a garder at this inncge. ae very Few Small waters where catehing sh is adtterly secondary (or shorld be) to the jay of being beside this water. OK, the north-easterly wind, aways as dry as cream cracker biscuit, sucked the moistere thom the land and mode #ishing testy, bud the bankside's earhy summer foliage was sublime. I think it is that gives Lakedown the diversity of insect life it Aas, be that water or airborne. It is a privilege to fish the lakes, it really is..ard the trowl are pretty damn good, too. » wwyching-and-Syyingenak| August 2025 |27“« Fly of the Month his month’s offering isso very close to my Down & Dirty Damsel it’s almost an em= barrassment .. But actualy i's not. Ages ago, on the banks of Clywedog, I meta fisher - no ‘dea of his name, sadly ~ who gave me a Damsel design that was working especially wel for him on the day; one that, whilst looking deceptively like other designs, had a ‘flash’ of orange in the thoracic region. My late friend, Rob Spiller, had similar ideas back in the day. More recently, a friend at Chew showed me something similar, Like claret in a Mayfly design, orange does seem to be a target/trig- ger colour in Damsels. ‘That does not mean that you coat the entire fly in pul- sating colour and a vibraney that would class him as un- derstated Harry Styles (or Liberace, forthe older reader.) Tam not sure what happened, but we stillwater fishers seem to have systematically become utterly infatuated with brightness and colour. Yes, | know of the effectiveness ofthe Blob and all ts gaudy offspring. But does that need to spill into imitative fishing? Nature being hostage to utter parody? ‘Now, I would not disagree that a few hot-spots and ac- cents of colour can lift a pattern from a plethora of natu- tals — I get that ~ but the materials being ineomporated into some designs appear to be fashioned from the imagination ofa child let loose with a paint-box of fluorescent colours and an over-active imagination, ‘One thing struck me when I looked ~ and I mean re- ally studied natural damsel nymphs both at Chew and Lake- down was just how drab they were... and often as not (in- the required weight, action and a degree of realism with- stars aside) they were overall a pale-straw olive colour ~ out overdoing it. ‘buteven when the nymph was in the darker stages the tone T think, for me, the importance ofthe both the design was still muted. and the creation has been the step back into how it was ‘As a result, have dispensed with all but a suggestion = and look far closer atthe real, natural world ~ as op- of lash (the Down & Dirty Damsel was atad sparkly!) but posed the imagined one. hhave placed a hint of orange which, when wet, tends to fuse ‘Cathartie ~ and exciting in its own way... into the dubbing and give a lovely life-giving yellow-olive Fishing ite Well, suit yourself, but pulls and twitch {ee to the design, The eyes are tungsten dumbbell designs, sto figure-ofeights toa slow hand-over-hand (see pho- which I think when criss-crossed with fine dubbing offer to, above, right)! 28 | August 2025 | woreyfishingand-yyingcoukTACTICS + STILLWATER Triumph exer cchversity. Or is id WY despperandeint? Gen if I couldn’ properly * play with beth hands; Z could, with a hitele Ingenclity, adaption ard lessons learned Front other reservoir fishers Cand in particular Blagdon bark meastro, Jeff arst), at least retrieve The handover hand, roly-poly is without douke a gorm-charger For Cryone with restricted hand movement ~ arthritis, Phestonatison or, just Pléin covcrdindion isstes ~ sitddenly, the impossible becomes possible..Sutficient, on this occasion Cand ‘subseguently) to catch trout and whit is mare importa, present a fly ~ especially Danse! Nymphs ~ in a highly affective, naturel manner. The vitidlions of Speed (e's doesn't have to be £250) and articulation you can impart using this style is guite extracrdinay. Once my hard mands properly E shall certanky continte to use this style of retrieve on a far more regular basis. Thy it for yourself! Tying the Leagy Damsel a_geho~ V Tie in dumbell aje 4 4/ Tie in the sparkly mith turns of b thread strands for legs. 5 tres, Followed by & — | (al S/ Tain the ( “Grawn” of orange —T seals fur dubbing (2 2/ Add the merabou SE bil Peollowed by the B sedéing 3/ Dub the body with seals fur. G/ dub through ad erceind the dumée!l then switch threads to red ~ if yout ward tagee spot. — |} (@ Next Time: A lifein the ocean Waven. wweffshing-andyvingoak| August 2023 29THE ANGLERS LODGE Based & shipping from Co Durham, England HMH TRV Rotary Vice. £628.00. 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New from Airflo - the Superflo Universal Taper Floating Line. "The Vision XLV Reel & ‘An outstanding new fy line not to be overlooked, Faster shooting, line speed & quit line texture. Nymphmaniac Rod in action New from RIO - RIO AVID Gold or Grand. Avid Goldis idea! for smaller fies/ more (Choose Nymph for #4/5 Lines delicate presentations. Avid Grand for larger flies and a powerful turnover. ‘or Nymph Dry Reel for #5/6 Lines.Nosweat small stuff NICK THOMAS demonstrates his easy system for tying tiny imitations ‘Trout and graying like small stuff ut how do you tie it? 34 August 2025 | wishing and yyingcokre eae Le CG Don't sweat the small stuff” It's a Phrase originating in the US, mean- ing that it's not worth getting upset or stressed over minor issues. There's an ‘older equivalent in the Ministry of In formation war-time slogan of 1939, “Keep calm and carry on”. For me, both of these phrases used to run through my mind while tying and fishing very small les. Now T've de veloped! a method for tying imitative small suff that doesn’t make me sweat. How small is small? For my standard patterns size 16, maybe an 18, depending on the make and type of hook, is generally as ‘small as Igo. Size 20 and below are small. Af- ter alotof sweat and tears over the years I now tie all my small stuff governed by the ASARP principle (As Small As Reasonably Practica ble). That means Tean tie them on the vice, can tie them on while fishing, and Tan eatch fish with them, Detached bodies ‘My ASARP solution is o prefabricate most of the fly before I put the hook in the vice by forming small detached bodies from knotted embroidery thread. Using two colours of thread produces a segmented body that can be varied in length by using different numbers of turns in the knot. I use metallic or satin DMC thread which can easily be obtained from sewing shops or online, The twisted thread ‘comes in a hank from which you cut a length and separate it into six strands to use to form the detached bodies. Both types of threads come in a wide range of colours to mix to gether to form bodies to suit many imitations ‘of smal fish food. Segments To tie a two-colour segmented body, frst cut 1210118 inch length of thread and separate out asingle, twisted strand from each colour. Line up the ends and te both the ends together with an over-hand knot and trim these ends close to the knot, this makes the next step much easier. Form aloop with the threads and ‘pass one knotted end through the loop to make ‘an over-hand knot. Repeat, taking one or both tends through the loop until you have malt ple tums in the knot; I use between 12 and 16 ‘turns depending on the length of body I want. Slowly draw the knot tight by pulling the ends and smoothing out the eos asthe knot ‘comes tight. Trim off the waste ends and save them in aplastic bag to use later for ribbing ‘A Size 16 (right) which is my standard smal bug hook and a size 24 (left). al FLY TYING + TECHNIQUE DMC embroidery \ ‘threads easily spit into twisted strands. Sa ——_—_ The twists ofthe knot (top) and the tightened knot (bottom), Here, ve used one green and one brown thread-length, with the ends ted together. dubbed bodies. Cut the threads at one end close tothe knot and eareflly melethem near a lighter flame to weld the end of the knot, ‘What you now have is a MKDB (Micro Knotted Detached Body) which can be used as the basis of Bug, Nymph, Emergeror dry fly patterns simply by adding some dubbing, ‘wing or a bead in front of the body. Since the body i tied in using just the threads com- ing out of the knot itis free to bend out ofthe way and nor interfere with hooking fish, 2>> wishing andy] Angus 2025 | 35Cee eee 4 That’ the bodies sorted, now comes the question of suitable hooks to attach them to, One thing that became apparent to me while working out ‘no sweat small stuff ty ing methods is that not all tiny hooks are ere ated equal. There is a significant amount of variation between makers in actual size for the same nominal size. 1's good to be aware of thisifyou are buying online and, ifyou have areal tackle shop nearby where you can (very carefully) open a box or packet of hooks, it could be worth a visit, Size beware: A size 24 Fuling Mill FUSI25 (right),asize 20 Fasna F415, (left) anda size 22 Fasna F810 (Lop) 6 25 | vor yfishing anyone Satin Nymph ‘The Satin Nymph on a size 22 hook, which is 6-7mm long overall is as small as I now tie. TThave tied smaller and put them in my fy box ‘But for me they fail atthe second ASARP re uirement; they are just too fiddly to tie on ‘when fishing, and I've sacrificed several to the river without getting them attached to the leader. The body is formed using DMC satin rayon embroidery thread. [use brown and yel- Jow threads to give a good contrast inthe seg mentation, but I'm sure many other colour combinations will work just a Well f you have ‘specifi imitation in mind. The tying method is exactly the same as the MKDB Bug, how ever being smaller it requires just litle more dexterity Tususly ish this one as single fly on small streams with a seven-foot 3-weight rod, a sgreasod furled leader and 3-4 feet of tippet. In this environment it's a good all-rounder and can be fished in slow runs or in faster pock et water and rifles A finished Satin Nymph inthe vice,hook which, being on the nominal size, wil take a 2.3mm A. Typically use this aff trout that had fasti attempts on mi This litle Em fished on both riven and lakes and is tied on ali ht ig hook tohelp in quiekly sinking the tippet near th fly. I always degrease the last foot of tippet th Fuller's earth before applying foatant wo the rest ofthe tipper, right up to the furled ader: Like all my floating flies, it has pol ch, with a thin coat of floatan sh after fish. Ifyou prefer CaC or nai, o both, for youl means use th ‘To form ihip-fin- ‘on the hook-shank behind Pull g fibres taut, trim to len fin- ish by picking out the dubbing from behind the wingFLY TYING + TECHNIQUE MKDB Dry This one is tied in pretty much the same way as the MKDB Emerger. The only difference being that after tying in the wing fibres and dubbing over the tying-in point, the forward facing fibres are folded back and tied down, The fly is finished with a few tight thread ‘wraps to compress the folded wing and form the head ofthe fy. After whip-finishing, crim the wing in line with the hook-bend, colour the head with a black marker pen and seal with thin varnish or Superglue. Scaling down When I tied small fies in the past and relied on simply wrapping materials up the shank, just as I would on a larger hook, I was often ‘disappointed with the results. There comes a point where a pattern designed for a larger hook really cannot be sealed down any fur- ther. For example, on a size 14 or 16 hook I ean wrap two colours of DMC together to make a nice segmented body. On smaller hooks there is just not enough room to make the number of tums, never mind the dexter ity and eyesight required to wind the threads evenly. Taking the same thread and forming a detached body ereates the same segmen tation effect without the constraints of the hook-size "The MKDB method isa generie method to enhance the character of flies tied on small hooks by shifting the construction ofthe im itative aspect ofthe fy away from the hook. The test of fly becomes easy to tie and is there eer ty ete 38 | August 2023 | wnedshing antago simply to determine how the fy will fsh ei ther on or below the surface The four fies shown here, a Bug, a Nymph, an Emerger and a dry fly represent the most common types of imitative fies used oon lakes or rivers. They hopefully illustrate MKBD dey. how a knotted thread detached body can be used asthe basis of a wide range of small im itations. Ifyou have a favourite pattern that You would like to tie in smaller sizes, have a think about how using a tiny detached body ‘might be the key to successRun on the thread behind the bead, remove the tag-end and build up thread tums to lock the bead in pace. QO ierty awe tre thorax Tying a MKDB Bug Tein the body by the thread ends, just behind the bead, Trim off the waste thread and tie down the endsin the bead:-sot ‘Smear the thread with varnish, whip finish behind the bead, Cut thread, Pick out the dubbing from the thorax Four small bugs without sweat MKDB Bug Hook Fuling Mil M5125, sie 24 ‘Bead: Get Slotted 23mm copper slotted tungsten. ‘Thread: Semperf 18/0 oiveNano sik Bol: Knotted DNC green and copper metalic thread, ‘Thorax Troutne natural pine squire! dubbing, MKDB Emerger Hook: Fasna Fl, sie20 Thread: Semperti18/0 ove Nano-sik Boal: Knotted DMC green and copper metalic thread, ‘Thorax Troutine natural pine squirrel dubbing. ‘Wing: Semperfiron blue poy yar MKBD Dry SS Hook: FasnaF 810, size 22, ‘Thread: Semper 8/0 black Nasik Body: Knotted DMC back and copper metalic thread, Thorax Troutne natura pie squel dubbing. Wing: Sempertionbiue poly yar. MKBD Nymph Hook Fasna F810, siz 22, Bead: Get Slotted 2mm copper counter-hole tungsten. ‘Thread: Semper 8/0 copper Narosik Body: Knotted DMC lemon and brown satin thread, ‘Thorax: Troulne natura pie squirrel dubbing. “USING A TINY DETACHED BODY MIGHT BE THE KEY TO SUCCESS’ [Nick Thomas lve in South Wales, He started fly fishing on Scotish hill lochs many years ago and continues to design, tie and fish flies for erout, graying, carp, bass and anything else that’s going. ishing August 2023/39‘, Ny aa esa: yet Inthe second part of his tactical advice on night-time tactics for sea trout, PAT O'REILLY explains how to tackle resting sea trout in the dead of night, using wrinkles such as U-turns, night-sight, moon-pools, and fast-sinking flies sa trout relies on the fact that resting sea trout take flies not just at dusk, bur right through even the hits. alotof time e behaviour: S could waste of this stra ‘untary fee proximity of others, but when at home they adopt a ‘keep off my patch’ attitude ‘rn sea trout might lash from its lie to see off an invading fry (ora fly!) By mid summer, only the whitling (small sea trout, also called finnock, herling, peal and many 40 | august wy shing and ying erious summertime fishing for atively easy to catch, In contrast, a large sea trout that has spent spring and early summer in the river conserves its energy and only re- lal reaches ofthe river of m will be waiting for fore moving on; oth ers may hi ed the pool where they born, and they will eventually spawn there ‘Shoals of sea trout may have arrived atthe ‘mouth oftheir natal feder-stream only to find that they ean get no further. They too must \wait in the main stem of the river until autumn rains make the tributaries accessible. Let's now focus on locating resting sea trout and tempting them with a fly. Success depends on knowing where to fish and being able to cast accurately and control how the fly moves. An added challenge is that the best fishing conditions often oseuron the darkest of aight, Telling lies Holding station in a lowing river, sea trout burns up energy; it would lose eondition and die if it had to battle for several weeks against a strong current. Sea trout therefore favour lies with just enough flow to provide the oxygen they need and, as inthe rest ofthe natural world, the big bullies get first choice,TECHNIQUE + SEA TROUT RECT 5 AN ae ence Pot ia iat L& ) ea To seen Pet rete ‘deep water, cover, oxygen and smooth flows. Not all, bus certainly most of the big sea trout run early inthe year, entering the river as ear- lyas February oF March, Some will be mul ti sea-winter fish; others repeat spawners ‘Why do very big sea trout res like stacks ‘of logs aross the beds of deep gorges? Mon- ster sea wout that run up river in early ‘spring must survive for several months; v= ing on their body fat until they spawn in au. Fortunately, in high summer the slow-mov: ing water near the bed of very deep water is cooler and contains more oxygen than the faster flowing surface layers. Deep gorges are therefore ideal resting places, where sea troutcan get the oxygen they need while hold ing station with minimal effor. Minimise drag Apart from the challenge of easting in dark- ness in a tree-lined gorge, there is also the problem of getting your ly down to the riv- cer-bed where the sea trout are lying. A good floating-line solution isto cast a weighted fly ‘on a long leader upstream and across the ‘gorge (rod position A in Fig 1, below). While rifting downstream, the fly and leader will sink unimpeded, So, i’s mainly the fy size and ‘eight and your leader length that determine the fishing depth Now for the tactical bit, To minimise drag, swing the rod slowly downstream to keep in totich with the fly (rod position B), ‘Then raise the rod to lift as much line as pos- sible off the surface, and swing the rod up- stream and lower itto the horizontal (rod po- sition C) so that the fy ine forms a U shape on the surface. Now retrieve line so that your fly swims downstream, makes a U-turn and then swims back upstream. If your fly turns right infront of a sea troue's nose, you're very likely to get a take. ‘When you know exactly where sea trout is ying, this really sa deadly tactic ~ the near- estthing I know of toa dead cert! Otherwise, just make a series ofthese U-turns each in @ diffrent spot until you get a response. Oh, one final point if necessary be prepared to sac- rifice afew flies on river-bed snags. This tae- tie is most effective when your fly swims just 1 few centimetres above the river-hed. (You will feel it ifthe fy touches rocks or gravel; this tells you that you need either a shorter leader or a slight inerease in the rate of retrieve toavoid snagging.) » Fig1 oeishing-an-yying.nak| August 2025 | 42(On astretch of river that meanders through ‘open countryside, deep, shaded water is stil ‘a great attraction for large sea trout. Under teuts on the outsides of bends provide shade throughout the day: just what sea trout need. Butts all to easy to forget allthis and be fooled by an unexpected success. It is dusk, and you east from the shallow side of river, dropping your fly into deep wa- ter as close tothe far bank as possible. The fy ‘swings across the river, and in mid-steam you get a take, Ah! So that's where they are! Wel, 80 you might think. You then spend valuable fishing time easing to that mid-stream patch ‘of water, Bt no more takes ensue. Why? Be- cause the sea trout’s lie was against the far bank. It followed your fly across the river, nipped at it in midstream and then turned back to its lie Just covering the water as close as possible to the deep-water bank makes a tremendous dif ference to your success rate. But even 80, per 42 August 2023 | wr hing ant ying haps as much as 90% of that deep, dark wa- ter may never contain any sea trout, We need to improve the odds, and many years ago I learned a sea trout seeret that makes aworld ‘of difference. It is how to spot a sea trout in near total darkness ‘Seen from above, a sea trout is black, and at night black means invisible. The lower flanks and belly of sea trout are more silvery but you're not going to see these parts of a resting fish, So the trick is to look fora rest less one ~ a fish that in onder to see off tid- dler invading its personal space moves slight: ly out from its lie and then returns. Like an alreraft, when it turns asea trout has to bank or tilt, and its lower flanks reflect what tiny bit oflighe there is, What you see is nota clear Iy-defined silver torpedo shape, but a patch ‘of water that changes in colour from black to dark grey and then back to black. A wink, if ‘you like, that to those in the know betrays the lie of a sea trout. Trees above high under-cut banks offer ide- al lies for sea trout. They also provide the lack water’ necessary for spotting sea trout atnight, as their reflections are dark areas on an otherwise silvery grey surface. In the picture above, taken as dusk was falling, the deep water beneath the trees and the high bank on the right is likely to provide some good sea trout lies, Later in the night, the contrast between the silvery reflection of the sky and the black reflection of the trees becomes even more marked. So here's the plan, Move slowly upstream, pausing fora few minutes whenever you are ‘opposite overhanging trees or known under ces that could provide sea trout lies. To see the telltale winks, you need to positon your self so that you are looking at the black wa ter. (It's worth remembering that at night the greatest sensitivity isin your peripheral vi sion.) ‘Once you have located a sea trout, you ‘know where you should east your fy to, An- ‘other important decision is where to cast it from. Where you position yourself really does make a difference. Early in the season i's sometimes possible to ddraw a sea trout out from its lie by casting from a spot almost opposite the lie (Position [Bin Fig 2, right). Your fly will be swimming just below the surface as it swings rapidly away from the lie. Ifthe sea trout cooperates it will swim upTECHNIQUE + SEA TROUT ft - Fig2 v / —> B and chase your fy, sometimes taking Shallow water right under your ro tp. ish thatave spent many weeks inthe rv- ex are much less likely o respond ta fy of fered in this way, oan alternative method is called for. Aly presented on along line from posi- ‘ion A, well upstream of ai, wil spend more time coset the far bank andsothesea trout sees it for longer. In this way, you can also get dlown much deeper, nearer to the nose of asea twout that is resting on the rver-bed. This makes a huge difference othe success-rate {nid and late season, when the fish are less inclined to chase fast-moving flies (perhaps having tired of seing off so many fry and par. ‘You aso have the option of esting toa spot some way upstream of the lie and letting out line o that your fy sinks as it drifts down. stream while staying hand against the fa bank, Once the fly reaches the lie, hold the line so that the fly stan rising in the water as it swings away from the far bank ‘The sink-rate ofa weighted fly depends on ‘many feetors, eluding how much weight you buildin to the dressing and how long your vey leader i. A sinking line or a sink-tip ean also help, ofcourse, but there is another, less ob- vious influencing factor: the sparseness of the fy’s dressing. ‘When fishing for esting sea trout, provided they are there and you haven't spooked them, if you're still not getting takes the chances are your fly isn’t geting down deep ‘enough. Except in ery shallow, slow-moving ‘water i's not easy to make a fly sink as fast a8 you would really like, but a sparsely- dressed fly will sink faster than a fully- dressed one. Fur and feathers tend to trap tiny air bub- bles; this slows down the sink-rate. My wife, Sue Parker, evised the Sparker, a very sim- pleseatrout fy using a tinsel wing and no f- brous body material at all. I know of no sea ‘wout ly that sinks faster We use Sparkers a Tot, often with bead heads or cone heads, and they are very effective. Fly colour A word about iy clourieeevant! Having spent many seasons experiment- ing with the same fly design tied in a range [selection of the sparsely dressed, quick-sinking Sparkers, designed tossink quickly into deep channels as soon as the fly ands. ofeolours, fishing several nights with each in turn, [concluded that colour makes no dis- cemible difference. Sea trout couldn't careless. Red is my favourite colour, and I would pay extra to have a red car. [also find red sea trout flies attractive; however, if only green flies were available Td happily go along with that, Or any other colour. What relly matters is the design ofthe ly — and not just in terms of size, shape and sink-rate. In summer, large sea trout tend to follow afl before seizing it. Whether they fllow for few centimetres or several metres, the end resultis the same: they nearly always grab at the tail end ofthe fly. Hugh Falkus knew this, Which is why he devised his Secret Weapon, ‘concealing a small fying treble hook in the tail dressing, Nowadays, with eatch-and-re- lease de rigueur among conservation-mind- ‘ed angles, treble hooks are frowned upon and ‘even banned on many waters. But, given the ‘chance, a summer sea trout will stil nip at the tail ofa fly, so don’t give ita chance: have no wing, throat or tail dressing extending beyond the bend of the hook. Oh... and single hooks work just fine (even instead of doubles on tube flies) so that’s all we really need. » ww sing and yyngnu| August 2025 | 43TECHNIQUE + SEA TROUT “* Sight requires light Sea trout have excellent Iow-light vision, bbutthey cannot seein total darkness, Like oth- ceranimals, the darker the night, the larger or closer an object must be before they can see it. Size really matters, therefore. In bright ‘moonlight a sie 12 fly i effective, even in quite deep water, while in shallow water a larger fly ean even spook the fish. But on a cloudy, ‘moonless night something much bigger is quired. My dark night fies are tied on either aluminium or brass tubes up to 8em (Sin) Tong. Stumbling about on a river-bank in the dark, or worse still wading on a rocky river- bed, doesn’t get any easier with the accu- mulation of more birthdays. Moonlight makes itall so much more manageable...except that ‘on those bright nights sea trout stay tucked into those deep, inaccessible lies. And they are much more easily spooked. Moonlighting ‘There ae nights when you could read a book by moonlight. Maybe you should... As you wander slowly upstream, swirls and bow- ‘waves prove that resting fish saw you before you could get within casting range. It's time to find a ‘moon pool” with a high bank and/or tal tres shading the river on its south- ‘em bank. You need to be fishing from the northern bank (thank goodness for mean- ders!) making use of any cover that is avail- able. Bright nights eall for dark clothing, stealthy movement and a smooth casting tion. (A slightly over-lined rod helps, there- fore.) ‘Ona moon pool you are casting to fish that don’t know i's moonlit night. As longa you ‘don't spook them, they will take a fly that’s presented well Ths isa great wrinkle forthe wrinkles! Pat OReilly author of Matching the Hatch, ‘more than 30 other books and vice president of ‘The Wid Trout Trust. He entributed to che foundation ofthe Rivers Trust movement and worked on river resortion projets throughout the UK and Ireland. Flies for resting sea trout (either barbless, or the barbs to be squeezed down before use) Sparkers standard dressing). Sparker (standard) Hook: Long-shank single, sizes 6 to10. Head: Black ying silk, also bead-nead ‘and cone head options. Body: Bare hook- shank Wing: Tinsel (any colour you lik) tied sparse and extending only tothe bend af the Hook Fishing note: Leader:5-6kg (10-1316) BS from Apri to June; 4kg (Bb) for low-water summer fishing. Use either a singe ty oF apoint-pls- {ropper set-up with two Sparkers ona to am (65 ~13t leader (depending on poo! depth), the heavier (weighted) lon the point for ease of casting If your night-time casting sup tot, tis more ad- vanced technique gives even better results, again with 2 to 4mleader (6.513 tosuitpoo! depth. Tie a siknead Sparkeron the point anda gold-head or cone-head version on 5-10cm (2-4) dropper about 60cm (2) up the leader. Thisset-upis challenging to use and requires a wide casting loop to avoid tangles, but thas the advantage that once you gt the leader length ‘ight. both es swim at same depth, clase tothe tiver-bed. The weighted dropper fly acts as an at- ‘tractor butitis the pont fy that gets most of the takes, 441 ngs. 2025 | www ching and Bypingcoak Black aluminium tube ly. Fast- sinking, for fishing gorges. Black tube Hook: Long-shank single (or double if prefered) size 6 “FOR SAFETY, FISH JUST ONE HEAVY TUBE FLY WITHOUT ADROPPER’ ‘Body: Aluminium tube, from L5 to 8m (3/5th ~ 31) long, ‘Wing: Stoats tal substitute, extending to bend of hook, ‘Leader: 6ig (131b) BS, length 2m to 4m (6.5 -13t), to sut ‘ver depth ona floating lin. Fishing note: for safety. shjust one heavy tbe fy with ‘out a dropper. This fast sinking tube fy is idea for ishing ‘gorges and deep pools on the ouside bends of meanders. ‘Standard sea-tout fies with tals tied short to2void'tal-nipping’ Butcher; Peter Ross: and Teal, Blue & Silver. Bevizen them, these three traditional pattems have probably caught the majority of sea trout landed on rivers in Britain nd ireland, Either tie the tails extra short or, a hee, trim them so that they donot extend beyond the hook-bend: ‘this greatly reduces the occurence a ‘shot takes. Fish them in teams of two to four flies spaced 50cm (20) apart sing 5 to 10cm (2~4i) droppers along the leader.