Winter Fly Tying

« **on:** 28/10/2023 at 10:14 »

What are your fly tying plans for the winter?

I always start off with good intentions, but these seem to fizzle out all too easily

It would be great to see more posts over the coming months - to help to keep the enthusiasm going!

I'm hoping to improve my spiders and wets, I've really enjoyed fishing them this year.

The one below is Sandy's tying ( after half a dozen fish on the day ) I need to get mine back up to this level.

« **Reply #1 on:** 29/10/2023 at 21:23 »

Similar plans over the winter , just bought some more hooks with great intentions 😄, Need to replenish my Spiders and traditional wet flies, needing to figure out some streamer patterns , going to try the trout Spey next year after enjoying two handed casting for the salmon this year , The SLX line worked great casting wet flies on the new Trout Spey rod I bought just before the end of the trout season 🎣🎣

« **Reply #2 on:** 30/10/2023 at 09:14 »

Davie Mcphail is the guest on the latest episode of Ireland on fly podcast. Something to listen to if you are tying a few flees.

« **Reply #3 on:** 13/11/2023 at 11:30 »

Adjusting my plume tip for snowshoe. Seems to be ideal in a 14 and 16. Meet the Shoe tip

« **Reply #4 on:** 13/11/2023 at 19:58 »

Nice one Sandy

« **Reply #5 on:** 15/11/2023 at 16:49 »

Todays inspiration is from Davie McPhail
With the new Ultra dry yarn from Fulling mill. Nice simple way to tie a low riding dry that should be nicely visible.

Has a great profile from below

Lends itself quite obviously to a spent spinner too

I’m enjoying playing at the vice again

« **Reply #6 on:** 15/11/2023 at 17:31 »

Those look great Sandy

« **Reply #7 on:** 16/11/2023 at 13:27 »

Anybody tried the Fulling Mill Ultra Dry Dubbing?

Just wondering if it would add any buoyancy.

« **Reply #8 on:** 16/11/2023 at 15:49 »

I got some to try along with the yarn.
Went for rusty spinner, light olive and hares ear.
It’s really nice to use, dubs nice and tight and mixes with other hairs nicely. I used the rusty on the spent spinner in the previous photo

This is the light olive on yellow thread, size 18.

« **Reply #9 on:** 02/12/2023 at 16:48 »

Snowshoe emergers this time, to match LDO/BWO/OU and MB. a mixture of Bob Wyatt's original, with Proctor's pearl butt Emerger and some of the Scandinavians stuff with snowshoe.
Tweeking my usual selection with some slimmer patterns, which I know has made a fair difference for Paul and Allan

« **Reply #10 on:** 02/12/2023 at 16:52 »

Did some more shoe tips too, LDO, BWO, Iron blue and yellow may, got the camera out to help with image quality.

« **Reply #11 on:** 02/12/2023 at 20:22 »

They look great Sandy

Love the profile, what sizes are you doing them in?

« **Reply #12 on:** 03/12/2023 at 09:26 »

Im using Fulling mill 5055/5050 for the Shoetips in 12-16 and the 5060 for the emergers in 14-18 (as they seem to be a size bigger than they say they are to my eyes)

Ive always liked the 5050 in the black nickel colour, but you can tie a better olive imitation on a bronze hook IMHO, so now you get the 5055 which is the same hook in bronze ive been tying on a lot of those this winter. I always felt the black nickel was a compromise for getting the right hook profile. I was over joyed when they released them in bronze which I much prefer as a hook colour.

The 5060 is also bronze and comes in black nickel as the 5065 for some reason they are the opposite way around

Pretty much the only two hooks I ever use these days as they are strong enough and light enough

« **Reply #13 on:** 03/12/2023 at 10:00 »

Cheers Sandy

I prefer a bronze hook too, don't know why, they just seem to look better on a finished fly.

« **Reply #14 on:** 03/12/2023 at 10:10 »

5055 in 12-16 and 5060 in 14-18 are the ones you want for almost all the flies we will ever use on the river

« **Reply #15 on:** 12/12/2023 at 16:39 »

Onto sedges now. Been playing with my existing pattern and trying to use snowshoe and simplify it some more, heavily inspired by some of the Scandinavian tyers on Instagram.. I’ve had a few goes at this now but I’m finally happy that this is the ideal sedge so I only need to carry one. It’s an emerger/adult/spent and even looks like a good upwing emerger. Floats brilliantly with the spun snowshoe and ultra dry dubbing mix.
This is a size 16 5060 hook.

I’m going to tie it in 12-18 and give it a good test this season. Looks spot on to me, here's a wee video to show the profile better.

« **Reply #16 on:** 21/12/2023 at 20:39 »

Iron blues tonight

« **Reply #17 on:** 10/01/2024 at 12:43 »

I got some goose biots today, again some Scandinavian inspiration.
So I’ve been playing with a loop wing style CDC emerger pattern. I like the way this one has turned out. Took a few attempts but the proportions are good for 14-18 size flies.

Did some in olive, flame and golden olive

« **Reply #18 on:** 10/01/2024 at 14:15 »

Having the new magnifier lamp is proving brilliant. Definitely re sparked my love of flytying. It’s fantastic to be able to tie small and neat again.
This is an 18

« **Reply #19 on:** 10/01/2024 at 17:11 »

That’s my new Fly box now full.
All the patterns I ever use in the right sizes and colours.
One box to cover all my dries and emergers (there’s a wee one with nymphs and wallet for streamers that hide in my waders )

« **Reply #20 on:** 10/01/2024 at 20:03 »

That’s a lovely well filled box hombre!
I have a similar topped up Loop compartment box; the thought of it drifting downstream persuaded me to put a paracord lanyard on it.

« **Reply #21 on:** 10/01/2024 at 21:28 »

That looks awesome Kerry.
My box was a gift from a mate who came up for a few days a couple of years ago. I thought it was too nice to use.
This winter I decided it’s exactly the box I should be using, so set about filling it up

Any excuse to tie a few flies.

I’m really enjoying having less rods to make, things are back to pre pandemic numbers. So I decided I’d fill the box with all the flies I use over the course of the season. It came in a really nice pouch which should be able to hook into a necklace thing which I’m going to look at .

« **Reply #22 on:** 19/01/2024 at 14:50 »

Saw a cool Griffiths gnat/buzzer variant on Instagram yesterday.
Had a wee go today. This is a size 20. So should work a treat when they are after small black stuff

Also been watching some of a Robert Smiths little videos, I really like them, I noticed in his dirty dozen spiders he had one with a green tail . Got me thinking having also seen Davie McPhail cdc sedge spider . So did some playing until I was happy with the style and proportions.
Here’s a blended cdc and Partridge egg laying caddis spider

I reckon that has to work

« **Reply #23 on:** 19/01/2024 at 16:42 »

Not sure if i posted a photo of fly in wrong area? Learning the neighborhood, is this where i should post fly pictures ?

« **Reply #24 on:** 19/01/2024 at 16:43 »

Couple of crackers Sandy, I enjoy Robert's videos too