[danbruce]

Well after a long day finishing my christmas shopping i decided to treat myself, so i popped into Somers and decided that i was going to buy a vice, hooks and some materials to keep me busy until the new season.

Being a total novice i decided that the deal that they have on at the moment of vice, tools, materials and book giving SBS for 12 flies (using the supplied material) was for me.

Having spent a couple of hours reading and at the vice, i decided to try tying a small black dry fly size 14. Have to say you guys on here make it look easy.

See below for my first effort, sorry about the picture quality was taken on my phone.



I have also bought another empty fly box which i intend on filling with my own tied fly for next season. have been online and bought some materials to tie some simple spider patters as i enjoy fishing these. But what i need to know is what else should i carry in my flee box for my first full season on the don??

Don't want to go crazy on materials but i'm sure that will happen.
Any links to where i can get step by steps for what you suggest i should try would be great too.

Cheers
Dan

[Jim Eddie]

Dan

Thatt looks like a nice fly 

 

Jim

[danbruce]

Cheers Jim,

How long it'll last when i start fishing it i don't know but guess i have more then enough time to fill a good sized box with flies.

Dan

[Mike Barrio]

Nice work Dan ..... should catch a fish or two for you

Cheers
Mike

[Loxiafan]

Hi Dan,

Firstly, good on you for taking the plunge in to flytying and what a great first effort - way better than my first attempts that all had massive heids, though I was only 12 !

Others on here have waaay more experience of fishing the Don and will have some good advice but here is what worked for me last year and what I will be going with next season:

Spiders

Waterhen Bloa (Apr, May, Aug, Sept) Size 14
Snipe and Purple (Apr, May, Sept) Size 18, 16
Grouse and Orange* (Apr, May) Size 14 (* used Pearsall's 6A Gold not 'orange' !)

Wets

Bloody Butcher (only when targetting Sea Trout) Size 14, 12
Black Pennell (as above) Size 14, 12

Dries

JT Olive ( Apr, May, Aug, Sept) Size 19, 17
Olive Paradun (Jul, Aug, Sept) Size 16
CDC and Elk (May to Sept) Size 17, 16, 14 and 12
Wyatt DHE/SHE (Aug, Sept.....but could use all season ?) Size 18,16,14 and 12. Technically an "emerger" but counts as a dry in my book.
Balloon Caddis (Jul, Aug, Sep) Size 16, 14. I use a 'variant' that hackles CDC on as a thorax so techically a "Balloon CDC and Elk" - I like the way the foam head 'flattens' /lowers the wing profile more like the insects on the water.
Tan Klinkhammer (May to Sept) Size 20, 18

Nymphs

PTN  (all season) Size 16, 14
GRHE (all season) Size 16, 14
Czech Nymph (Apr, early May) Size 8, 10 ( in colours to imitate Ryac's and Hydropysche's)

The only thing I can think of adding, following my reading of R.M Neill's study, is something small and black. I tried Stewarts Black Spider but tbh I found a small Snipe and Purple outfished it ! I am thinking maybe Griffiths Gnat or possibly just tying some tiny SHE in black, or maybe even small black buzzers ? Might add Dirty Duster as Wyatt swears by that too, it would possibly replace the Olive Paradun.

After speaking to John Walker I have been thinking about if I could fish the Don for a whole season with only two flies and what would they be. Here and now I would say Wyatt DHE and CDC and Elk. I reckon the DHE/SHE can be tied in various sizes and colours to represent March Browns, LDO's, Olives, Yellow May's etc and the CDC Elk (along with DHE) covers the important Sedge Period from June to Sept. I guess I am now a dry fly fisher at heart !

Lots of SBS's here http://ukflydressing.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=sbs&action=print&thread=381

Lindsay

[danbruce]

Cheers Mike hope your Brownies will like what i tie.

Lindsay, thanks very much don't think i could have asked for much more than that patterns, sizes, months.....perfect!

Looks like i'm going to need a bigger box

Hopefully get some spiders that i tie up on the forum as i know a few members are quite fond of them.

Dan

[Sandy Nelson]

Hi Dan


Great to see you venturing into one of flyfishing's other consuming obsessions

Our forum SBS library has most of the required patterns in it plus a lot of others. Most of the guys involved fish the Don
And do pretty well so a lot of the patterns will ideal

To lindsay's list I would add a black klinkhammer tied on an 18 and 20 standard buzzer style hook
That's always been a very effective don fly for me.

This one is a 22





After that it's personal taste and what you believe in

Sandy

[danbruce]

Cheers Sandy,

Nice looking klink
Will have to give that a go, been looking through the SBS's on here lots to try and lots of excellent stuff.

Dan