[Iain Cameron]

a couple of straggly pink bugs, 12s & 14s, with black tungsten heads - the beads are so heavy you can almost stand the bugs on their heads.



makes a good salmon fly

[Allan Liddle]

Superb, try a couple of double tungsten headed nymphs and / or double tungsten bead and lead under body for some real depth charges.  Great sacrificial fly for the middle for those heavy river / fast water bits.
And yes you're right they do make good salmon flies, nearly as good as a hare's lug nymph. 

[Mike Barrio]

Great stuff Iain

[Stuart Smith]

nice flies.

ive found out this year that your flies dont have to be that heavy.

last years grayling trips was all about losing flies but this year im fishing lighter flies and im not losing as many and im catching more fish.

if i am in fast water and i need a really heavy fly im tying them on size 8 fulling mill circle hooks and they dont catch the bottom and you still get hook ups

most of my shimps have only one layer of lead and my nymphs are size 16 or smaller

stuart

[Rob Brownfield]

Thats interesting Stuart. I am using the Fulling Mill "Czech Nymph" or the Tiemco "Jig hooks" for my heavy flies these days.

Both hooks, especially if weighted heavliy, fish hook point up the way. I fished them a lot on the Don this year without losing any on the bottom. You may find some in the odd tree though 

What I would say though is that due to the shape of the hook, if the line above the fly hits something, then the fly will flip over and the hook will stick. So, if there are branches in the pool you are fishing, then you will lose hooks.

This is the principle that Carp anglers try to achieve with curved hooks. Try it on the palm of your hand, its amazing how the hook kicks round.