Trout Fishing

The larger larvae can take on a dark orange and red appearance which gives them their more commonly known name “The Bloodworm”, a fly that can be fished all year round.

These larvae account for the majority of the small invertebrates in freshwater environments serving as prey for many other insects and food for most species of fish including the Trout. They do not come and go like some insect life and are usually present throughout the year. The sunshine can be a good stimulant on the Bloodworm and gets them a bit more active and moving out of the silt and mud on the waters bottom higher up in the water, so on a cold winters day when the sun is blinking through the clouds it is always worth a dabble with a bloodworm.

The leggy Bloodworm is another good choice at any time of the year and I have a few in my box, mainly in the usual Red colour but also a few in Yellow. I find this yellow variant to be successful on some smaller waters whereby the red does well on both small waters and larger reservoirs.

The Bloodworm Fly

The long gangly legs of these leggy variants and the way in which they dance about when in the water can look great from an angler’s point of view. It seems that the same can be said from a Trout’s point of view as I’ve found out with some very hard aggressive takes on this fly.

The Leggy Bloodworm Fly

I would also recommend spooning a trout and checking its contents from time to time. I’ve found many a trout to be full of really small bloodworms and on the odd occasion went on to catch a trout or two on the fly.

Like most flies these days there are many variants available to try, such as Gold head bloodworms, hot heads, epoxy versions, bloodworms with the marabou tails and much more. When fishing any type of bloodworm I would personally recommend a quite slow retrieve, figure of 8, like when fishing buzzers, but adding in a little twitchy pulls here and there to get it bobbing up and down a bit in the water like a natural bloodworm would in the current.

The Golden Head Bloodworm Fly

The Bloodworm and its variants is easily one of the most sought after food of the trout and one of the most deadly and simplest ties to fly. It really is a must for any angler and especially beginners out there on small still waters.

Or why not try the following seeing as it fits in with this time of year with the festive season approaching.

Fulling Mill Bloodworm Flies – £7.95 Patterns include: – Bead Bloodworm Chartreuse – Bead Bloodworm Orange – Bead Bloodworm Red – BH Flexi Bloodworm – Bloodworm – Flexi Floss Worm Red – Flexi Floss Worm Red – Flexi Floss Worm Yellow – Super Oily Worm