The foundation of fly tying for any pattern begins with the hook. With all the new technology available these days, deciding which hook is best, for which pattern, can be confusing to the novice fly tier.
On 17.12.09, In Fisheries, by James McAllister
Each September for the last 4 years, my local fishing club, the Fenmore, based in Edinburgh, has been visiting Wick for a long weekend away, sampling the fishing venues and a few of the drinking establishments along the way. Having struck up a friendship with a local fishing club in Wick, the Back Bridge club, we decided in September 2007 to start up an inter-club competition, where we would fish against each other for a trophy as well as have a good laugh at the same time.
Soon Christmas will be upon us and before we know it, we’ll be making those annual New Years Resolutions which are normally broken before the end of day one! Instead of promising to cut down on the beer intake, or spend more time in the garden, why not make a real effort to improve your casting technique or water craft? Paying more attention to your technique and tackle will almost certainly put more fish on the bank next season.
On 14.12.09, In Flies, by James McAllister
The dreaded Scottish midges are a pain for many an angler especially up in the Highlands where they seem to have an even harsher bite to them. A close relative of these The non-biting Midge Fly are not so much a pain for anglers but more a all year round delight, as the larvae of the Midge Fly are a hot favourite of the Trout and form a large part of their diet.
Scotland’s rivers have long held the reputation for nurturing the King of fish the salmon, and rightly so as illustrious streams like the River Tweed, the Tay and the Spey have for centuries been world renowned for their salmon angling. Lesser recognised but equally if not more prolific are the brown trout which inhabit not only the aforementioned but also other acclaimed rivers like the Clyde, Tummel and Don.
On 11.12.09, In Books, by James McAllister
Trout – Fishing Tactics is a book I found difficult to get into fully and I would put this down to the fact I am mainly a fly-fisher in Scottish waters and that this book goes into detail on the spinning, bait fishing & trolling methods used for trout fishing in Australia.
As a “Yorkshireman” born and bred, I naturally look for ways to save money when I am tying flies, that is to say that I do not skimp on the quality of the materials I buy, but rather make them go further.
When you tie many thousand flies per year saving a few millimetres of thread or tinsel here and there really adds up – ask any professional fly tyer!
Steelhead trout are simply one of the best catches that you hope to hook into on any given day. These beasts below will offer the biggest tussle that any freshwater fish will give you, that is, if you can locate them. So I’ve got 5 top tips on catching them!
On 08.12.09, In Tactics, by Drew Clement
There is so much focus these days on finding the proper equipment, perfect colored flies, and best spots to fish for trout. This often means that anglers forget to focus on some of the more natural aspects of trout fishing, including understanding trout feeding zones.
It is a rare day when everything comes together, great weather, good friends and fantastic fishing. Even rarer are the days when your fishing buddies DON’T take the mick about your flies or technique, but there again it’s all part of the comradery I suppose and makes for a more enjoyable day.