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.

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!

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.

Most anglers understand that the difference between a short cast and a long cast can be crucial when trying to attract trout. However, there are also many instances where a straight cast will not do you much good either and thus you need to understand how to curve your line to the right or left depending on wind, obstacles, and natural curves in the waters you are fishing.

Many people despise nasty, rainy, and windy weather, but that is just the type of day that stillwater anglers yearn for. Wind at your back, a slow sinking line and crystal clear waters are the perfect remedy for slowly retrieving your handcrafted fly. But, how can you ensure that your wet, cold day comes to life with a few trophy trout at the end of your line?

I designed this fly after a really hot day in The Highlands last spring. Heather flies were starting to hatch in small numbers along with what I can only describe as needle flies. Slim black insects about 8mm long, rear swept wings and fine black legs. I had not seen these before but the wild brown trout were gorging on them as they blew onto the lochans we were fishing. Nothing in the numerous fly boxes we carried came close, so out came the vice as soon as we got home.

Egg patterns may be unattractive to you and me, but they are responsible for catching a dizzying number of trout all around the UK, and the world.

Bright spring afternoons can often bring about the most pristine trout fishing conditions that any angler can dream of.
However, that can all change pretty drastically when we fast forward things to the midsummer months.