In true brotherly competitive spirit I couldn’t let a fly tying guide post go without doing one my self! So while we’re waiting for that perfect spring day to arrive for the next fly fishing trip, here are my last 3 fly tying attempts (photographed in true Total Flyfisher style!)…
All of these fly patterns we actually taken from the Total Flyfisher Fifty Flies to Tie digital magazine which you can buy for £1.49 if you download the Total Flyfisher app on your iPhone. Its actually a pretty handy little guide and works well having it on your phone next to you while trying to tie. Some of the guides are just images but others have little video clips.
Green Lantern
Apparently this is a good early season pattern. I liked the green head but I guess you could change that to any colour that suites your local water. Green seems to work well in most places though so should be a good all-rounder.
Easy to tie – Yes
Retrieve style – Deep and slow
Tested on the water – Not yet
Black Diawl Bach
I do like a good old fashioned natural looking fly and Diawl Bachs are one of the best patterns for natural feeding trout. I don’t seem to go wrong with a buzzer, dial bach or hears ear in place.
Easy to tie – Yes
Retrieve style – Slow around the top of the water
Tested on the water – Not yet
Top Water Buzzer
As well as the more traditional skinny buzzers I do like using shipmans style buzzers and ones with a bit more ‘fluff’ to them. Sometimes something a little different can do the trick and I liked the red strike inducing sides to this hears ear style buzzer. We’ll see how good it is once I have the chance to get it wet!
Easy to tie – Yes, although I didn’t have anything red so had to raid the boys craft cupboard!
Retrieve style – On the drop, slow retrieve
Tested on the water – Not yet