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Post by johnesmithson on Feb 5, 2021 12:13:58 GMT
Really twiddling my thumbs now waiting for the trout season to open, and replenishing my fly collection. Mike Weaver describes his favourite patterns, both dry and wet, for the small moorland streams, and I am planning to try some of these "traditionals" alongside my standard Klink and Dink combinations on which I have probably become rather over-reliant. What would be your top 5?
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Post by Pete Tyjas on Feb 6, 2021 9:49:06 GMT
I'm not sure I use 5 patterns or not, I can't really remember but one of the flies I use a lot is an F-Fly with an antron trailing shuck. It has been good for me especially on Cherry Brook for some reason.
If it's windy I'll go for a beetle pattern and in bigger water I still like the parachute coachman. Apart from that something like a CDC and Elk has bailed me out in the past.
I made it to 4!
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1stteamsunbed
Alevin
May the weather be fair and the trout keep biting.
Posts: 62 
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Post by 1stteamsunbed on Feb 6, 2021 13:23:27 GMT
"one of the flies I use a lot is an F-Fly " oh yes . Black F-Fly size 14 & 16, hare ear F-Fly size 16, I don't leave home without them.
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Post by terry on Feb 6, 2021 15:34:29 GMT
Johnie, good to see an interest in using old traditional flies. Mine would be.
1. Infallible ( wet)
2. Devon doctor ( wet)
3. Hackled pheasant tail (wet or dry)
4. Pilks favourite ( wet or dry)
5. Tups indispensable ( dry )
I do carry many other modern dries and far too many nymphs but really enjoy fishing these oldies
Talk about showing your age.
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Post by johnesmithson on Feb 7, 2021 17:34:29 GMT
Some interesting suggestions there, thank you all. Terry, I’m not familiar with the Devon Doctor and Pilks Favourite. Are you able to post some images or recipes?
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Post by halfstoned on Feb 7, 2021 18:30:35 GMT
 I can only speak in terms of the Okement but I quite like a traditional Whickhams Fancy ( except with a white CDC wing instead of the split Starling wings). You can also use deer hair to help with flotation if you want. Sometimes I will trim the hackles underneath so the fly sits lower in the water. Worth a try when fish are smutting if all your tiny offerings have been refused. |
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Post by terry on Feb 8, 2021 11:04:05 GMT
Johnnie the Devon doctor is a basic wet fly derived from the Rev. E. Powell’s original Doctor. Hook 14, 16 Tail - None Body - black rabbit or equiv. Rib - fine flat gold wire Hackle - Coch-y-bondhu cock. Pretty basic but I find works well particularly if there beetles on the water. “Pilks” favourite a fly designed by David Pilkington from the Arundell Arms hotel Hook 12, 14 Tail - cream ( almost white) cock hackle fibres Body - dark olive seals fur Rib - fine gold wire Hackle - as tail tied quite full. This is how I remember him telling me but it was a while ago and the memory is well you know. Again basic and simple ( just how I like it) but I wouldn’t be without it on the west dart. Fished wet or greased up. Roll on the start of the season  ? |
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Post by boisker on Feb 8, 2021 17:54:27 GMT
I reckon if the fish are out, feeding and even vaguely looking up on the Dartmoor rivers then they aren’t that fussy.... if it looks vaguely edible they will have a nibble... ....in all likelihood I would start with an emerger... simple CDC, biot, pearl butt; next would be a cdc split wing, then a cdc / deer hair caddis... and probably a griffiths if there was lots of gnats about...... I would happily head off up into the moor with just those 3 or 4 patterns, in 14-18’s in a couple of colours... something darker and something lighter  But obviously I don’t... I’ve also changed over to crane/daddies when the grass has been full of them, last time I went up (2 years ago I think) I had fun with a small size 14 foam ‘hopper’ pattern.... And lastly..... I reckon you could probably fish all day with a black klinkhammer and not notice a drop in catch rate....  |
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Post by johnesmithson on Feb 8, 2021 22:58:35 GMT
I agree that it is probably as much about decent presentation of something/anything that looks edible, which is why I start with a black or olive Klink a lot of the time. But I also think they can sometimes be quite fussy, for example, only taking an interest one day when I switched to an Adams, or to an orange hopper on another. Which is why I am determined to mix things up a bit this season, and try to imitate what is hatching or emerging. I do find it very interesting though that everyone has their own different 'go to' patterns, which maybe confirms Boisker's point. I guess the way to test the theory is to have two anglers fishing the same stretch, one using a predetermined fly, the other having free rein to do what they want.
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Post by Pete Tyjas on Feb 9, 2021 10:24:58 GMT
I think I'd also agree that it isn't about the pattern, especially on these sorts of streams, but having confidence in a particular fly can play a part in how you fish it, well, for me at least.
It is the same if I think my leader is too short or if my fly isn't sitting as high in the water I don't fish it as confidently as I would do if everything was as I would like it. Sometimes I try anyway and see what happens but more often than not, I'll stop, reset everything and fish in a better frame of mind as a result.
I have some flies that I don't fish, not because they're not any good, I just don't feel I'll catch a fish with them on. This of course turns into a circle as I don't fish them so I won't catch with them!
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Post by boisker on Feb 9, 2021 11:36:25 GMT
I keep trying to remove unused patterns in my fly box, but every time I remove one I seem to sub it with a new pattern to try But, I definitely carry less dry patterns than 5 yrs ago... and probably fish the ones mentioned above 90% of the time... a generalist pattern, fished with confidence, drag free on a long as leader as practicable is far more productive than the multitude of patterns I used to carry... a few yrs ago I started lengthening my leader... made a huge difference.. so if in doubt and getting refusals my first thought would be more slack in the cast, drop a fly size and then extend the tippet section on my leader next.... my standard length would be 12-13’ and then I add on from there if required.... the only time I drop below that length would be when fishing a tiny steam with my 6’ glass noodle... I’m really not sure I would notice a massive decrease in success if I were to only carry the cdc emerger, in a dark and light colour, sizes 14-20.... but that would take some of the fun out of fishing for me.... I quite like starting on a random pattern then quickly switching back to the emerger  |
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Post by Pete Tyjas on Feb 10, 2021 9:31:30 GMT
I think you're right, it is more likely to be drag rather than pattern and making changes to the cast to get a better drift, shifting position a little or, like you say Boisker, change leader length.
I am also subscribing less to diameter and the difference it will make to whether a fish takes or not when fishing a dry.
I did fish just a black klinkhammer for a season quite a few years back and am not sure it made any difference to catches but it did take a bit of fun out of setting up and selecting a fly and felt a little one dimensional.
While talking about flies, I seem to have lost any interest in tying myself. I've not touched the vice for coming up a year and have just bought flies from people I know.
Anyone the same or the polar opposite and tying flies like mad?
Apologies for veering off topic a little but it is nice to have some conversation here!
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Post by boisker on Feb 10, 2021 13:52:12 GMT
I’ve been enjoying tying flies and decided to upgrade my nymph box... but it’s taking ages Rather than making it a chore I just tie a few at a time, often just 2 or 3.... what I struggle with is sticking on the same pattern, especially nymphs, so only tying a few at a time helps.... I’ve been playing with hareline tubing for caddis /nymphs/pupa....   And another new material for me- FNF chewing gum worm- messing about with cased caddis... these need more work as they don’t look right at the moment...  I find playing with slight variations in patterns fun, but do struggle banging out 10 2.5 mm frenchies one after the other... |
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Post by boisker on Feb 10, 2021 15:31:29 GMT
Carrying on from above... the trouble is with playing around with patterns... you start and tie a few and think they should work, then modify, prefer the newer version... and that’s why my nymph box was such a mess... I’ve tied some caddis a few weeks ago, and have now decided a prefer a more recent tying... I can take them out the box and stick with an ever growing pile of ‘flies to recycle’ or I can leave them in the box knowing I will probably never get them wet.... I’ve tried a few with clear tubing, varying the thread colour underneath to change how the fly looks and then colouring over the back....  I quite like the two tone body, but have since added a really small amount of pearl UV ice dub, and when wet this makes a a far better fly ..... annoying as I will probably hardly use the ones I tied without the ice dub... I think for now I have settled on this as a basic pattern...  Until next week |
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Post by Pete Tyjas on Feb 11, 2021 12:09:43 GMT
Some nice flies there. I haven't tried the chewing gum caddis but will be interested to see how it performs.
I guess where case building caddis go, there are no rules about what goes on the outside. I'm sureI saw an image of one online where I can only assume they kept it (the caddis) in a tank and added something like diamonds that it included in the case it had built. We carried an image in the magazine of a caddis Nick Thomas tied with a material that looked a little like a creation from the Borg, if you know what I mean.
Still no inclination to tie from me. I did order some parachute Coachman flies from my pal Stan in Bulgaria, they look perfect fast water dries.
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Post by Pete Tyjas on Feb 11, 2021 13:17:57 GMT
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