Without many fishing options I am still obsessing about flies. Some more thoughts on trout and fly design.

I remain convinced that the idea of close copy fly design is erroneous. That there are other things we need to consider in terms of producing and fishing more effective patterns.

Of late I have had little of anything much to do but tie flies and perhaps think more than I should. Time does that for you it leaves space to think and one can do too much of it. But I have recently been working on filling a fly box with patterns in preparation of […]

Having recently moved to the UK in mid-winter and not having access to any winter grayling fishing where I am located it didn’t seem likely that I would have much to comment on for a while. Generally I rely on experiences on the water to stimulate some sort of thought or provide some observations I […]

Modification of a landing net can prove to be a boon for both angler and fish. Hands free stress free catch and release.

Trying to enjoy once last really good day on the streams before my departure from SA proved harder than you might think. More failures than successes but then its fishing.

Waiting is a necessary evil of travel it turns out sometimes it isn't a bad strategy on a trout stream either.

Experimentation and modification of the F Fly has resulted in a new favourite pattern for me. Success on the rivers of Mid Wales has secured this fly's place in my boxes

What’s this? A new initiative to post some information primarily designed for novice fly anglers if you see “The Beginners Page Logo” it means that the post is primarily designed to help novice anglers but of course everyone is welcome to read and comment. I hope that you will it might help end up with […]

A short post about the origins of fly casting why it is different and encouragement that anyone can learn to do it.

Tough days aren’t always bad days Things for many of us are returning to some sort of normal after all the upsets of Covid lockdowns vaccinations and the like. I can freely enter a bottle store and purchase some kind of alcoholic beverage and legally now transport that in my car without fear of arrest […]

Catching lots of fish and beginning to experiment I switched over to 8X Stroft GTM tippet. What started out as a challenge actually became standard operating procedure for the rest of the trip.

After literally months of planning and interruptions related to COVID regulations last year we finally got our moment ‘in the sun’. Our trip to the Bokong River in the highlands of Lesotho was on. It’s a long trip from Cape Town on the Southern tip of the African continent to reach the “Mountain Kingdom” even […]

Thoughts on tying better ant patterns with more defined segmentation. To me segmentation is a key factor in success of ant patterns.

Last year failure and disappointment in 2022 hope springs eternal as we plan another trip to the Bokong River in Lesotho

The three fish rule isn't really a rule it is a simple strategy which can help one avoid panic and stay focused. Keep you mind while all about your are losing theirs.

A glorious day on a special piece of water and still learning how sparse a pattern the fish will target.

The “Barometer Question” is really a test of the correct positioning of a question when used to measure the understanding of the person answering it. It has seen several variations but the central theme is much the same. In the barometer question the query is “describe how you may use a barometer to measure the […]

We like to imagine that compared to my youth modern business offers better and more customer orientated service. Recent events strongly suggest that this isn't the case.

Apparently (and I admit to having no first-hand knowledge of the subject) those unfortunate enough to become addicted to narcotics spend their lives in continuous and inevitable decline in an effort to “reproduce their first hit”. Attempts to once again experience the intoxication of that first exposure which according to the pundits will inevitabl...

I’m not talking about Rhonda Byrne’s self-help tome love it or hate it but something that likely will actually if not change your life at least vastly improve your fly-fishing success. If you have read anything much of my various blogs you will already know that I constantly bemoan the focus of fly anglers on […]

The difference between breaking strain and the “X” system. Yes it is mid-winter here in Wales freezing cold and the prospects for any fishing even Euro-nymphing for grayling are severely limited. We have had nothing but rain for weeks and the rivers are in spate. But with no fishing expeditions to write about I have […]