metiefly – adult damselfly

Since I first watched the ‘Damsels in Distress’ video by Sharptail Productions (see my blogpost ‘catching up!’), I have been contemplating how to tie my own version of an adult damselfly… The blue has to be eye catching, yet the form of the fly must be slim and lifelike – at least the proportions have to work.

Browsing in the bookstore yesterday afternoon, I read a section about sinnets (plaits or braids). I began thinking about how to tie one strand of Krystal Flash just so, in a way that creates the desired effect. I will experiment with twisting another time, for now, allow me to indulge in this evening’s adventure:

1) learn how to tie a Portuguese Sinnet:

Google search to learn the technique

2) practise on a suitable length of cord:

Once you figure out the rhythm, symmetry is easy to achieve…

3) practise on a single strand of Krystal Flash – in this case, Pearl Blue

Patience is a virtue… This will definitely help you exercise it!

4) make sure you have a good approximate size – how big are your local damselfly adults?

Size and shape are key – trout will definitely let you know if you get it wrong

5) make the fly so it sits in the surface film, keeping a slim profile

I can hardly wait to test this in the spring and summer… More tweaking is necessary to ensure the correct proportions and buoyancy – there is a fine balance between too much deer hair and not enough

Please let me know your thoughts and if you can help me name it, I’ll gladly post one to the reader who proposes the winning name. Better still, if you can improve the look and feel of the fly using this technique, please share your ideas!

Thank you for reading – please return soon…

preparing for grayling

I am almost bursting with excitement at the prospect of visiting some of fly fishing’s most hallowed waters. Regardless of the weather, on Saturday I will be up well before dawn and en route to fish for grayling on the famous River Test.

Although there is no telling what may bite my flies on the day, our main quarry will be grayling and I need to create some flies for the occasion. Gathering advice from some of my veteran flyfishing friends, I received one reply only two words long: SMALL FLIES

Chuckling to myself, I set about researching tried and tested patterns on the Internet. Various nymph patterns, freshwater shrimps and small Klinkhammers – that is what I shall be tying tonight.

Size 16 barbless hooks
Olive hackle
White Antron post
Two shades of olive embroidery thread
Peacock herl

No pictures yet as I haven’t made them yet – fingers crossed they come out well!

Thank you for reading, I look forward to your next visit.

once in a blue moon…

Last Saturday we visited Orvis – at their newly opened flagship store on Regent Street. True to my high expectations, they have created a fine space, befitting of their core values, their trusted brand and exemplary service. Silver Birch tree trunks bring the Great Outdoors right inside, wooden fittings and tasteful decor sumptuously punctuated by stylish apparel and accessories lead shoppers through to a full range of fishing rods. A floor to ceiling bank of fly tying materials on the left hand side, lots of well crafted flies, literature and DVDs to the right, then follow round to spacious fitting rooms.

Jimmy Boyd and his team bustled about, expertly navigating the fine balance between ensuring everyone was catered for and affording them the space and time to browse and make wise choices. My Darling discovered and treated me to a much coveted DVD – click on this link for the award winning clip http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A4pOOMpFW_8

…the title says it all!

The story from 2009 is one that has fascinated me for some time now: once per decade a population explosion of mice in New Zealand’s most remote hideaways causes strange behaviour amongst a variety of underwater giants. Now a global phenomenon, On the Fly Productions has been lauded for their filmography: majestic landscapes and breathtaking underwater sequences make this a visual feast for fly fishers and non fly fishers alike. Definitely a wonderful treat if anyone is still looking for a last minute, fully worthwhile stocking filler.

Who knows how many times my copy will be watched and studied during winter nights as I indulge in my love of the great outdoors from the comfort of my living room…? If you have already seen it, or if you have caught trout in New Zealand I would love to know your thoughts – please drop me a comment below.

Thank you for reading, I look forward to your return!

making hay…

Today was split in two by an icy wind from the North shortly after lunchtime… This blog entry is about the first half – I had arranged to meet some special people at the lake and made the most of the sunshine before they arrived.

A beautiful creature welcomed me to the lake and I was honoured to be allowed this close:

goldeneye – such a vivid colour and so clear!

I wandered only a short way along the bank and paused to capture the ambience…

I took this picture in an endeavour to convey the water clarity – what is that weird line?

The answer was right above me, in a perfect sky:

ah – now that makes sense!

I am fascinated by water… Here it waits patiently for the sunshine to give it a lift:

Such is the mystery of the Universe that when conditions are right, the very element that can be used to extinguish a fire, can also be used to make it… So much depends on how energy is focused!

I made the most of the sunlight to get a photo opportunity that describes the season:

amazing to think that only a few months ago this was a sugar and oxygen factory… now it is a work of art

Today’s catch put a serious bend in my rod!

When is the next time you go fishing? Tight lines – metiefly

I was grateful to have caught my fish early on, so I could spend some quality time with two people that I had been looking forward to meeting for a while…

Thank you for reading, I look forward to your next visit

match the hatch – late autumn (mid November)

Following on from yesterday ‘s blogpost about full circle, and the effectiveness of small flies, tonight I was fortunate enough to uncover a wealth of information! A flat calm in the evening made the feeding fish easy to spot and although several other fishermen assured me there was not much action around the lake, I set out to find the right pattern. When conditions are flat and tough, these are my initial thoughts:

Flat calms can be tricky unless you know how to exploit them!

* Keep out of sight – crouch down if possible
* Use a small fly that is not too garish
* Preferably a slightly heavy fly such as a tungsten bead head or one that has a weighted core – this helps extend your leader for maximum distance when casting
* Retrieve slowly, using tiny twitches or a figure of eight retrieve
* Search the surface constantly looking for signs of a fish, walk the bank until you spot movement
* Cast smoothly and let your line land onto the water softly
* Use a light tippet with a length of at least two metres (I use 4lb fluorocarbon)

Sure enough, it was not long before I cracked the code with a spirited rainbow – two and a half pounds of steamtrain challenging my 4lb, 5 weight tackle. As predicted, late autumn’s colder water has brought extra horsepower into the mix:

Read ‘chemistry lessons: fluid dynamics and respiration’ to find out my cold water formula!

Whilst cleaning my catch, I spotted movement in the stomach contents, so I filmed the following 72 second video to show you exactly what my trout had eaten:

I identified at least four species of freshwater invertebrates:

Damselfly nymph
Water louse
Water boatman
Freshwater shrimp

some common freshwater invertebrates, courtesy of wildpro.twycrosszoo.org

Importantly, all of these are significantly smaller than my size 16 beaded deer hair nymph… Just because a fly looks small does not mean it is not effective!

Remember that trout have to eat voraciously for most of their waking hours – it is up to the discerning angler to work out what’s on their menu at any given time…

As I was leaving the lake I met a father and son – Michael has fished since the age of two and he and his dad have recently begun fly fishing. Despite his impeccably well mannered reluctance at first, I gave Michael a ‘metiefly’ woven nymph exactly the same as the one in tonight’s blog and wished him a lifetime of fishing fun and shared adventures with his Dad. Let’s hope it brings him great fortune!

Thank you for reading as always.

singing in the rain!

This morning’s flat calm coupled with crystal clear water forced the need for long casts, crouching down and much patience… Fish were moving about just under the surface, glimpses of fins and tails teasing and hypnotising me at the same time.

I love when trout don’t cooperate… Their knack of coaxing the best out of us by being stubborn is a headache for many. I prefer to work a little for each one – the reward of a hard earned catch is so much sweeter when they refuse to play.

All morning I honed my double hauls, shooting shiny golden bead-heads as far as they could go, retrieving each cast as though it was my last. Not one bite! I switched gears, losing the bead to facilitate softer landings, choosing a different profile in the hope of enticing a take. Close observation confirmed the absence of most insects… A lone dragonfly marking out straight lines like an ancient bi-plane and nothing else.

Eventually – time to wise up and scale down… Damselfly nymphs are almost impossible to spot from the bank, yet I know they predominate over winter… This time an auburn variant, paying homage to fall and matching camouflage perfectly:

This is actually a tiny fly… Intricately woven, ideal for soft landings on a calm surface… (photo – metiefly)

When the rain swept in at lunchtime, I quickly snapped pictures of some mushrooms before they disintegrate, then sought partial refuge under the trees… There is still enough leaf canopy to protect against a downpour and earlier, I had spotted a few feisty shapes in this impossible spot:

It pays to scout ahead … when the rain commenced, I came back to work out how to present my fly to this almost impossible spot. See the trout tease with it’s tail – slightly right of the coot and a couple of feet this side of the leaves touching the water (photo – metiefly)

Since voicing my desire to find the perfect cast, I have no option other than to coax my fly where few others have ever been before.  Sideways loops creeping further and further, a couple more inches at a time. My auburn fly drops softly onto the water, it’s entry disguised by the myriad of raindrops. A sharp tug, then slack. The heavy surge of water pushes outward, signalling the stout nature of my near miss… I gasp, retrieve and rest the spot for a little while. More movement nearby, then silence again whilst the raindrops gather on the leaves and trickle boldly onto the rippled surface… Soft loops reach out tentatively, back into the perfect lie… Three twitches, a pause – Slam! Oncorhyncus mykiss at it’s very best. Low hanging branches neatly navigated, two powerful runs and an airwalk before final passes for the camera. A swift landing and last rites.

When I have to, I am always very sad to dispatch these exquisite fish – I pause long, for respect. A moment of mindfulness, savouring the ancient wisdom of Native Americans “what you need, never more…” As I write, l have already baked this one, my first trout of the cold season and I will treasure today’s adventure for the rest of my days.

perfect specimen, pristine water… This season promises to be as good as it gets! (photo – metiefly)

Thank you for reading, please return again soon!

when outdoors one does not have to look far to find beauty. Take special care not to pick poisonous mushrooms – only eat them if they are picked by someone with proven experience! (photo – metiefly)

Related articles

• How Many Shrews Can a Rainbow Trout Eat? (alaskapublic.org)
• Lake Shawnee to be closed for fishing after Saturday trout restocking (cjonline.com)
• DEEP Begins Fall Trout Stocking (connecticut.cbslocal.com)
• FishOn! Northwestern Pennsylvania fishing report, Oct. 18 (goerie.com)
• Why Anglers Love Cutthroat Trout (fishcolorado.wordpress.com)

my winter season debut – ring necked parakeets

Two days ago in the morning, bright sunshine greeted me as I swiped my membership card and entered the gate for the first time since the 24th of March. I trembled with anticipation as I attached a minimalist, size 18 upwing pattern tied using ring necked parakeet feathers sourced locally from the pavement en route to the lake earlier this year.

Ring necked parakeets brighten my day whenever I see or hear them!  (photo metiefly)

Large, healthy looking trout moved just under the surface, crystal clear water making it necessary for a stealthy, low profile approach. Non-committal nuzzles of my fly resulted in much adrenalin and little else. The fish were teasing me… I cast ahead of them, on top of them, even behind them in an endeavour to get their attention – no solid takes, regardless of how I presented my fly.

At midday I walked further along the lake to my old haunts, admiring the way the grounds are so meticulously kept and I noticed the breeze pick up at the same time as the temperature dropped. If you have read elsewhere in my blog, I have no qualms about blank days, or a need to find excuses for fish not biting. On the contrary, I look for ways to improve my own approach. This time I was stumped completely. Fish that had been recently stocked were milling around in the centre of the lake, often leaping clear of the water for no apparent reason as they welcomed their new found “freedom” in their open surroundings.

Disorientation from being recently stocked and the temperature plummeting from 18 Celsius to 9 Celsius in only a few hours is my explanation for no bites – I have to believe this because I love the way these flies came out – aren’t they delicate?!

I made this pair of flies to fish my winter season debut – 2lb fluorocarbon tippet and size 18 hooks (photo metiefly)

Tomorrow the cold front persists, however the fish will hopefully be more settled now and I will be casting right amongst them, happy in Nature once again!

cold fronts tend to switch fish off the bite, especially when the temperature drops rapidly. Trout seem to be able to tell the future better than we can! (photo – metiefly)

Thank you for reading, please return again soon!

Related articles

• Parakeets in London? (reyizain.wordpress.com)
• Rose Ringed Parakeet (noisypilgrims.com)
• Fightback starts against invasive species that threaten British plants and animals (theguardian.com)

fish out of water

Thriving ecosystems are characterised by a plenitude of signs, tracks and evidence of hard fought battles of wits, stealth and cunning as different species clash in the never ending dynamic of survival of the fittest.

Yesterday whilst walking, we crossed the bridge over the Duke of Northumberland’s river in Isleworth and my wife stopped suddenly – as if by magic, six little fish were neatly arranged on the pavement, still moist and upon closer inspection, slightly digested by the stomach acid of a predatory bird. As we took pictures and tried to work out how they got there, on top of the side wall of the bridge, we noticed an even rarer surprise! A tiny specimen of a Thames flatfish had been regurgitated yet, because of its shape, it had not rolled off the wall onto the pavement below. I have no idea if the predator had been a heron, a cormorant, a grebe or even possibly a kingfisher – whilst trying to solve the riddle, it struck me how extremely fortunate we are to have such abundant biodiversity in our waterways that run through the heart of this immense city. Many species of birds and fish have been here for aeons and despite our ever encroaching threat, they still carve out their existence alongside us.

I feel privileged to share this message – enjoy the pictures:

six little minnows – I’d love to know how they got there… Did a cormorant, or a heron get a fright and cough them up? Was it a kingfisher or a grebe that had eaten too much? Leave a comment if you think you know the answer

I’m not an Ichthyologist, I’m an Ichthyologist’s son… Please tell me if this is a baby flounder, plaice or sole?

Wherever you are in the world, contemplate how you can increase awareness. Can you make further little adjustments (or big ones) to your lifestyle to live in better harmony with your surroundings? The more we look after Nature, the more it will look after us!

Thank you for reading – please visit again soon.

Related articles

• Sea bass joins list of threatened fish (theguardian.com)

sea bass in Cornwall

A picture tells a thousand words… Today my gorgeous wife and I woke up at 05h30 and we drove to Penzance and then St.Ives. It took us just over 5 hours to reach our destination and perfect weather smiled on us throughout – do you agree with me that is this what Teddington’s robins had in mind when they sang in the change of seasons back in March?

Today we spent more than ten hours in the car for six hours of this: low tide, clear water, no wind… what a joyous discovery we made! (photo – metiefly)

Imagine hopping in the little rowing boat with your favourite rod and a handful of specially tied streamers for sea bass. It’s only a matter of time before I make this happen… (photo – metiefly)

Taking in the excitement of future plans at St.Ives… What a day! (photo – metiefly)

Thank you for reading, please come back soon!

JLM Special part two

This is part two… JLM Special starting to take shape.

thanks for watching, please visit again soon!