Catching difficult, educated fish. Tactics & flies.
Many of the waters that I fish hold what I would term ‘Well Educated Fish’. Now there are two very different types of educated fish, ones that I hate & ones that I love. Let me explain.
Well we’re into November & the traditional grayling season. Covid restrictions mean that I’ve had to fish locally. Unfortunately my closest grayling water, Driffield Beck, has suffered over the...
My leader / fly line / fly setups? Floating? Sinking? Micro Thin? Clear? By David Southall
nyone who has read my earlier Blogs, or my articles in Fly Fishing & Fly Tying magazine, will know that my passion is precise presentation of immitative flies, particularly dry flies, to trout ...
Best flies and tactics for Grayling
In my November 2016 Blog I gave details of some of my favourite grayling flies (Orange & Pink Gamarus, Orange & Pink Utah Killer Bugs, Red & Pink Squirmy Worms, Bead-head Partridge &am...
New Sunray clear floating fly line review (1 weight)
I subscribe to the Italian style of casting which uses a line many times lighter than the rod rating. The 1 weight Prototype Floating line casts easily even on a 4 weight rod!
Long fly rods versus short fly rods
oft rods are much more fun when playing small fish. However they are capable of landing big fish when required (I’ve successfully played & landed rainbows of just short of 6lb on my Sunray 10’ ...
Indicators. Good, bad and ugly.
I hate the big, super buoyant Bungs made of polystyrene, cork or hollow plastic. They are generally clumsy, big, create a lot of resistance to a taking fish & are either difficult to adjust th...
How to fly fish using light gear. Nymph fishing for Grayling & Buzzers for Rainbow Trout.
I use a 10' #2 Microlite fly rod on the River Hodder at The Inn at Whitewell. Then, switch to Stocks Reservoir to catch rainbow trout using the same rod. You don't need stiff rods and thick fly lin...
March Brown & Duns. When and why to fish them? By David Southall
March is the month that many flyfishers think about that classic Heptagenid, the March Brown, Rhithrogena germanica. This species has suffered a decline over recent years (as have many other Upwing...