December 2010

Nymphs in tandem

New Zealand style nymphing began in the 1970s. Chris Cullen was there, watching the originators closely ...

Beyond the Helmsdale

100 trout lochs ... oh, and a world-class hotel.

The details in the Devil

"I've caught over 1,000 stillwater trout on this Diawl Bach variant."

Any old nylon?

How to tie Buzzer, Caddis, Bugs and Bloodworms from nylon monofilament.

Collier's Cormorant

Grafham's Clive Collier demonstrates his version of the Cormorant which suits all line styles.

Players of the season

Joe MacDonald gives us three new fly patterns that out-classed their contemporaries in what has been a tremendous Irish salmon season.

The Speck

Neil Patterson's technique makes tying small olives a simple task.

Off the coast

Experience a great autumn's sport with pollack, bass, mackerel, giant mullet, and garfish.

Purest gold

The clear waters of Argentina's Rio Isoro are the perfect venue for the fly fisherman who seeks sight-fished, explosive action with golden dorado.

Year-round dry fly

Graeme Pullen uncovers a gin-clear water in Hampshire that provides quality fish to dry fly, even in December and January.

Four of the finest

Peter Lapsley profiles four of the UK's best fish artists and studies how each tackles their subject.

Snow White and the seven vertically challenged anglers

Mike Harding wades deep.

PLUS:

Gordon Mackie's chalkstreams comment, Chris Sandford's antique tackle valuations, Magnus Angus' reviews, Letters page, and the chance to win a Rawson & Perrin fly rod worth

November 2010

Crafty cone-heads

How coneheads can be used in a practical fashion to create UK-style fat-back salmon tube flies.

Somerset's Sawyer

Tips from Sutton Bingham's manager, Ivan Tinsley.

Boys on the black stuff

Gwilym Hughes shows how to fool those difficult, shy, sippers of smooth glides.

Moody lady

Grayling refusing even your most proven dry fly? But are they really so unpredictable?

Spin doctor

Jeremy Lucas believes he has discovered the key to making his spinner stand out in a mass autumn fall.

Forss be with you

The Highland spate river which can offer great fishing to the rain-drenched holiday-maker

Seeking the British bonefish

Connecting with a thick-lipped mullet will leave you trembling.

Flashback Damsel Nymph

Tie and fish Mick Huffer's 'go to' Damsel Nymph - and also his secret weapon variant.

Ian's Claret Bumble

How to tie a Western Isles-style Bumble.

Trekking for trout

Saddling up to tackle the remote, high wild, mountain trout of Lesotho in southern Africa

Lessons from the 2010 season

Peter Lapsley learns to reel in to catch more; and details facts about Mayflies and hooks that he didn't know before 2010.

Black magic

The two simple secrets to Welsh sea trout success: the colours black and silver.

It's a rum old doo

... especially when you catch yourself.

Mexican gold

The FF&FT reader trip to Casa Blanca, the ideal place for get-away-from-it all relaxation, and the treasured Grand Slam.

Licence to fish?

The recent Border Esk test-case brings out the big guns. FF&FT investigates ...

October 2010

Wet fry!

The Teal-winged Butcher, a wet fly for autumn loch-styling, or bank fishing.

Waiting for the Wow!

Step-by-step down an autumn salmon pool.

Association Speyside

Finding affordable, quality fishing on the Spey - "the best association waters of any club in the country."

Smokin' hot sport in the USA

Camping, hiking and fishing in one of the wildest, purest wildernesses in eastern America, the Appalachian Mountains.

Give them the Reverse Hanging Buzzer

Elliot Penn gives us the low down on Garnffrwd Trout Fishery near Carmarthen, and showcases his clever buzzer pattern which gives trout a cunningly different view of their favourite meal.

Dabblers for Scotland

Stevie Munn's Boghill Dabbler is a successful fly in Ireland, but it has also made the transition to Scotland's wild waters with consistent success.

The fly and tactic that won the World Championships

Jeremy Lucas returns from the San River with news of a Caddis pattern which was used to great success by the winning Czechs.

Pike lessons

David Wolsoncroft-Dodds lists the valuable tips he's gleaned from many years of concentrated fly fishing for pike.

A View from the Chalkstreams

Seven weeks of top grayling activity starts now!

Off the coast

When holidaying in the Med, take your saltwater gear for some highly-charged mullet, bass, and pardete. Also, tie Colin's Bin-bag Nymph, a fly tied Czech nymph style, using a black bin bag.

Beware the big spinner

When you can't see what the fish are rising to, don't get caught out by the egg-laying stage of large upwings.

The Campaign For Real Pollution

Mike Harding says kids today wouldn't know real pollution even if it got up and choked them ... just like it used to.

Rivers in Trust

Peter Lapsley investigates the recent explosion of Rivers Trusts and asks: what do these organisations do?

Soft Cell

Neil Patterson's half nymph, half fly for when choosy fish choose to feed just under the surface.

After the flood

Frank Moors' Corniehaugh Killer is a salmon fly to fish in the coloured water just as the spate falls.

Extra-terrestrial mutants

Roman Moser extends the use of the highly effective Chernobyl Ant.

September 2010

Cracking damsels

The Spanflex-legged Damsel Nymph, a new fly to tempt feeding trout in a heavy hatch of damselflies.

Local 'Worthy

Alex Jardine guides us around Dartmoor's Fenworthy lake and reveals his own Bobby-style pattern for such wild waters.

Winging it

Interchangeable Templedogs for all salmon situations.

Rabbit on the menu

How to tie the rabbit-based Tarpon Bunny, which has the silhouette and movement to fit the bill for all predatory species, including fry-bashing trout.

Rick 'n Roll

The Rolling Ricky, Neil Patterson's miniscule Caddis Pupa and tactic for when sedges show at the surface - but no fish rise.

"If the fish aren't rising, change the loch!"

Uncovering the best of Shetland's 300 waters.

Why do they bite the Bullet?

Chris Sandford's new dry fly imitates nothing in particular, but is proving popular with trout on both river and stillwater, so much so that it takes the fun out of fishing!

Popping for perch

A chance discovery in a local gravel pit led Herman Broers to use Poppers for perch.

Doing a Wegg

A visit to South Uist has broadened Mike Harding's vocabulary ...

A View from the Chalkstreams

Gordon Mackie considers the disposition of the grayling and tells us how this can help us catch them.

Tactical flies

The Hopper. Jeremy Lucas gives his tactical tips and fly dressing tweaks to get the best late-summer sport from the stillwater super-fly.

Off the coast

Contacting bass, mullet and even sea trout on fly in the recent heatwave.

Rain favours

After the drought, Irish rivers are reporting great catches of salmon and sea trout.

Abbot's Barton reborn

The famous fishery is rejuvenated, and has a promising future ahead.

My World Cup Diary (second half)

Malcolm Greenhalgh continues his football-free fly-fishing festival visiting the Ribble, Lune, Hodder, local reservoirs and estuaries all the way to the final.

Quiz

Your chance to win the Scott Mackenzie DTX salmon rod of your choice.

August 2010

Call up the SAS!

A weighty but highly mobile salmon fly for drought-stricken flows: the SAS Shrimp.

Thoroughly modern loch-style

The ultra-attractive wet fly, courtesy of Eyebrook's Andy Miller.

World Cup diary

Malcolm Greenhalgh escapes the razzmatazz of the football on TV to indulge in a personal, month-long fly-fishing festival.

Seaside signals

Tips on locating bass and mackerel. With bass and mackerel shoals moving in to harry fry and sandeels this month, try these tips to locate them.

Stalking barbel

The barbel inhabiting Spanish reservoirs offer superb, sight-fished, reel-screaming sport.

"Mr Harding, you nailed it!"

Mike Harding wonders what it might be like to be a fly-tying star.

Small stream addict

How to get the very best out of fishing small streams.

The Flylite

Neil Patterson's minimalist dun answers the ideal dry fly brief: it's dressed with light materials and isn't weighed down by excessive tying procedures.

Orange Quill

Tie this truly great pattern for the evening rise in summer.

Micro Dries 2 - the 360 degree river

How to use a downstream presentation for a more effective dry fly.

Hog in the limelight

Hog lice often appear in trout diets, yet few imitations exist - apart from a little gem called Morton's Hog Louse.

Take a break

How to plan the perfect getaway to experience new waters.

Rubber gloves and bath sponge

The ingenious and resourceful fly patterns and methods that developed during Bosnia's enforced isolation.

July 2010

Micro-fly masterclass

Micro dry flies are Jeremy Lucas' top summer tactic for both wild trout and grayling.

The Wild Trout's Wish List

The Funneldung. If you fish near a herd of cows this summer you'll need one of Neil Patterson's specially designed flies.

You've got to pick a pocket or two . . .

Dave Southall shows us how to reap rich rewards from rocky upland streams.

Shadows with substance

Joe MacDonald says variants of the Shadow Shrimp enable fly fishers to offer salmon something different but with reassuring confidence.

Off the coast

New series! Extracts from saltwater fly fisher, Colin Macleod's monthly diary.

The Old Man of the Lough

Born 72 years ago beside Corrib, Lal Faherty shares his memories with George Barron.

Textbook Tying

Mick Huffer ties Rogan's Gadget, saying it is an extremely useful fly for saltwater and freshwater.

In Fratnik's footsteps

CdC expert, Leon Links, heads for Slovenia to test his new style of split-wing dry fly.

Inside information

Charles Jardine gets the low-down on Gloucestershire's Bushy Leaze fishery from Howard Leatherdale, and ties the all-important fly.

Pearly gateways

Mark Bowler says that the two biggest specimen fish he's ever seen landed fell for flies which were remarkably similar.

A drift in Sweden's forbidden quarter

Sweden's famed Varmland lakes open up. Rudy van Duijhoven was one of the first to visit.

Fighting for our fishing

Peter Lapsley says that two test cases presented by the new Angling Trust confirm its commitment to game anglers.

Sandison's Scotland

Bruce Sandison visits 640 acres of quality Borders fishing, asks if Scottish Natural Heritage is really "all for nature," and is glad about Gladhouse.

June 2010

The long game

Ally Gowans' valuable summer salmon tactic

"How exactly do you tempt a monster?"

Dominic Garnett shows how he tempts the beasts of the Valleys

The wild trout's wish list

The Simple Smut. Neil Patterson solves the world's problems by tying a fly that saves fiddly moves, and also saves the planet.

Inside information

Charles Jardine asks Mick Phipps about his home ground - Kent's Bewl Water - and shows how he ties his Red Eyed Cruncher.

Textbook tying

Mick Huffer shows how to tie Watson's Bumble: a fly for peaty or coloured water, or for a buzzer hatch, or as an early season attractor.

A sedge for a 'barbecue summer'

Hot or not, river or stillwater, imitating the Welshman's button caddis can reap rich rewards, says Dave Collins.

Giant grayling on a lemming

50 grayling of over 50cm, and counting. Mikko Halonen tells us his astonishing secret.

Catching the eye at the disco

Mike Harding says the new UV fly-tying materials have galvanised him to boogie on down to the disco.

Sandison's Scotland

Bruce Sandison visits Kirriemuir Angling Club; hikes up to Loch Brandy; and wonders how effectively SEPA monitors fish farms?

Grow your own hatches

Peter Lapsley show us that transplanting and introducing insects to new waters is entirely possible, and successful.

Dark art and mysteries

Chris Cullen investigates the mysterious art of the surface lure for sea trout, and tries to understand why so little has ever been written about it

On the bench

Magnus Angus investigates Bug Bond - will it replace Epoxy?

20th anniversary issue

The history of FF&FT from the very first issue to this, the 186th; the major milestones attained by fly fishing over the past 20 years; the most significant changes in our gear since 1990; John Goddard's 10 'must fish' venues, and the full story of lies, deceit, spin and incompetence that have been the ruination of Scotland's west coast fishery.

May 2010

Lie detector

Dave Southall gives a dozen key clues on how to 'read' a river in order to locate wild trout.

Snap happy

Alastair Gowans illustrates various styles of snap cast and demonstrates the Circle C - a cast that is easier than the Single Spey.

Get your skates on!

Mick Huffer demonstrates his Skating Buzzer, the fly for quiet bays, flat calms, and windless evenings.

Question time

An exclusive FF&FT pre-Election interview with Roseanna Cunningham, the Minister for Environment, outlining how the Scottish Government views the future of its wild fish stocks.

Credit-crunch Kola

Salmon fishing in Russia on a budget.

Finest in the kingdom

Fife's Leven and Clatto.

Inside information

Charles Jardine focuses on Devon's Blakewell - the fishery, the fisher, and his fly.

A drift on Kielder

Geoffrey Bucknall visits the vast fishery in Northumberland, and assesses its potential for both bank and boat.

The lady of the lake

John Stephens meets Nica Pritchard MBE, champion of ladies' fly-fishing in more ways than one.

The wild trout's wish list

The Deerstalker. Neil Patterson tells us how he re-designed the Mayfly spinner with the help of a clump of white deer hair.

Gems from the slate mines

A recent Welsh book has opened George Barron's eyes and whetted his appetite for traditional style of fly.

Tactical flies

The Single Plume Tip: the simple CdC fly Jeremy Lucas uses to catch 75% of his dry-fly caught fish.

April 2010

Fly Fishing in Scotland 2010 supplement

Good salmon fishing in Macbeth country; Loch Heilan; presenting big flies at depth and distance with skagit lines; the NessC, White Ghost and Raptor flies.

Skagit comes to Scotland

Ally Gowans explains what skagit lines are, and explains how and why they are being used by salmon fishers to present big flies at depth and distance.

A man for the moment

Peter Lapsley meets reservoir fly fishing legend, Bob Church.

The ultimate parachute

Andrew Griffiths demonstrates a simple parachute technique which simply involves pulling on a length of nylon to deploy it.

New generation duckfly

George Barron gives six hints for modern duckfly success, and six Buzzers with oomph!

Who destroyed Skues?

Terry Lawton charts the life, philosophy and flies of Skues - the 'father of the nymph', and tells us who shot him down.

The wild trout's wish list

Blockhead Spinner. Neil Patterson gets his head round the problems of March brown spinner design.

From rebel to pillar

An Englishman in Canada. Malcolm Greenhalgh glories in the descriptive writing of Roderick Haig-Brown.

Textbook Tying

Mick Huffer ties the Buzzer Pupa that unfailingly catches the eye of both anglers and trout.

Tactical flies

The PTN: It's the most universally effective nymph, says Jeremy Lucas, who tells us why, how, and in what form.

Sandison's Scotland

Meet the Ministers for Environmental Vandalism; Fish this loch before you die; Bonnybridge Angling Club; Open letter to Alex Salmond.

Fly of the Month

Charles Jardine ties the Compu-aspect Dun and instructs on how to fish it.

March 2010

Fly Fishing in Ireland 2010 supplement

Two excellent but less well known loughs; The sea trout fishery that produced all 26 of Ireland's specimen sea trout in 2009; Why a travel rod is a vital piece of luggage to any traveller visiting Ireland; The resurgence of the Kylemore salmon and sea trout run.

The rise and fall of the buzzer

9 different ways in which the spring-time angler can improve his buzzer presentation.

Save our springers

Retired vet, Guy Hall believes the resurgence of the Tyne would have happened naturally, without the aid of stocking.

Sandison's Scotland

Bruce Sandison hikes far into the Assynt hills to seek quality wild trout.

Give me a sign!

Axel Wessolowski says strike indicators can enhance our fishing, but which design performs best?

The Oppo

Jeremy Lucas opens his new series aimed at flies designed for a particular purpose.

Textbook Tying

Mick Huffer ties the Shadow Mayfly and describes how it is best put to use.

Modern traditionals

From the competition scene, George Barron gives the latest updates and improvements on the Greenwell's Glory.

The wild trout's wish list

Neil Patterson adopts the traditional wet fly approach to create a compromise for a sedge hatch: the Invicta Pupa.

Take two tablets . . .

Mike Harding is suffering from Angler's Itch - that pre-season restlessness that first sets in around October.

Of flies, fishing, and the meaning of life

Peter Lapsley meets Stuart Crofts - entomologist, fly tyer, angler, angling guide and ex-England team captain.

On the Bench

The revolutionary TT bobbin.

A View from the Chalkstreams

Gordon Mackie assesses the impact of Frank Sawyer's weighted nymphs on the chalkstream psyche.

February 2010

Trout detective

The clues which help the angler to find the most likely trout-holding areas of a stillwater.

Grayling under the microscope

Encountering sophisticated grayling behaviour has prompted John Goddard to adapt his flies accordingly.

King cone

Andrew McGall says a conehead plus an Irish shrimp is a winning formula.

All eyes on Sawyer's Nymph

How to successfully sight-fish Sawyer's PTN.

The future is ultra-violet

Transforming the Snatcher into a superb wild trout pattern.

Sandison's Scotland

Profiling Whiteadder Angling Association; Fish Loch Watten before you die; Sea trout catches analysed.

The Bullet-head Caddis

How to tie this buoyant multi-tasking fly which will suit numerous tactics.

Modern traditionals

George Barron shows how the iconic Bibio has been embraced by competition anglers with five special variants.

The wild trout's wish list

You can't have too much of anything, says Neil Patterson, as he shows how to tie his Tiny Twinkle.

Last albatross in Ribblesdale

Mike Harding struggles to find the real macaw.

Six Books

Chris Sandford explains why John Gierach's Sex, Death and Fly-Fishing features as one of his half-dozen books which most influenced his life in fly fishing.

From little acorns . . .

Tony Fordham discusses his life in the tackle business.

South African goals

The World Cup isn't the only reason to head to South Africa this summer . . .

School report 2009

Despite water levels on the Annan remaining high for the week, FF&FT's autumn salmon school nevertheless proved to be a success.

Fighting talk

The practical and ethical issues surrounding fishing for trout with light tackle.

Tenkara - fly fishing like samurais

Axel Wessolowski describes how an ancient Japanese 'short-lining' art captures the fly-fishing spirit . . . and swordsmanship skills.

January 2010

Strike it lucky!

15 tips to improve your salmon catch-rate.

"One of the finest wild brown trout lochs on Planet Earth" . . . and it's free!

Profiling Orkney's Loch Harray.

Look of life

How to tie a Woodcock & Hare's Ear, one of the most natural and effective classic wet flies ever devised - and how to fish it.

The camera never lies

Do adult caddis dive? Amazing underwater shots are analysed by Oliver Edwards and Stuart Crofts.

No fishing

Draycote closed to angling.

The Farmoor Yellow Buzzer

How to tie the fly which has proved exceptional at imitating hog lice.

The wild trout's wish list

Neil Patterson doesn't tie his Hare's Ears with legs, he ties them with tentacles!

Modern traditionals

A variety of innovative flies based on traditional lines which have surfaced recently.

Bodies with soul

William Heckel ties nymphs, emergers and spinners with bodies made of a single herl.

What's on the menu?

Mike Harding finds things in trouts' stomachs that didn't ought to be there.

Morgan & Son

The rise and rise of Kieron Jenkins.

Fly life on Mars

Leon Guthrie is a fly tyer who's quite possibly on another planet.

Head south for the winter

Peter Lapsley commends the management of a small reservoir in Sussex, which opens through the winter and shuts in the high summer.

Going large

The essential attributes which make tackling a massive reservoir for the first time easier.

Roving for roach

How to catch roach on nymphs from cuts, canals and drains to extend your fly-fishing season.

Mushroom for dry

How to make a beautiful natural fly dryer from a piece of fungus.