Flicking feathers

This pattern has been around for ages, and in my opinion is a perfect stillwater emerger. It's simple, buggy and floats low and flush to the surface film offering an excellent impression of a midge breaking through the meniscus. Materials list Hook: Kamasan B170 size 10-16 Thread: Uni 8/0, Black Shuck: Pearl crystal flash Abdomen: Claret seal fur Rib: Pearl crystal flash Thorax: Hare's fur well picked out   To support the channel, access the monthly tying meetings and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up or support through https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers

 Another old one I wrote for www.sexyloops.com Last week I wrote about wets for the mayfly. Their appearance is imminent and may even be starting in some places, so I thought I'd suggest a few dry patterns to compliment them this week. Now, if you already have favourite dry mayfly patterns for the rivers they'll most likely do fine for lochs and lakes.  The Wulffs are a great example of a style that crosses over well, yellow olive and grey being my favourites.  There are of course some that I don't think transition as well; Ollie Edwards'  Mohican mayfly makes an excellent, high floating pattern that works great on rivers and it will catch fish on stillwaters. Unfortunately, I've found it to be a less effective hooker on the lochs- I suspect the fly being essentially static or gently driftng with the breeze rather than drifting quickly past the fish on a river eliciting a different eat that is the reason. Similarly there are some patterns that are probably better su

The Yellow Owl is a great pattern for imitating cream midges & this shuttlecock version is perfect for targeting fish feeding on the emerging buzzers. Materials list Hook: Kamasan B170 size 8 to 16. Smaller flies will need a different model Thread: Light cahill Uni 8/0 Rib: XS black wire Wing: Natural CDC Thorax: Hare's ear dubbing with a small amount of clear antron dubbing blended in Book of the Month 8: Strip-Set is available here Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3kizn9F Amazon.co.uk https://amzn.to/3wvglSo Using the link will help support my channel at no extra cost to you. To support the channel, get access to the monthly tying classes and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up.

  Hedgehogs are great little flies. They're super versatile working as wets, dries or nymphs. This version is probably more of a pulling pattern that will fish best as a wet fly, perhaps on the point, washing line style to hold up a couple of smaller patterns on the droppers. Materials list Hook: Kamasan B170 or 175 size 10-14 Thread: Fire orange Uni 8/0 Tag: Tying thread Tail: Gold & pearl razor flash Wings: Roe deer dyed West of Ireland golden olive (WOIGO) Body: WOIGO seal fur To support the channel, get access to the monthly tying sessions, members only content and enter giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up or head to https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers and donate Book of the Month 7; The practical angler is available here: https://amzn.to/3kLyBSW Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3EZxneY Amazon.com Bookmarking or using my link will help support my channel.

The Spent Westie is a great dry pattern for imitating the spent danica & vulgata mayflies. Although it sits flush to the surface, it floats well and is quite visible to the angler because of the fan wing. All in all it's fantastic spent gnat imitation Materials list Hook: Kamasan B170 size 10 or 12 Thread: White Veevus 10/0 then Black Uni 8/0 Tail: Moose body or similar Butt: Glo-brite no.4 Rib: Black spanflex Body: White poly yarn Wing: Widgeon flank Hackle: Black cock, tied short.   To support the channel, get access to the monthly tying sessions, members only content and enter giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up or head to https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers and donate Book of the Month 7; The practical angler is available here: https://amzn.to/3kLyBSW Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3EZxneY Amazon.com Bookmarking or using my link will help support my channel.

  The X-caddis is one of the best dry caddis patterns, tied in various sizes and colours it can imitate almost any of the species found in rivers. It floats well and is quite visible making it ideal for the evening. Trout and grayling will eat it for an emerger or egg layer making it useful throughout a hatch. Book of the Month 7 is available here: https://amzn.to/3kLyBSW Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3EZxneY Amazon.com Materials Hook: Tiemco 100spbl size 14-20 Thread: Uni 8/0, olive Shuck: Olive antron, Z-lon, sparkle yarn or similar Body: Olive superfine Wing: Short fine deer hair To support the channel and be eligible for giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers​ and become a patron or support through paypal.me/flickingfeathers

  Rene Harrop's CDC transition midge is a great little emergent midge pattern. It's slim and sits low on the surface, ideal for situations where you need and emerger or something more subtle than a Griffith's Gnat. Book of the month 6 is available here https://amzn.to/3jwznCE Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3DuHvM1 Amazon UK Material list Hook: TMC 100 size 20-24 Shuck: grizzle hackle tip Body: Superfine dubbing Back/emergent wings: CDC puff Variant Hook: TMC 100 size 20-24 Shuck: grizzle hackle tip Abdomen: Superfine dubbing Thorax: Spectra flash or UV ice dubbing Back/emergent wings: CDC puff To support the channel and be eligible for giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers ​ and become a patron or support through paypal.me/flickingfeathers

  John Barr's Viz-A-Dun is a great little mayfly pattern that is durable, floats well and makes a great indicator style dry fly for hanging a small emerger or micro dry behind. Material list Hook: TMC 101 size 14-24 Thread: Uni 8/0 Tail: Hackle fibres Body: Superfine dubbing Wing: Poly yarn Hackle: Quality dry fly hackle Vinyl cement To support the channel and be eligible for giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers ​ and become a patron or support through paypal.me/flickingfeathers

  Although upside down flies are less common, they are a great addition to the fly box. This version of Oliver Edwards USD Dun is a great pattern for picky fish feeding on large dark olives that are refusing more traditional offerings. Book of the month 6 is available here https://amzn.to/3jwznCE Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3DuHvM1 Amazon UK Material list Hook: Partridge K3A size 18 or Gamakatsu cripple emerger. Thread: Olive Uni 8/0 Tail: 3 badger guard hairs Abdomen: Brown-olive and BWO superfine dubbing Hackle: Dun cock hackle Wing: Deer hair dyed dun Thorax: BWO superfine dubbing To support the channel and be eligible for giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers ​ and become a patron or support through paypal.me/flickingfeathers

  Whether you call it the duo, New Zealand style, hedged bet or klink & dink, hanging a nymph of of a dry fly is an absolutely deadly method at times. The addition of a tippet ring near the bend of the dry, makes for a nice connection and you never need to worry about the nymph slipping off the hook bend. After tying, treat the wing and hackle with watershed which is a permanent waterproofer. To support my channel and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and become a patron or support through paypal.me/flickingfeathers Material list Hook: Daiichi Klinkhammer Thread: Uni 8/0 Ring attachment: 2mm seamless tippet ring & Braided line around 0.15-0.2 mm Wing: Poly yarn or aero dry wing Rib: mylar Abdomen: Superfine dubbing Thorax: Peacock ice dub Hackle: Good quality cock saddle

 

The Shipman's buzzer is an effective and versatile fly that can be fished dry, emerging or subsurface to great effect. Materials list Hook: Kamasan B170 10-14 Thread: Uni 8/0 Breathers: White antron or similar Rib: Pearl tinsel Body: Seal fur or similar dubbing   To support my channel , get access to the monthly tying sessions and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and become a patron or support through paypal.me/flickingfeathers

  As an answer to a request from a Patreon supporter, I made this video on sizing hackle. Remeber there are no hard and fast rules and you can adjust to suit your preferences. To support my channel get access to the monthly online tying sessions and be eligible for the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and become a patron or support through paypal.me/flickingfeathers Get your hackle guage https://amzn.to/33k7XGX

 Roman Moser's Balloon caddis has great floatability and can be fished as an emerger, skated as an adult imitation or makes a great dry dropper. To support my channel, get access to the monthly online tying sessions and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and become a patron or support through paypal.me/flickingfeathers Material list Hook: Standard dry fly 8-16 Thread: UTC 70 Body: Your choice of dubbing  Wing: Deer or elk hair Balloon: Plastazote foam

 Roman Moser's RM is sedge is a fantastic caddis dry fly. Quick, easy to tie and effective, it floats well and can be twitched or skated if you wish.  To support my channel, get access to the monthly tying sessions and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and become a patron or support through paypal.me/flickingfeathers Material list Hook: Standard dry fly 8-14  Thread: Uni 8/0 brown, dun or tan Body: Deer hair dubbing Wing: Poly yarn or antron

 This simple little stonefly pattern is a very effective imitation that can be tied in various sizes to represent a range of different species and as a bonus it works well in midge hatches or when any small black fly is on the water.  To support my channel, get access to the members' only content and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and become a patron or support through paypal.me/flickingfeathers Materials list Hook: TMC 100 size 14- 20 Thread: Uni 8/0 black Body: Black superfine dubbing Wing: Natural CDC Hackle: Grizzle cock hackle

 Bob Wyatt's DHE is a fantastic suggestive pattern that works in just about any hatch and should be in every river and stillwater angler's box. To support my channel, get access to the monthly online tying sessions and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and become a patron or support through paypal.me/flickingfeathers Material list Hook: Tiemco 2487 (or equivalent) size 8-20 Thread: Uni 8/0  Wing: Deer hair Abdomen: Hare's ear or similar dubbing Thorax: Hare's ear or similar dubbing

 The semicircle spinner is my go to spinner pattern, it offers a correct footprint while still remaining quite visible to the angler, I'll only switch to a different pattern of I feel certain that size, form and presentation are all good but still getting refusals. To support the channel, get access to the members only content, monthly online tying sessions and be eligible for the monthly giveaways head to www.patreon.com\flickingfeathers and sign up or support through  https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathe rs Material list Hook: tmc 100 or equivalent size 14-20 Thread: Uni 8/0 rusty brown Tail: Coq de Leon or hackle fiber Body: Rust brown superfine Hackle: White cock hackle

 Here's a nice little Wulff variant that fishes well around march brown time and if there are large brook duns around later in the year.  To support my channel, get  access to the monthly tying sessions and enter the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and become a patron or support through paypal.me/flickingfeathers Material List Hook: TMC 100 size 14 Thread: Uni 8/0 Brown Wing: Short fine deer hair Tail: Short fine deer hair Rib: Thread Body: Natural hare's ear plus Hackle: Grizzle cock

To support the channel and get access to the online tying sessions, as well as being entered into the giveaways head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up