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spike milligan

"All men are cremated equal"

Fly Tyer of the Month:

Phil Sadler.

Been fly fishing now for over 25 years after years of coarse fishing on the local canal systems (Stafford) .

Favourite fishery is Blithfield where I have been a full member for the last six years, love the flexibility full membership gives.
I will fish the banks until June or when the fish start to move out which is when I will start on the boats and this is when my passion for fishing dries kicks in.

 I love to fish other waters with Eyebrook being a particular favourite because of its similarity to Blithfield, Carsington has also become another one that I look forward to.

Favourite methods being a team of nymphs on the bank and its dries all the way once the boat season starts.

My favourite flies are Diawl Bachs and last couple of seasons Muskins, with Shipmans and Bobs Bits being my favourite dries but if I had to choose one material to use for the rest of my time it would be Hares Ear. Not a fan of lures and blobs, nothing to do with snobbery its just not my style of fishing

I have been very lucky in some of the people I have met during my time flyfishing but the person who has most influenced me is Karl Humphries both in my style of fishing and style of tying, he spent hours teaching me how to tie, which is something I have never forgotten.

Click all pictures for large photos of flies.

Muskin.

One of my favourites of the new style nymphs, tied slightly different from the original. Use it regularly on those cloudy perfect days when there are lots of buzzers coming off.

Dressing:

Hook – Kamasan B130  s12
Thread – Claret
Tail – Ginger Cock
Body – Pheasant Tail
Rib – Silver Wire
Thorax Cover – Brown Floss
Rear Thorax – Orange Holographic
Thorax – Hares Ear
Breathers – White Floss

Had a lot of fish on it on top dropper rare occasions I use a sinking line

Orange Dry.

An old pattern I dropped on years ago but has been a favourite dry at Blithfield especially when its sunny and a bit of breeze on, seems to pull the fish from nowhere.

Dressing:

Hook – Partridge Dry L3a
Thread – Claret
Rib – Monofilament (2lb)
Body – Orange Seals Fur
Cheeks – Yellow Goose Biots
Hackle – Light Ginger Cock

Olive Bead Nymph.

No1 point fly pattern for first few weeks at Blithfield, fish it very slow or a medium figure of eight retrieve.

Dressing:

Hook – Kamasan B175 s10
Thread – Olive
Tail – Olive Hen
Body – Olive Wire
Thorax – Hends Polar Dub Olive Brown
Bead – Crystal River 3mm Hot Head Bead (plastic)

Hares Ear Buzzer

One for sticking across the wind, on point if going small (ish) or middle dropper with a Muskin or Diawl Bach on the point.

Dressing:

Hook – Hayabusa 571 N s12/14
Thread – Black
Body – Hares Ear (lightly dubbed)
Rib – Gold Wire
Thorax Cover – Black or Brown Antron
Cheeks – Orange Antron

Peach Hares Ear

Tied on a heavy grub hook for weight, great as a point either as a flashy buzzer type pattern or when the pin fry are on.

Dressing:

Hook – Kamasan B 110 s10
Thread – Claret
Tail – Peach Hen
Flashback & Thorax Cover – Medium Pearl Tinsel
Rib – Gold Wire
Thorax – Hares Ear & Fox Squirrel (mixed)

Sparse Black Pheasant Tail

A pattern reluctantly given to me by a now deceased Blithfield member, it was like getting blood out of a stone to get him to share his wisdom. Good as a point especially when the fish are close to the banks.

Dressing:

Hook – Kamasan B175 s12
Thread - Black
Tail – Black Cock
Body – Black Pheasant Tail (two strands)
Rib – Silver Wire
Cheeks – Silver Holographic Tinsel
Beard Hackle – Black Hen (sparse)
Wing – Split Jungle Cock (silver)

Brown Buzzer

One for fishing static in some of the deeper bank spots at Blithfield.

Dressing:

Hook - Partridge K4A S12
Thread – Brown
Body – Semtex Lace
Thorax – Rust Brown Microbrite
Head – Orange Ostrich Herl

Monster Daddy

October in a really big wind and just let it sit there, or give it a pull and see them follow.

Dressing:

Hook - Kamasan B100 s10
Detached Body – Tan Foam
Rubber legs.
Wings – Cream Cock Hackle Tips
Thorax – Orange Micro Fritz
Hackle – Red Game Cock

Little Peach

A really old pattern I copied from a magazine about 25 years ago. Has got me out of trouble a few times on the rare occasions I fish a comp, top dropper on a sinking line and fish it on the hang.

Dressing:

Hook – Kamasan B175 s12/14
Thread - Red
Tail – Peach Marabou
Body – Pearl Tinsel
Rib – Red Wire
Hackle – Peach Hen

Ruth’s Spider

A pattern that an ex-girlfriend asked me to tie and name after her, another one that is good as top dropper

Dressing:

Hook – Kamasan B160 s14
Thread – Olive
Body – Olive Thread
Rib – Chartreuse Wire (small)
Thorax – Orange Thread
Hackle – Olive Partridge.

Pearly Diawl Bach

No1 pattern for the north lake at Blithfield when its blowing a hooligan and really sunny, stick it across the big slicks that come down the lake and just hang on as its pattern that they hit really hard

Dressing:

Hook – Fasna F200
Thread – Claret
Tail/Beard Cock Hackle
Body – Peacock Herl (sparse from eye)
Rib – Silver Wire
Cheeks – Opal Mirage.

 

Jim Kenny

"My biggest worry is that when I am dead and gone, my wife will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it!"