Bosnian Danica's - Direct from our man on the ground!

Morning,

It's that time of year again. We've received a parcel from 'Our Man In Bosnia', and it contains only 2 patterns - both are perfect for this time of year!

To give you a little background - we always ask him to surprise us for our May offering - and he's done the business once again:

Please Note: We are limiting the amount of these you can buy (a maximum of 2 packs per customer) - as they will be really popular and we don't want anyone to miss out (see below).

TL;DR - Too Long; Didn't Read

I know that some of you are pressed for time and save our emails to read later in the day, by this time our selections are sometimes sold out (I get lots of emails from customers pointing this out to me).

I've put this section at the beginning, so you can grab your Bosnian flies now - and save reading my musings for later, safe in the knowledge that you have already secured your flies.

This email is all about the Bosnian Kapok Danica & Indicator Pheasant Tail Dry fly. Both of these patterns are perfect for this tim eof year and are tied using the very best quality materials and both on AHREX hooks - the best hooks there are.

We are only making these patterns available in Packs of 5 (for £15) - and restricting them to a maximum of 2 packs per pattern per person (these will be very popular, so we want to make sure everyone has a chance to fish with them)!

*** Fill your boots - but remember to leave some for others! ***

Our first pattern is:

The Kapok Danica

On my local small stream (The Yorkshire Derwent), it's been strange fishing of late, especially with the recent wetter weather and variable water levels we are seeing here in North Yorkshire. I've seen Mayfly hatching (and doing their evening dance), but not seen the fish really locked onto them just yet - it can only be a matter of time - especially with the warm weather we can look forward to this weekend!

I received these Mayfly patterns from 'our man in Bosnia' last Friday and took them out for a spin over the weekend, and even though I didn't see a fish take a real Mayfly, they took one of Kenan's imitations - the Kapok Danica to be exact - those really do defy gravity in the way they present on the water:

The materials used for this fly are:

⁠Thread: White Semperfli Nano Silk 10D
Tail: Coq de Leon
Dubbing: Semperfli Kapok (Danica) ⁠
Wings: Premium Partridge Hackle
Hook: Ahrex FW503 size 12 barbless

Kapok is one of the most interesting and relatively new materials on the market, especially in the Danica shade. It is extremely soft and gives the fly a very natural colour and appearance, closely matching the real Danica mayfly.

What makes Kapok so special is its natural buoyancy. Unlike many other materials, it does not absorb water, which helps the fly stay afloat without the need to tie it with any additional floating materials or use excessive floatant.

The wings are made from first-class Partridge feathers and split into a V-shape to imitate the natural posture of the Danica mayfly as accurately as possible.

We are supplying these Bosnian Kapok Danica's only in Packs of 5 for £15.00 - I know that at £3 each, these are some of the more expensive flies we sell, but the quality is truly exceptional.

If you would like a pack (or two), you will need to be quick off the mark!

The Danica Pause

When a trout rises to a fly the size of a danica, the take is rarely the slashing, opportunistic grab you see on a sedge or a small dry in broken water. These fish have been watching the hatch, they know exactly what they're looking at, and when they decide to commit, they usually do it with confidence. The problem is that a big, visible fly provokes a big, visible rise - and that explosion of water triggers something deep in every angler's nervous system that screams strike now. So you do. And you pull the fly clean out of its mouth before the fish has closed on it.

The fix is simple to describe and genuinely difficult to execute: watch the fly, not the fish. Wait until the pattern disappears from the surface - not when the nose appears, not when the water bulges, but when the fly is actually gone. Then lift into it. On a large dun like the Mayfly, that pause can feel almost physically painful, especially when you can see the size of the fish. But that moment is the difference between a hook-up and a horror story. Do it once successfully, and it rewires you.

Our second pattern is:

The Indicator Pheasant Tail Dry

Late Spring waters are perfect for large flies and imitations of various insects that emerge on the surface - Olives, Mayflies, Caddis flies and many others. The best material for imitating most insects is pheasant tail. Our choice of pattern this month is the Indicator Pheasant Tail Dry fly tied on a size 12 AHREX FW503.

This fly is not an imitation of a specific insect, more a general representation of a number of them. Try one of these when all else fails!

The tail is made from Coq de León fibres, while the body is naturally crafted from pheasant tail and ribbed with copper wire. For the wings, we've used natural-colored CdC, one of the best and most realistic materials for imitating insect wings.

What is especially important to highlight - and what will help the older anglers among us - is the indicator placed between the V-shaped wings. It allows the fly to remain visible even in the darkest spots on the water, thanks to the fluorescent green Poly Yarn indicator.

We are supplying these Bosnian Indicator Pheasant Tail Dries only in Packs of 5 for £15.00 - I know that at £3 each, these are some of the more expensive flies we sell, but the quality is truly exceptional.

If you would like a pack (or two), you will need to be quick off the mark!