2wheels1rod

Time To Start Digging - For Those Derwent Worms

You've probably not thought much about worms lately - not since you were about eight, digging for bait with a garden fork. From the forecast I've seen for this weekend (it is a bank holiday!), we are about to get a fair bit of water into our rivers & stillwaters. That's really what this email is about. Not a gimmick, not a new gadget - just a fly pattern (which I use myself throughout September and October) that answers a very specific, very real situation you'll likely find yourself in pretty soon.

Kendo Nagasaki - Whatever happened to him?

Easy ... Easy ... Easy It's time to deploy the Big Daddies, but how 'BIG' is big? If you're around my age (let's just say 55+) then I'm sure you can remember sitting around the TV on a Saturday lunchtime with the dulcet tones of Kent Walton ringing in your ears! These images and sounds came flooding back to me over the summer when our local history society had an exhibition showcasing some of the 'sporting' heritage of our local town (Scarborough) - that led me to think of the legendary bouts between Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks (and my personal favourite Kendo Nagasaki - whatever happened to him?).

The Brassie - The perfect 'summer nymph' from Nymphevolution

Stan's been on the tools again! Last month, I received this cool looking tin through the post: It was from good friend and French fly designer, Stan (of Ceramic Flies & Nymphèvolution fame). I opened the tin and read the accompanying note - it described some new nymphs he'd been working on - now he had found the perfect body wire material, he'd tied some up and sent them over for me to test - I love receiving packages like that!

Summer 'fishing' Strategies

Now that the summer is well and truly with us, I wanted to try and get us ready for the more challenging part of the season, namly 'August' & early September. This part of the season usually sees the fish quite languid, especially with the midday heat some of us are experiencing; however, there are some heavy showers on the way for most of us early next week! In this missive, I'm going to give you what is, hopefully, a good grounding on how to approach these conditions, and that is by using - smaller flies. Also, we have some superb 'small' flies, long leaders and a specialist fly rod, all ideal for your summer outings.

The SupaPupa (no, not the 8% DIPA)

Over the last couple of months I've seen a certain fly name crop up on various forums across the world - it's called a SupaPupa. It seems to be taking both the USA and Eastern Europe by storm. But, let's clear something up before we go any further. If you've Googled "SupaPupa" since my email last night, you've probably landed on an 8% Imperial DIPA - all mango, pineapple and citrus, dangerously drinkable, and (I can personally confirm, purely in the interests of research) it's pretty good:

It's a Saturday - Let's talk about a metal

Richard here. I want to talk to you about something a bit unusual for a fly fishing email, especially on a Saturday - a metal. But first, I'm hoping you can help me help ...

New Sedge/Caddis Selection for Aug-Sep

After recording my River Walk last weekend (thanks for all the positive comments), I popped home for something to eat. and then headed straight back out again, to a little further upstream of the filming location, to have a walk - this time with a 7'6" 3wt in hand.

Watch: The River Reveals Its Secrets - Join Me For A Walk

I'll be honest, low water levels aren't good news for fishing (and companies that sell fishing flies) - the fish get spooky, the pools thin out (along with our orders) and you have to think harder about even venturing out to fish in the first place. But, there's an upside that doesn't get talked about enough, and it's the reason I wanted to write to you today. When the river drops right down, it hands you something you can't get at any other time of the year.

"Chubby" flies - A sure thing this Summer

I need to tell you about a fly with a bit of a daft name, but it has a proper pedigree. "Chubby" isn't just a description - it's a whole style of fly. It originates from Utah, back in the 1990's, when a few anglers started stuffing foam onto hooks to imitate crickets, and it eventually mutated into the Chernobyl Ant.

Exceedingly Good French Fancies

It was from good friend, and unique fly designer, Stan (of Ceramic Flies & Nymphèvolution fame). I opened the package and read the accompanying note - it described some nymphs, which we'd originally had last year (which sold out within hours), he'd been working on an update to them and could never lay his hands on the right materials - now he had found the perfect material, he'd sent some samples over for me to test - I love receiving packages like that!

It's been a tad warm out there!

This can be very challenging for fishing - especially with low water levels and in some cases, where the water temperatures are too warm (generally above 19-degrees C), it's probably better to retire to the pub. And while you're in there you could have a read of our Summer Watercraft article - see the very end of this email - it may give you some ideas ... But, if you are located in some of the cooler parts of the UK (like us here on the North-East coast), then there's some great fishing to be had - especially in the late evenings (or early mornings).

The Balon Pupa - A Summer Special from Bosnia

July is always a bit of a strange month, especially here in our little corner of North Yorkshire. It sees a transition from the plentiful bounty of the May/June hatches to the more sparse pickings as the sun shines and the river levels drop, the smaller flies come out to play.

2wheels1rod

Time To Start Digging - For Those Derwent Worms

Kendo Nagasaki - Whatever happened to him?