Gwilym Hughes

Dan G The only reason I asked the question was that 'Dace' like most fishes living in Rivers eat insects and its about choosing the right immitative pattern to match what they are feeding on, size, general shape, and colour, you are very right they are lightning fast and I have had limited success, good luck on your foray. Gwilym Hughes

Dan G I love fishing for all 'cyprinids' with flies and wonder why you ask, why should anyone want to fish for Dace with a fly ? Gwilym Hughes

Just for your information, Sunday 20th March 2005 was opening day at Tal y Llyn Lake and I had the pleasure of being there with the Welsh Ladies International Team. Easterly wind quite gusty at times but surprisingly warm. Top of the water sport on small 12 /14 dark traditional flies with 'Wild Brown Trout' in superb condition,catch and release was practiced (total catch 27 for 11 anglers, and one fish went approximately 5lb in weight....can't wait for the Olives and Mayflies on this wonderful shallow lake. Gwilym Hughes

Nathan, Where do you intend to fish for Brown Trout? just a reminder to check the'Closed Season' for this speices....they may be out till March the 3rd...something like that Gwilym Hughes

Snatcher, Interesting concept here...mmmmm....I'll give it a try, something like a small 'lobster', what colour do you want ? Gwilym Hughes

Quinny Is that the only line you have a problem with ? if so, try taking it off the reel (in a field)and attaching the reel to a post or something quite strong...walk away with the line until it is all unspooled and then attach the line to the post somehow...(Reel end)or get someone to hold the reel end of the line....stretch the line by holding the tip ,slowly applying the pressure , it should stretch about 18" or maybe a little more, and holding for 20 / 30 seconds....then releasing the pressure slowly until the line is slack...repeat another twice...applying and releasing the pressure slowly at each stretch...on the last one place the line on the ground and then reel in...allowing the line to come freely along the ground.... this may solve the problem. If not there may be a manufacturing problem with the line...seek help from the supplier. Gwilym Hughes

Quinny What make line are you using, some tend to have more memory than others, the problem may lie there. Gwilym Hughes

Mal, I use the cork from a wine bottle, cut and shaped to suit,sliced and then glued to a size 12 hook, with 3lb clear nylon I create the shape by almost segmenting it from the bend of the hook towards the hook eye, then I colour it to suit, they are great patterns fished dead drift on the ripple, and they float just sub surface. Gwilym Hughes

Gary, There is a great deal of materials , vices and kits out there and one can really get bogged down and overdo it especially as a beginner. The Lureflash Kit is value for money...considered going to the British Flyfair this coming weekend 6th 7th at Trentham Gardens, Stoke on Trent, you can spend the day watching numerous flytyers from around the world at their expertise...and pick up some fine tips, or what about the flydressers guild there are branches throughout the country that would be willing to help you... good luck anyway. Gwilym Hughes

I'm in agreement also that casting lessons is money well spent, basically after fishing for very many years....I took casting lessons and after the instructor had got rid of my bad habits..i learned how the rod worked and now I am STANIC and APGAI qualified in Salmon / Trout and other speices / Flydressing. If you decide to have a go at it take a look at www.gameanglinginstructors.co.uk and you will find all the qualified instructors listed there. Gwilym Hughes

Malcolm, That's a cracking Brownie ! it matters not where you caught it, what's important is..... you were fishing. Gwilym Hughes

Jeff, The bigger the hook, the easier it will be for you to get hold of it...but consider, catch and release, barbless hooks and does your fly match the hatch on the size of hook you are considering. Artery forceps or the 'Catchum Release' contraptions would be a better solution to the problem. Gwilym Hughes

Jeff, Yes I also have the same problem sometimes, for some reason they on some days take the fly really deep into the mouth. I use a a small forceps to remove the hook, keeping the fish in the water whilst doing so. If it is warm they also take some time to come round, but they do in the end Gwilym Hughes

Hi all, A small piece of 35mm film (Olive Coloured)cut to an irregular shape and glued onto a size 16 hook, greased up and floated down dead drift into the feeding area in harbours where there is some riffley water works (Sometimes)!! It represents the small pieces of algae breaking away from stones etc. Gwilym Hughes

Dunc, The knot should be on the core right by the plastic coating of the line, if it appears floppy, it will cause you no problems. Gwilym Hughes

Dunc, I like Greg strip the plastic coating off the end of the flyline and make my own loop either by whipping or with a simple overhand knot. I use 'Acetone' to do this. Place the end 2" of flyline into the bottle of Acetone and hold it there for about 1 minute, when you remove it from the bottle you will notice that the line has swelled up, between thumb nail and forefinger strip the plastic coating off, it should come off in one piece if you have soaked it long enough. The benefit of this is that it does away with the Braided loop altogether, thus allowing the line to slip through the rings on the rod easily if you are using a leader which is longer than the rod. You can attach your leader to this by either loop to loop or by a simple half blood knot.(Yorkshire Game Angling sell the Acetone) Gwilym Hughes

Peter, Your set up seems to be near right for the use of a 'sight bob' with three flies. What I use is immitative patterns, nothing bigger than a size 12 and as small as 22 , nymph patterns. The sight indicator that I use is infact a 'dry fly', say maximum size 12, slim thread body(Colour) Black, Red,Olive, Brown, Orange,(imitating a hatching insect) red antron pole, 1/2" long (fish don't seem to mind the colour) and a parachute hackle around the pole (colour to match the body) to make it byoyant, add some floatant to it, this is a fishing fly and I can also use it as an indication that something is at the nymph infront. I only use one nymph with this method and the leader can be anything up to 14 feet long or as short as a foot,from the Dry to the nymph. The dry is anything up to six feet away from the line, up to 14 ft depending on the depth the fish are feeding at. If the Dry is 14 foot away from the flyline then the fish are up in the water, and the distance from the dry to the nymph is shortened to a couple of feet, so that I can get a turnover in the casting .I reverse this if the fish are deeper. When I fish from the boat on the drift, I use Flurocarbon leader 6lb 8lb up to 20 feet long, again nymphs slim in build up to three tied at 5 feet intervals from the point back towards the floating flyline, cast these out infront of the boat and keep a straight line, no more than 20 yards, rod pointing down at the water, keep in touch by slowly figure of eighting just to keep contact, do not retreive them, fish take them on the drop or static and you will feel the line going tight or even a knocking just as if they were taking a worm. Greg, This is a legal method in competition. Two flies one 'dry' one 'nymph'. I suspect that it is one of the manufactured 'sight bobs' you are referring to when you liken it to float fishing, if yes, then that would not be allowed in competition....but my method would. Gwilym Hughes

Peter, What was your leader setup? Gwilym Hughes

dunc, Thats fishing!!! Gwilym Hughes

Dunc, You need for the fly taken on the point by the fish to slide the floating pattern under easily otherwise the fish will spit it out before you get a chance to tighten into it....if the fish are feeding on fry then i would agree on a floating fry. A bushy Sedge pattern might be better. I do use Gink myself also but sparingly. I sue in the main CDC patterns as a sight indicator. Good luck on Saturday. Gwilym Hughes

[ 22. July 2004, 06:08 PM: Message edited by: Gwilym Hughes ]

Yes that's Ok too...but when an insect hatches out of the water the head comes through first, by tying onto the hook bend the nymph and leader turnover in the casting action ensures that the Indicator pattern is sitting in the right fashion in the surface film...I would not be confident that the same would apply with the nylon leader coming off the hook eye. I have not had problems with the nylon sliding off the hook Gwilym Hughes [ 22. July 2004, 06:07 PM: Message edited by: Gwilym Hughes ]

Hi Greg, Fly fishing, two patterns one floating one sinking on the same cast....double whammy!! Gwilym Hughes

Hi, Pugs, I would suggest and Rod Rated for AFTM 8, a two piece 9'6" and a cheap large arbour reel with a decent Weight Forward Floating Line, some Storm Wild Eye Sandeels, size 6 hooks and poppers, this should get you set up...Tacklebargains... can supply these, if you let me know what your budget is then I can give you some advice. Gwilym Hughes

Dunc 85. I tie flies as Indicator Patterns for use on stillwater and on the rivers. Tie the leader through to the nymph onto the hook bend of the Indicator Pattern , I use about 50 cm, with a half blood knot and trim the surplus short, this works great and does not inhibit fish from taking the indicator pattern. Whe you get a fish at the nymph infront it immediately registers on the indicator....a double whammy!! Gwilym Hughes