How to tie the Mrs Simpson Fly
One of the most popular lake flies used in Australia and New Zealand. It originated in New Zealand to imitate baitfish being chased by Trout in the New Zealand Lakes. There are quite a few feathers used in this particular style of tying, but the resulting silhouette created when retrieved through the water makes it worth the effort. The feathers are off a ring neck pheasant and they have a very buggy looking pattern on them. The pattern and colour on the feathers can vary slightly. So you can vary your flies accordingly...
Read MoreNice little Rainbow Trout caught on the Black Skin Nymph at Dean Reservoir, Ballarat/Daylesford.
On the 31 of May I decided to have a go at a lovely little lake called Dean Reservoir near Daylesford in North East Victoria Australia. It was the last day of Autumn and it was pretty chilly but it was sunny enough with a slight breeze. I got there about 1.00 pm it was the first time I had been there and I found it quite quaint and very picturesque and even though it is a man made water supply it looked actually like a natural creation because of the high water mark reaching out into the natural vegetation. I set up my fly...
Read MoreHow to Tie the Appetiser Fly
On the 10th April I went Fly Fishing up the Mitta Mitta Valley in North East Victoria. I went to Lake Banimboola a favorite spot of mine which is just below Dartmouth Dam. I was there at the crack of dawn, it was a still but crispy cold morning with continual waves of fog coming in over the lake. As I looked down on the lake I could see a congregation of rings and the odd fin poking out of the water’s surface . I watched what was going on for about ten minutes and it was all happening in one small section of the lake...
Read MoreHow to Tie the Seals Fur Woolly Bugger
Yes the famous Woolly Bugger, I don’t know who and when this fly was invented but no doubt there are probably plenty of fly tiers around the world wishing to stake that claim, if you know the answer please don’t hesitate to put me straight. A lot of fly tiers spend the majority of their fly tying time exacting an almost identical representation of what they are trying to present to the fish be it a mayfly, nymph, baitfish, etc, on a lot of occasions almost too exacting. The ironic twist with the Woolly Bugger...
Read MoreThe Craigs Night – Time and how to tie it.
The Craigs Night – Time Fly originated in New Zealand roughly eighty years ago by a Mr Eric Craig. He discovered the quality of the blue breast feather on the native Pukeko bird which is used to make this fly. The fly was used on Lake Taupo usually around river mouths. It came into it’s own as a searching pattern at night giving an excellent silhouette due to the Pukeko feathers laying flat on top of the fly. The success of this Fly has by know means been resticted to Lake Taupo, it’s a go to fly for most...
Read MoreFly Fishing Lake Banimboola Saves the Day
Having fished the river during the day without success I was feeling pretty lousy. It was about four in the afternoon and not even one hit on the fly and I had been flogging it since six in the morning. All sorts of doubts were running through my mind. Am I a competent fly fisherman ? What have I been doing wrong ? Should I have persisted with nymphs instead of streamers ? Maybe I should have gone to the Kiewa River ? “Is there any fish in this bloody river ?” Were my testicles in the right position through...
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