Hi
i am Laurie and i live in Moira County Armagh Northern Ireland, been tying flies for over 35 years and i can honestly say i tie flies virtually every night.
I am lucky to be a member of A.P.G.A.I.(Ireland) as a fly dressing instructor which means i meet up with the best of the best instructors in Ireland

Hi,
I`m Rob, I’ll fish for pretty much anything using any and all kinds of technique’s.  My favorite’s have to be: Kayak fishing both on the fly and spinning for pike in Spain and Fly fishing for anything that takes on fresh or salt water.  I fly fish mostly in Austria’s Tirol river Lech or on still water in Spain.  I have been tying my own flies for a couple of years and although not very pretty I’ve had some good fish on them so that’s fine! It is my first Forum or Blog or whatever this is called and I look forward to giving any feedback or help I can, and hopefully recieve some good advice from others.

Hi,
  I live in Glasgow, and mostly fish the Scottish central belt for browns and rainbows. Also partial to the big fly rod and fish Tweed, Tay, Teith and Dee whenever my pockets can afford it. I’m lucky enough to have friends who live in Assynt, so there’s usually a september week in those parts too. Wishlist - to fish the Uists for sea trout and Orkney for browns. Plenty of helpful advice from a great forum - keep it going!

best
Bill

Hi all, I’m David Henderson, GAIC Instructor based in North Yorkshire (although originally from Aberdeenshire) and after an absence of some years have re-subscribed to FF&FT;.  Very impressed, especially with flytying articles and fishing advice.  Used to be Director of S&TA; Scotland, so very interested in Fishfarm debate - I used to call it banging my head off brick politicians!  Now fish mainly stillwaters, although am handily placed for the Dales rivers and still do a bit there.  Also have a go at the salmon now and then, having spent a couple of years as ghillie at Park, Aberdeenshire Dee.

Hi David,
Welcome back and I wish you much enjoyment in the magazine and on the Forum.
Fish farm debate?? In my opinion there’s no debate, they’re a blot on the lansdcape and a blight in the water, if they had to to operate in an upright, morally good and conscientious manner; keeping to the highest of standards and ensuring NO pollutants/phosphates/detritus/fecal matter/waste pellets etc entered the water; keeping the environment in its natural pristine condition; be honest, trustworthy and responsible and not overcrowd Salmon in the nets/pens, why it’d cost so much that they’d never make a profit and hopefully would go back to what they did before fish farming.
Hmm, maybe that’s the way to get rid of ‘em make em’ responsible and accountable and it’d be too much bother to be worth it! (I do get a bit upset about this mass degradation of our rivers and coastal waters!)

Now to another subject: a question for you David, if you were limited to three flies each for Salmon, Sea Trout and Brown Trout (assuming you were fishing the north west Highlands), what flies would you choose and prefere to never be without? A sort of ‘Desert Island’ Flies question. I have a vested interested in your answer - my holiday in Assynt at the end of next June!

Hi D’bug
My 3 flies would have to be: for sea trout, my version of a Stoat’s Tail (black tying thread body with pearl tinsel over, comes up a lovely green shade, ribbed silver wire, tied with a long wing as in model T Ford - any colour you like so long as it’s black; then probably for Salmon a Munro Killer; and for trout a Greenwell or similar olive representation.  I’d also include Shipmans buzzer for loch style; I reckon to catch most of my stillwater Browns on this each year.  Tying is from Grey Squirrel Tail, using white tips as breathers and then mixture of underfur and guard hair from the tail to dub the body.  No rib, I fish these static and floating so want as little weight as possible.

Sorry misread question - you want another 2 flies each per species, so seatrout would add Teal, Blue and Silver and probasbly Connemara Black or Blae and Black; Salmon would add Ally’s Shrimp and Sunray Shadow; Brown Trout add Kate McLaren to the Greenwell and the Shipmans.

hey im Gabriel and im 13. i fish on the Nadder in Tisbury nr Salisbury for brown trout, chub and grayling. It is a very snaggy spot. Any advice on fishing for spooky trout in a small snaggy river? Bye

Hi Gabriel,
I was very used as a youngster to losing terminal tackle on snags on my home river, and eventually came up with the idea of a sinker on a dropper on the leader length, with in those days a bit of cork attached between that and the bait to lift the hook a little clear of the bottom.  We normally fished worm, one for trout and about four big ones for salmon/seatrout and guaged the amount of float according to bait weight. I don’t know really if it affected catches, but it certainly saved on hooks, and lead was plentiful then - we used folded over little pieces of sheet lead which pulled off the dropper if it got snagged and we just crimped on another piece.  With all the floating substances you can get nowadays, it should be relatively easy to duplicate that.  It worked a bit like a ‘bouncing betty’ weight.

Thanks very much and also do you have any idea where i can get good quality zonkers and marabou lures as the brown trout love them on my river. thanks ounce again.

hi, I started fishing about 2 years ago after finding myself with a lot of time on my hands but limited mobility after a nasty motorbike accident. Started on a carp pool due to ease of access, with a feeder rod. Been working my way though the different methods as my mobility improves, even trying out pole fishing. Now i feel i would try fly fishing as I am mobile enough to rove a bit and i feel there is more sport in this method of fishing. I spotted this site on a search recently so thought i would try the magazine out.

I look forward to learning and improving with you guys

My name is Walter, I was born in Nürnberg / Germany in January 1971.
I’m living with my wife and my three Kids since August 2006 in Ireland.

I’m always looking for a challenge and like to create things by my own (I know sometimes it would be easier to go and buy those things).
I picked up the fly fishing in May 2007 and the fly tying in December 2007 and since then I can’t get enough of it.
I’m fishing the River Boyne around Trim Co. Meath / Ireland as a member of the club. Most time I’m out there for Brown Trout but I also got some nice Pike and Salmon. Salt-water fly fishing is also on my list but I’m still new to it.
I tied my first fly by using a self-made vice and using things I was able to find around the house.
I was studying plenty of websites and a few books to learn a lot about fly tying and I’m still learning.
January 2009 I found a very interesting article in FlyFishing & FlyTying about a special way to tie flies. There wasn’t enough information on it so I had to find a way to learn this. Finally I got some information on different websites around the world. Throwing them all together into the bowl I found my own way to tie those flies. This technique is based on the technique of the Italiens, Valter and Ennio de Santis, better known as FACOCCHI-BROTHERS.
It took me a while to develop those flies to fishable-flies. My first flies have been swimming head down and tail in the air. So I spend more hours in front of my tying bench. After 2 Years tying and trying these flies I got it right.
I have used those flies a few times on the river and got some nice Brown Trout on them.
So why should I keep this only for me. I want to give something back to the community and thought there are some fisherman/woman out there looking for something “new” and a little bit different.

Tight Lines
wolly
from Ireland

....“May the holes in your net be no larger than the fish in it. ~Irish Blessing~”

“ My biggest worry is that my wife (when I’m dead) will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.”