Flies

I'm not sure where or when Max Christensen came onto the scene but in any case he has left a worthwhile legacy in the Yeti. I have modified the original tie a little to suit my requirements by extending the tag to a tail and tying a Zonker strip along the top of the hook shank rather than just a…

At the 2003 Australian Fly Fishing Championships held at Mt. Beauty this was one of the few flies that produced more than one fish. It is a favourite fly at Lake Bullen Merri where it gets its name BM Special. Because of its history of success it is often regarded as a quintessential Rainbow trout…

Mudeyes are the nymphal stage of the Dragonfly. There are two families that are particularly important to freshwater fisher folk in Australia. The Couta Mudeye is of the Family Aeshnidae, genus Hemianax and is one of the most popular freshwater fish bait throughout Australia. The lava or nymph are…

My first fish on fly fell to the magic of a Woolly Bugger and many have gone the same way since then. With its origins in America where it appears to be tied, as a Leach imitation there is also an English version with bead chin eyes called a Dog Nobler. Whatever the name it's a very good fly. It's…

Developed in New Zealand to represent a small fish Matuka style flies were  originally tied with feathers from a kind of heron called a "bittern" or in the Maoris language "Matuka". They work well as a stripping fly in situations where bait fish may be on the menu and the most popular colours in…

It was the summer of 2000 that I first became involved on English style Loch Style fly fishing and slowly I accumulated an arsenal of techniques and flies. The Mallard & Claret was the first for me in this series. Whilst it has been tweaked at the edges a little this Mallard & Claret…

From what I can gather the original Wiggle Minnow was conceived by Mark Felty of Felty’s flies in Sydney. By varying the materials used, the colours and size I have accounted for trout, bream, flathead, mangrove jack and even barramundi on wiggle minnows. The recipe I have set out below is just one…

As the name implies these flies are built using a soft plastic lure body. I like to use 2" and 3" crescent tail type soft plastics as they tend to have a little more movement than some of the alternatives. For general prospecting or when targeting bream and whiting I use the 2" version and when I…

This is a shrimp or prawn imitation which I made up as an alternative to my Mud Prawn for competition fishing trout fishing. That's right trout fishing. I had been using small versions of my Mud Prawn for trout feeding on shrimp with considerable success and I wanted to carry that success into my…

In the last few years I have identified three flies that have elements of their ties that are similar. Depending on who ties them they can be almost the same or can be diverse as two Woolly Buggers tied by two different fly tiers. The three flies I refer to are of course the Flash Harry, the Dirty…

Large populations of dark olive Yabbies of the Cherax Genus have developed in both Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene. Many anglers suggest that the Yabby has been responsible for changing the feeding habits of trout in the lakes as the populations of Yabbies have increased. In fact in both Lake…

This fly has stood the test of time and has been on this web site since 2005. Over the last 10 or so years it has been my 'go to' fly when fishing to sighted fish or prospecting the shores of Lake Jindabyne particularly around our home village of Kalkite. The medium weight of the TMC 3769 hook is…

It tied this fly when last in New Zealand as a merger of a couple of flies to represent their small native fish called a Cockabully. I used it quite successfully fishing the seams in in fast rivers on a fast sink line and decided it add it to my fly box for future use. I am confident that with less…

There are over 100 different species of Damselflies in Australia and the lava which are usually slender with three terminal gills, that present as tails, form a significant part of a trout's diet. Their bodies have around 10 segments, they have 6 legs and they often have emerging wings. Most appear…

As many of you will be aware there is a Welsh fly called a "Green Peter". It was designed as a dry fly. In a crunch one day when I was fishing a slick and targeting fish that were taking just below the surface I included a Green Peter dry fly in my team with two English wee wets behind. There was…

It was the summer of 2000 that I first became involved on English style Loch Style fly fishing and slowly I accumulated an arsenal of techniques and flies. I really enjoy tying flies and so as I have seen various patterns I have tied them and tried them. Most have been discarded and just a few have…

It was the summer of 2000 that I first became involved on English style Loch Style fly fishing and slowly I accumulated an arsenal of techniques and flies. The Mallard & Claret was the first for me in this series. Whilst it has been tweaked at the edges a little this Mallard & Claret…

I was introduced to the Doobry a few years ago as a good middle dropper fly for loch style fishing in midge feeder waters. At about the same time I started using lime snatcher flies and red snatcher flies in similar applications. As time has passed I have settled on recipe for all three flies. …

There are plenty of "Blobs" around but many of them look very much as the name suggests – just a blob of fur and feather. This is a "blob with attitude" and because it actually looks like a fly I find it a little easier to tie on than its very basic second cousins. It has a place in my fly box…

An Alexandras was one of the first flies I purchased prior to becoming involved in fly tying. I purchased a box of 20 or so just because I liked them and had read about them somewhere. It was a while before I caught a fish on one but once I did I slowly developed an understanding of the flies form…

It was the summer of 2000 that I first became involved in English style Loch Style fly fishing and slowly I accumulated an arsenal of techniques and flies. The mallard and claret was the first for me in this series. Whilst it has been tweaked at the edges a little this mallard and claret pattern…

A variant of a old English wet fly this variant is in the same class as an Alexandra this fly as an attractor fly particularly when rainbows are the target. It is different to the original in that the dyed blue hackle has been replaced by blue barbells from the chest feathers of a male peacock and…

Most English wet flies of this type were originally tied as imitations of specific impoundment bait fish or to simply gain the interest of fish and illicit a strike. I have tweaked the original recipe by adding a thorax of claret seals fur. That breaks the harsh lines of the original tie and adds a…

This is a inexpensive fly to tie that works well on bream as a specific targeted species or as a second fly fished about a meter above a heavier fly such as a mud prawn or an estuary fly. Materials   Hook Thread Head Body Collar Gamakatsu SS15/T size #2-6. Clear mono Clear pearl bead Synthetic…

This British fly fly gets heaps of mentions in the UK magazines that I read. When it all boils down the "Cruncher" isn't that different to so many nymphs that you see but it does have a trigger point in the form of the front hackle and of course as you would expect it does catch fish. I tend to…

If you went back just a few years and you a asked an average fly fisher to name his for her favourite fly chances are it would be a Fuzzy Wuzzy. Originating in New Zealand in the 1930's this fly was first dressed in colours of black and red and was designed as an evening or night fly representing a…

Whilst this a  New Zealand design by Eric Craig probably in the early 70's this fly has been adopted by many Australian fly fishers as their favourite night time fly when the mudeye are hatching. Whilst the original version uses Pukeko feathers most in Australia use swamp hen breast feathers . ….

This fly has a number of particularly useful applications for Bass and Estuary Perch as well as trout. It main claim to fame is that particularly in discoloured or rough water the movement of the zonker strip and the inbuilt rattle are often enough to illicit a strike.  As a prospecting fly it can…

This is an old pattern and whilst it can be dressed in many different ways I prefer it dressed as described below which is similar to the original form with the exception of the tail which I prefer to be much finer than the original. I guess that makes it like a small Woolly Bugger. This fly works…

Whilst not of significance individually to fly fishers Daphnia are certainly a common and substantial food source for trout particularly rainbows. They are Crustaceans of the sub-order Cladocera (Water Fleas). Individually Daphnia are less than 0.5mm in size and colours range from pale green to…

In entomological terms a 'Bibio' is a March fly or St. Mark's fly both of which are true flies of the order Diptera. True Bibio larvae grow up in grassy areas and are herbivores and scavengers feeding on dead vegetation or living plant roots. They do not spend any part of their life cycle in the…

Leeches are invertebrates and belong to the family Annelida which is the same as worms. There are some 20 different genera of leeches distributed around Australia and many are available as food for trout and other fish. The general form is similar they have bodies that are not segmented and are…

Over the last few years some of the best fishing I have had has been polaroiding to wild brown trout in the relatively clear waters of Lake Jindabyne. I find my self spending more and more time engaged in this "hunting" like pursuit. The more time I have spent watching the behavior of fish when…

In the late 1880's a Bavarian immigrant to America tied a fly because worsening arthritis meant that he could no longer collect live minnows for bait. The fly was a Muddler Minnow and its variants are as relevant today as when it was first tied. Whilst the original and many of the variants continue…

The name of this fly is Welsh and literally means "little devil". Regarded by many as one of the best flies ever created this fly is a great tie on as trout take it for everything from midge pupa right through to nymphs and stick caddis. I normally fish smaller sizes as a midge pupa and from time…

The Tom Jones fly was first tied by John Lanchester for use on Victorian still waters. It has nothing at all to do with the welsh singer by the same name. The original was tied with fur wings and fur body whereas my variant is tied with fur wings but the body has been replaced with peacock herl,…

I am not sure of the source of this fly but I have had the recipe in my system for a long time and certainly before the onslaught of Google and internet searching. In the interest of full disclosure I decided to get some history on the fly and so searched 'patriot fly'. That search gave me hits on…

The 'Fiona' (Shrek's lady) as I have called this fly is a counter balance for the increasingly popular fly called a Shrek. It is in fact the same tie as the Shrek except that it incorporates different coloured materials. Both are basically Woolly Buggers by design and just as the emerald green is a…

This fly was out of left field as far as I was concerned and when I was first introduced to it I had no great expectation of it finding its way into my fly box. I was wrong. The bright tinsel body certainly stands out and rather than spooking fish as I expected it seems to trigger a response from…

A New Zealand fly tied with an overlaid wing and tied as an evening fly to imitate their freshwater crayfish known as Koura. The preferred fishing technique in New Zealand is to fish it slowly along the bottom. It certainly works well when fished that way in Australia but it has also found its way…

The original Invicta was created by eminent English fly tier and tackle dealer James Ogden in the 1870's. With just a few tweaks this fly is as relevant today as it was 140 odd years ago. This is a great attractor fly at times when yellow winged hoppers and other insects with yellow body parts are…

As many of you will be aware there is a Welsh fly called a "Green Peter". It was designed as a dry fly but is also a great Loch Style  bob or middle dropper fly. I tie a version with legs and without legs. Sometimes the legs are just the trigger you need to elicit a strike regardless of if your…

Properly described as Sloan's sunset fly after the designer this is a fly that I generally reserve for dawn and dusk fishing of Rainbow Trout waters. I use it as an effective middle fly in those situations generally with something much more sombre on the point and bob. I am confident that my tie is…

Seldom, at least in my case, fished alone this fly is a great top dropper or bob fly when lock style fly fishing. I particularly find it useful when yellow winged hoppers or other insects with yellow parts are on the trouts menu. It looks nothing like a hopper of course but I think the little bit…

I think that the Zulu tied with a black hackled body and a red tag has origins that go back to circa 1600 England. Not only a great dry fly but also a fantastic top dropper fly for loch style fly fishing. The original features a wool tail and probably a wool body with both the body hackle and front…

Seldom, at least in my case, fished alone this fly is a great top dropper or bob fly when lock style fly fishing. I particularly find the yellow version useful when yellow winged hoppers or other insects with yellow parts are on the trout's menu. At other times pink is a great trigger colour and…

This wonderfully named fly came to light in Australia when John Horsey published an article about the 2008 Fly Fishing Championships that he came fourth in just a few months earlier. He went onto say 'I switched to a slime line and put a Black Straggle Fritz Taddy on the point, kept the Damsel on…

One of the best search flies in slow moving or still deeper water using a sinking line. If fishing from a fixed position cast it out, let the line sink to the desired depth, and then retrieve the line using a constant stripping motion, a pumping retrieve or a combination of both. The stripping…

Conceptually these are a very simple fly but when tied with the right materials and in the right density they are a great all round fly. You can use them as a stream fly or for polaroiding or prospecting but in my opinion they are at their best when used as an attractor fly in a team of loch style…

Crane flies are of the family Tipulidae and of the Order of Diptera or true flies and are the largest family of flies in Australia with some 800 species. An alternative name particularly in the United Kingdom is 'daddy long legs' but of course they should not be confused with the wispy spider often…

Large populations of dark olive Yabbies of the Cherax Genus have developed in both Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene and many other places. Many anglers suggest that the Yabby has been responsible for changing the feeding habits of trout in the lakes as the populations of Yabbies have increased. In…

The Zulu tied with a black hackle body and a black tail has origins that go back to circa 1600 England. This fly deviates from the standard a little and has a white under-tail of antron tied in to represents a trailing shuck, seals fur dubbing and a soft hackle at the front so if it is used as a…

Well this fly is really interesting. I have had this recipe in my fly archive since around 2000. I have certainly seen it in a fly fishing magazine in the last few years and of course I have looked for that and have searched the web but can't find any reference to this fly any where. I have the…

Crane flies are of the family Tipulidae and of the Order of Diptera or true flies and are the largest family of flies in Australia with some 800 species. An alternative name particularly in the United Kingdom is 'daddy long legs' but of course they should not be confused with the wispy spider often…

This is a cross between an English claret hopper and a daddy long legs fly and it fills a gap in my fly box for a buggy looking search pattern when there are a few terrestrials about but no clear consistency of species. Crane flies are of the family Tipulidae and of the Order of Diptera or true…

The flooding of new ground and vegetation seems to single to frogs that its time to lay their eggs. Then 10 to 15 days later assuming the water is warm enough and hasn't dropped killing the eggs you can expect a hatch of tadpoles. These tadpoles are a favourite food of trout and you will often find…

This is a good alternative to the zonker rattler particularly for estuary species. It lends itself to fishing on a fast sink line and a jerky active retrieve with plenty of stops. It's also a good idea to count the fly down so that you can identify what depth fish are holding at. Materials Hook…

One of my favour early season still water flies this fly is dressed with a skit around a marabou tail. It is very adaptable and is a great way of tying tails of two colours of marabou or just adding a hot spot at the base of the tail which fish find very attractive. The skirt can be made of several…

In recent years I have found that other than the traditional woolly bugger of around 50 mm in length there is also a demand for very small woolly buggers. In fact I would go as far as to say that in most of the fisheries that I haunt 'mini woolly buggers' of from 25 mm to 30 mm in length are often…

My first fish on fly fell to the magic of a Woolly Bugger and many have gone the same way since then. With its origins in America where it appears to be tied, as a Leach imitation there is also an English version with bead chin eyes called a Dog Nobler. Whatever the name it's a very good fly. The…

My first fish on fly fell to the magic of a Woolly Bugger and many have gone the same way since then. The woolly bugger has its origins in America where it appears to be tied, as a leach imitation but there is also an English version with bead chin eyes called a Dog Nobler. Whatever the name it's a…

My first fish on fly fell to the magic of a Woolly Bugger and many have gone the same way since then. With its origins in America where it appears to be tied, as a Leach imitation there is also an English version with bead chin eyes called a Dog Nobler. Whatever the name it’s a very good fly. Its…

This fly is accredited as being the first Australian designed and made fly and whilst the originator is not known with certainty there is highly persuasive evidence that suggests that it was conceived around 1896 as a grass hopper imitation for targeting fish on the Bredbo river just outside of…

The Bredbo fly is accredited as being the first Australian designed and made fly and whilst the originator is not known with certainty there is highly persuasive evidence that suggests that it was conceived around 1896 as a grass hopper imitation for targeting fish on the Bredbo river just outside…

This is a variant of a variant and starts its journey with the oldest of true Australian trout flies the Bredbo which was designed around 1896 as a drowned hopper. Two hundred odd years later I tied a Bredbo MK1 variant which incorporated the materials from the Bredbo configured in much the same…

The Dunkeld is certainly one of my top 2 or 3 middle dropper flies for lock style fly fishing. Until mid 2012 I was using a version of the Dunkeld that had a hackle Palmered along the body as in the original. At that time I was experimenting with "fuzzeled" bodies an an alternative to bodies with a…

Another old fly this little beauty has its origins on the salmon and trout streams of Ireland probably around the 1820's. Its alternative name of  'hares ear and red' gives away its ancestry. Early versions of the fly presented were no more than a gold ribbed hares ear with a woodcock type wing…

In entomological terms a 'Bibio' is a March fly or St. Mark's fly both of which are true flies of the order Diptera. True Bibio larvae grow up in grassy areas and are herbivores and scavengers feeding on dead vegetation or living plant roots. They do not spend any part of their life cycle in the…

This fly is similar to a Craig's nightime but in my view has a wider day time application. The Craig's is highly respected as a night time fly when mudeyes are around whereas this fly works well in that situation but also more than holds its own during daylight hours during when either mudeyes or…

The name of this fly is Welsh and literally means "little devil". Regarded by many as one of the best flies ever created this fly is a great tie on as trout take it for everything from midge pupa right through to nymphs and stick caddis. I normally fish smaller sizes as a midge pupa and from time…

I have fond memories of this fly from my early days of fly fishing. One of my favourite destinations was 'Frying Pan' which is the closest lake Eucumbene destination to Cooma where the TC was designed by Cooma resident Frank Tarlington. On one of those memorable trips to 'Frying Pan' I was…

My bag fly is based on the Tom Jones flies and is suggestive of a number of items that find themselves on the trout's menu from time to time. They vary from the original Tom Jones flies in the materials used and the inclusion of an under-tail and beard. They are a good buggy looking fly. In…

My standard Yeti variant is a very successful fly but every now and again you need something a bit mor flashy. This fly fills that gap in my fly box. In smaller sizes I prefer my Bag Fly or my Tom Jones. Materials Hook Thread Weight Under tail Over tail Body Rib Wing Eyes Beard Tiemco 3769 #8 or…

It was the summer of 2000 that I first became involved on English style Loch Style fly fishing and slowly I accumulated an arsenal of techniques and flies. The Mallard & Claret was the first for me in this series. Whilst it has been tweaked at the edges a little this Mallard & Claret…

The cormorant fly is a popular loch fly and particularly in rainbow trout waters. The original tie has a peacock herl body with silver rib, no tag or tail and no lateral flash so this competition version has a few more trigger points. It can be tied with a brass or glass bead head and the colour of…

I was ripping the black tailed version of this fly through the chop with some success when my boat partner asked what fly is that 'silver surfer'. I explained to him that it was just a woolly bugger variant tied with a black tail and silver UV straggle fritz. I tried to give it a real name such as…

The Cormorant was popularised by Graham Pearson who was a boatman in one of the English youth internationals. As the story goes it was one of those competition days when the fishing was tough and very few anglers boated fish. One of Pearsons angler bucked the trend and landed three fish using a…

The BMS is a favourite fly at Lake Bullen Merri where it gets its name BM Special. Because of its history of success it is often regarded as a quintessential Rainbow trout fly by many Victorian fly fishers. This variant is tied with round tinsel which doubles up as a dubbing loop. In smaller sizes…

There are many versions of the cormorant fly and certainly too many to carry them all. This is my favourite attractor version of a cormorant for loch style fishing in waters where trout are switched onto black flies. It has moved away from the original tie with the addition of a floss tag and with…

This fly has stood the test of time being designed in the 1930's as a cased caddis imitation in the Catskills by Cliff Zug. It continues to be relevant today on any water where caddis are relevant. It is equally at home in rivers and lakes. It's no surprise that the body is peacock herl a material…

There are over 100 different species of Damselflies in Australia and the lava which are usually slender with three terminal gills, that present as tails, form a significant part of a trout's diet. Their bodies have around 10 segments, they have 6 legs and they often have emerging wings. Most appear…

This fly has stood the test of time being designed in the 1930's as a cased caddis imitation in the Catskills by Cliff Zug. It continues to be relevant today on any water where caddis are on the menu. It is equally at home in rivers and lakes. It's no surprise that the body is peacock herl a…

One of the first loch flies I was introduced was a mallard and claret tied in a traditional way with a pair of feather slip wings. I thought it was the bees knees as a bob fly and used it any time when mayflies were around. Over time I modified the tie until I reached the variation below. For me…

One of the first wet flies tied was the coachman and that consisted of just a black body and a set of white hackle slip wings. Over time flies have evolved and one path the coachman took was the substitution of a "royal" body for the simple black body. Many versions have been tied since and this is…

Large populations of dark olive Yabbies of the Cherax Genus have developed in both Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene and many other places. Many anglers suggest that the Yabby has been responsible for changing the feeding habits of trout in the lakes as the populations of Yabbies have increased. In…

This combination of my Bibio variant and Peter Walsh's tiger midge. Fish it in the same way as you would fish a bibio … often it will come up trumps. Materials   Hook Thread Weight Ribbing Body Thorax Hackle Knaped grub hook in size #14 Black Just the ribbing wire 6 wraps of medium 10 gr #30…

When a seriously flashy fly is needed because of visibility or you just need a fly to excite fish this fly may save the day. Materials   Hook Thread Rib Body Wing Head Tiemco 3769 Black Holographic tinsel UV dubbing Flashabou, Hends hair, sparkle flash or similar Thread Process   A Wind…

Cormorant flies have plenty of movement generated through the wispy marabou wing that extends the full length of the fly and has, as a hot spot, a very visible chartreuse tag. That tag is perhaps the key to the success of this fly as an attractor as it solicits plenty of reaction takes. I don't…

Even though I am not sure that I have seen any orange naturals that trout aggressively target they do readily take this fly in a range of conditions in both lakes and rivers. Tied with natural seals fur it is a fly that sits well on the water and easily sheds water with a snappy false cast. Easy to…

My first fish on fly fell to the magic of a Woolly Bugger and many have gone the same way since then. With its origins in America where it appears to be tied, as a Leach imitation there is also an English version with bead chain eyes called a Dog Nobler. Whatever the name it's a very good fly. It's…

Based on the design of the carrot fly this version is particularly appealing to fish feeding on emerging Mayfly in Tasmania's central and western lake. Materials Hook Thread Body Hackle Hanak H300BL #12 Danville's orange 70 denier Orange seals fur Brown cock hackle Process   A Wind the thread…

I was ripping the black tailed version of this fly through the chop with some success when my boat partner asked what fly is that 'silver surfer'. I explained to him that it was just a woolly bugger variant tied with a black tail and silver UV straggle fritz. I tried to give it a real name such as…

I first used this fly in Canada in 2016 at the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships. Tied by Josh Flowers from Tasmania I doubt that a session on the lakes passed without every team member tying this fly on their version of this fly on for at lease some of the time. I have since learned that it’s…

This fly is my take on one of the flies that have been referred to me as being productive flies for use in Northern Ireland lakes that I will be fishing in the 2018 Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships. Because of the lack of body dressing and the epoxy body this fly sinks quickly and the mirage…

I designed this fly in 2002 and when the yabbies are on the move it's one of my go to flies. My original notes on this fly are set out below. "In lakes like Jindabyne and Eucumbene you seldom catch a trout with a full stomach when the contents doesn’t include yabbies. Over the years I have…

When Chironomids are around they tend to be around in large numbers and trout become quickly switched on and gorge on them. There are number of techniques to target chironomid feeders and one of my favourite is to fish three chironomid imitations with the heaviest on the point with a long leader on…

Squirmy wormy flies hit the market in 2014 with gusto. They were described as the new wonder fly. For my part I have to say that despite their emerging reputation I thought it just a fad and didn't embrace them. Over time they have endured and their reputation of, on the day, being an exceptional…

Any time there are caddis on the wing this fly is worth a swim in the middle position of a team of three loch flies. One of the most important things to remember when tying this fly is not to overdress it … make sure you can see a gap between the two wings even when the rabbit fur is dry and…

This fly is somewhat of a fusion of a traditional caddis pupa emerger and a squirmy wormy and it has earned a place in my fly box as a great middle or top dropper fly for both a loch style team and a river team. It is certainly worth tying on in the early stages of a caddis hatch as the pupas are…

Flies that represent spiders and beetles are very buggy and suggestive flies. Weather being used as a polaroiding fly, a static wet, one of the flies in a team of loch style flies, or a fly to cover rising fish spider type soft hackle flies may be taken as a snail, submerged beetle, drowned…