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OF FLY TYING AND FLY FISHING TERMS   See also: A TO Z OF FLY TYING SKILLS ABDOMEN. Rear most of the three body divisions of an insect. ADIPOSE EYELID: an immovable transparent outer covering or partial covering of the eye of some groups of bony fishes, such as mullets and trevallies. AMADO. A…

I was introduced to spider fishing a couple of years ago and had the opportunity in 2010 of tweaking my spider fishing skills when I fished the Eden river just outside Penrith where I was born. Fishing spiders or particularly swinging spiders has always worked well for me, I guess its in the blood….

Outside the competition scene there are no rules about adding floating or sinking devices to leaders or fly lines as visible indicators for use when nymphing rivers. Consequently all sorts of floating indicators in the form of bits of foam, plastic, wool etc. are added to nymphing fly lines or…

If your heading off on a fishing trip the gotcha fly in a few colour combinations and a couple of sizes should definitely be included in you fly box. Whilst preparing for a trip to Aitutaki I came across a video of Etu tying a fly like this for Paul Worsteling from the Tackle World franchise ……

I use this method of tying an FG knot when setting up rigs for big fish using outfits that typically have 30lb Suffix 832 braid that I connect to quite hard Suffix F100 fluorocarbon. Since I perfected this tie of the FG knot I have not suffered a failure of the knot and it has accounted for heaps…

Whilst a lot of the things we seek to imitate with flies don't in fact have tails we still tie what are commonly referred to as tails into most of our flies. I am a firm believer that in some flies realistic eyes are a trigger that elicits a response from fish. There are many ways of adding eyes to…

The red tag is as relevant today as when it was first invented some 140 years ago. It is perhaps the quintessential beetle imitation and is popular worldwide. Materials Hook Thread Tag Body Hackle Size 12 – 16 Black silk Red wool Peacock herl Greenwell hackle Process   A Wind the thread in…

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…

This fly is one of a series of 4 woolly bugger flies that I tie specifically for river fishing. They sinks well and the jig hook encourages the fly to bounce along the bottom hook point up which of course mitigates getting snagged up. Most jig hooks are suitable for this fly but my preferences are…

You will probably be aware that most fly lines now come with formed loops at the business end. Unfortunately those loop knots don't always last for the life of the fly line so with that in mind have developed this nail loop knot as a replacement. A Nail knot tool and prepared fly line. B Take…

  Quicklinks   For a long time I resisted having any Z man soft plastics in my barramundi soft plastic arsenal because of the damage they did to other types of lures. Because thay have some fantastic soft plastics I have now come to grips with that and have finally got used to keeping…

  Quicklinks   Plastisol is a high quality liquid soft plastic that is Phthalate free and is the common base material for most soft plastic lures. Lures made of this material should not be stored with lures based on Elastec material such as Zman lures or lures made of TPE materials such…

  Quicklinks   Plastisol is a high quality liquid soft plastic that is Phthalate free and is the common base material for most soft plastic lures. Lures made of this material should not be stored with lures based on Elastec material such as Zman lures or lures made of TPE materials such…

  Quicklinks   My #10 weight fly box for temperate & tropical destinations »

  Quicklinks   There are times when the right bait for barra is a hard bodied lure. Selecting the right style and swimming depth of hard bodied lure is definatley one of the keys to that process. You can do things with hard bodied lures that you can’t do with any of the soft plastics…

For the sake of convenience I have broken my fly suggestions up into 5 distinct sections. I have put those sections in the order in which I methodically go through as I determine what fly or flies to tie on. MATCHING THE HATCH WITH DRY FLIES It's hard to beat the exhilaration that comes with…

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…

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…

AKA: Tag tails The procedures for tying in tag tails for both dry and wet flies  for a right handed fly tier are detailed below. If you are left handed please remember to switch the instructions around. Tag tails are used on both dry flies and wet flies very successfully. Whilst they may look…

This is a popular rubber tailed Gotcha type fly designed by Christopher Hall, an Aitutaki regular for targeting big bonefish. Materials Hook Threads Bead Tag Body Beard Legs Wing 3X strong Gamakatsu SL11-3h Uni big fly thread throughout except for 3/0 Olive for the whip finish Double pupil orange…

Just behind poor fishing technique and inept netting technique the most prolific reason for fish being lost is a problem with a knot. There are more knots than you can poke a stick at that can be used in fly fishing and over time you will settle on a few that you tie well and have confidence in….

To enjoy and be successful in the task of catching big fish on fly a good starting point is to have the right back up gear, fly fishing gear and tools on hand. So here is my "check list" of the items I think you need on hand when targeting big fish on fly.     GRAB BAG: as set out in this…

AKA: Trout fly proportions. One of the biggest problems with tying a "good looking" and "good fishing" fly is getting the proportions correct.  All to often flies are designed or tied for fisher folk not fish. When you look at a fly think about what the fish sees and what the various components of…

I reserve my dry fly selection for flies that are fished on the surface of the water and either represent the dun or spinner of a an insect that spends part of its life cycle in the water such as a Mayfly, Caddis fly, Midge, Dobsonfly, Cranefly etc. or they represent terrestrial insects that have…

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…

Beetles are of the order Coleoptera and there are over 28,000 species found in Australia. Terrestrial beetles Many different types of beetles are fond in the vegetation throughout Australia. There are those that live in forests, other that live in pastures and yet others peculiar to tussock ridden…

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…

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…

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…

See also: Getting started – wet trout flies Getting started – salt water flies Getting started – bass and native fish flies Getting started – the gear There are only really two types of flies dry flies and wet flies. A dry fly is any fly that is designed to be fished on or in the surface film of…

This fly is one of a series of 4 woolly bugger flies that I tie specifically for river fishing and if I only had one woolly bugger in my river fishing fly box this would be the one. Most jig hooks are suitable for this fly but my preferences are Hanak, Fulling Mills and Knapek. I generally tie my…

On 27 October 2017 at 20:10, Tim wrote: Hi, I was watching a fly fishing show of the Willow Grub being used in NZ waters. Any idea of the success rate if used in the Snowies around Thredbo area? Regards, Tim     Reply: Chatto 28 October 2017 at 06:41 HI Tim, I can remember going through a…

My first fish on fly fell to the magic of a Woolly Bugger and many have gone the same way since then. My understanding is that the Woolly Bugger has its origins in America where it appears to be tied, as a leach imitation. having said that there is also an English fly with bead chin eyes called a…

This is a set up I use when I am fishing big paddle tail soft plastics in the dark or in discolored water. By big soft plastics I am talking about baits like my 20cm swimbaits or 18cm Castaic Jerky J Swimmers.   In the dark or in discolored water, I prefer to fish my big soft on a single hook…

Theory: Optional but great background. Spend (10 to 15 minutes) on [example Link="p=2750" Title="Trout fly proportions"] A-Z of fly tying skills: A great fly tying resource at your finger tips. Step by step instructions on most of the major fly tying skills. It's as easy as a b c . [member…

I tie a few hair winged duns but don't tie them as representations of any particular Dun or Spinner (imago) stage of any specific insect. They are however good “buggy” flies and are readily accepted by trout. Also because of the white calf tail wings there easy to see as light fades or in fast…

(Alternative spelling of name = ‘Coch –Y –Bondhu’) The Cock-Y-Bonddu is a Welsh beetle pattern which is equally at home on Australian trout waters. The original was tied with flat silver tinsel wound around the hook shank  just behind the body. This little bit of flash isn't intended to represent a…

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…

There is so much written about how to set up your leaders when trout fishing that if you try to follow it all, particularly if your a newcomer to fly fishing, you can be forgiven if your a little confused. When it all boils down it doesn't have to be as complicated as it's made out to be. I have…

Just behind poor fishing technique and inept netting technique the most prolific reason for fish being lost is a problem with a knot. There are more knots than you can poke a stick at that can be used in fly fishing and over time you will settle on a few that you tie well and have confidence in….

Just behind poor fishing technique and inept netting technique the most prolific reason for fish being lost is a problem with a knot. There are more knots than you can poke a stick at that can be used in fly fishing and over time you will settle on a few that you tie well and have confidence in….

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 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…

Because of their high protein count and high nutritional return trout will eat most small fish and tadpoles including their own young if given half a chance. Listed below as some of the small fish like creatures that trout eat as well as just a few suggested imitations.

This fly is one of a series of 4 woolly bugger flies that I tie specifically for river fishing. They sinks well and the jig hook encourages the fly to bounce along the bottom hook point up which of course mitigates getting snagged up. Most jig hooks are suitable for this fly but my preferences are…

This fly is one of a series of four woolly bugger flies that I tie specifically for river fishing. They sinks well and the jig hook encourages the fly to bounce along the bottom hook point up which of course mitigates getting snagged up. Most jig hooks are suitable for this fly but my preferences…

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 is so much written about how to set up your leaders when trout fishing that if you try to follow it all, particularly if your a newcomer to fly fishing, you can be forgiven if your a little confused. When it all boils down it doesn't have to be as complicated as it's made out to be. I have…

Please read this article in conjunction with the companion article: [member Link="p=6028" Title="Fly fishing tips"] "French leader" or often called "leader to hand" came to my attention in 2009 through the competition sports fly fishing scene. At that stage I was President of Fly Fish Australia and…

=NSW=Located in that part of New South Wales that is still referred to by some as “old town country”. By virtue of how it is accessed the lake is virtually split into three areas of public access. The only access point I have used, and consequently the focus of this post is via Burrendong State…

Large populations of red claw crayfish of the genus Cherax Quadricarinatus are native to Tropical Queensland and have been farmed as a food source and for stocking purposes very successfully for a number of years. There preferred habitat is still water impoundments but they also fare well in slow…

==Located near Imbil south of Gympie Borumba Dam is unique in that it offers both great Bass and Saratoga fly fishing. The layout of the lake is interesting in itself and basically forms a cross. On the north east axis you have the dam wall and main lake and opposite that you have the Yabba Creek…

There are a number of pupa that are very small yet still very important protein sources on the trouts menu. These include the pupa of midges i.e. Chironomids and of course pupa of what is often called 'anglers cure' or 'smut flies' but really are the emerging nymph of the Caenis Mayflies.  In any…

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…

The word nymph has of course two fly fishing meanings. The first is "Juvenile, sexually immature stage of certain insects, usually similar to the adult in form, and which require an intermediate stage before becoming an adult. Mayflies, Caddis flies, Dragonflies, Damselflies, Stone flies and Midges…

The family Chironomidae are part of the “True Fly” or Diptera order and included non-biting Midges such as those that sometimes swarm around you like small mosquitoes but don't bite. The general form of the pupa has 9 segments a thin body and is typically up to 10 mm in length. When midges are…

Cania Dam has been on my bucket list now for a couple of years and consequently I have been undertaking quite a lot of research so that when I do get up there hopefully this year I have enough information to make a reasonable job of that fishing trip. This is what I have found so far. Lake Cania is…

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 . ….

At the time of adding this fly to this web site John Schofield had now won six Bass Pro events attributing much of his success to his Bass Vampire fly. Its not surprising that the fly has elements of a Clouser Minnow because it was inspired by the successful black and purple Clouser Minnows that…

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…

The Wonder Winged Dun or Spinner is a generic representation for members of the “Leptophlebiidae” (Lepto) family of Mayflies and in particular the various Highland Duns & Spinners, which are members of the “Oniscigastridae” genus. Hatches generally occurs between the months of October and…

This knot is very simple to tie and because of its figure eight configuration is relatively strong. It also has the advantage over the other many other loop knots in that the two parts of line coming out of the actual knot are next to each other so the actual open part of the loop can be as narrow…

This is a list of flies that I know all work well for the lakes around Miena and Bronte in Central Tasmania. For the sake of convenience I have broken the list below up into 4 distinct sections: The first table deals with "Matching the hatch" and is best read in conjunction with an article I first…

Leaders This very much a matter of personal choice by for me for these species but keep in mind that its a compromise between your fly or flies presenting better on thinner leaders and avoiding break offs with thicker leader. My default tippet material for toga in Cania is Sun FC Rock 14lb…

This is just a great all round nymph. Whilst this nymph is not tied to represent the nymphal (sub imago or pupa) stage of any specific insect it is a good "buggy" looking fly and readily accepted by trout. Tie it in black, brown, dark olive, claret as well as Red Tag and  Adams or  Hare &…

Whilst the tips I have set out below evolved from fishing in the Snowy Mountains of NSW, in general terms they are equally appropriate to a whole range of fisheries. These tips are all designed to help you locate trout to encourage their cooperation.   Location, location, location Location is…

For me the hair winged humpy is a great prospecting and indicator fly for fast water. The combination of materials and the structure of the tie provide a fly that floats well and has a good buggy appearance. I don't tie them as representations of any particular Dun or Spinner (imago) stage of any…

Fishing has been very patchy and from a fly fishing perspective the number of fish being sighted around the margins is probably lower than its ever been in the time I have fished the lake. Here are a couple of snippets of information from the draft minutes of a meeting of the NSW COUNCIL OF…

Over time I have come to understand that there are two distinct classes of Barramundi in Lake Awoonga and other similar impoundments … "residents" and "travellers". ADDING PHOTOS WITH TEXT BOX BELOW photo1 photo2 photo3 Residents Barra are released into Lake Awoonga generally at a range of sizes…

MEDIA RELEASE – Monaro Acclimatisation Society Inc on 25 May 2020 Monaro Acclimatisation Society to work with NSW Fisheries for Snowy Hydro 2.0 Recreational Fishing Offset.

This is a one hook set up I like to use when targeting scroungers such as beam or whiting in slower moving relatively shallow waters. The set up for the running sinker rig is very simple and as described below.: Start off with the rod and reel not set up with any tackle but with just the tag end of…

Published: Jan 1, 2011 If your only going to carry one nymph pattern this is the one. As a river fly this is my favourite non bead head nymph and it can be fished very effectively alone or in a team. When lock style fishing in lakes this fly can be fished in any position in a team. If you work…

This definition covers insects from two separate orders. The first are the aquatic bugs of the hemipterus order and the second the aquatic beetles of the order coleopteran. Water boatman and back swimmers Whilst there are over 5000 different species of aquatic bugs Australia only two are of…

==Lake Maroon is one of South East Queensland's best freshwater fly and surface fishing destinations It lays close to the base of the Great Dividing Range on Burnett Creek, a tributary of the Logan River. It is a relatively small impoundment with a surface area of 350 ha and an average depth of 9.6…

Hi Kerry, Thanks about your email looking for information on Lake Maroon. I love Maroon and have had a couple of podium finishes there in Fly Fish Australia competitions. I am not aware of any guides that fish the Lake Maroon area so I cant help you there but I have set out a little information on…

==Lake Maroon is one of South East Queensland's best freshwater fly and surface fishing destinations It lays close to the base of the Great Dividing Range on Burnett Creek, a tributary of the Logan River. It is a relatively small impoundment with a surface area of 350 ha and an average depth of 9.6…

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…

I developed this fly to fill a place in my fly box for a fly that can be fished in all those areas where scroungers including: Flathead, Mangrove Jack, Fingermark, Grunter and Salmon and other predators scrounge are targeting small fish that are being flushed out of mangroves, rocky shores, drowned…

Casting can make or break your fly fishing experience and once you have mastered the basics its surprising how easy it all becomes. The basic thing you have to remember is that your casting a fly line and the terminal tackle (your leader tippet and fly or flies) are along for the ride. Good fly…

We are lucky enough to have two of the Lutjanus family of fish endemic to Central Queensland, Fingermark (L.johnii) and Mangrove Jack (L.argentimaculatus). Mangrove jack Fingermark   They are both very solid fish that have powerful teeth (hence the Jack is often referred to as 'dog' or 'dog…

Once you have correctly placed the hook in the vice in most cases the next step in tying a fly is generally to place or wind some thread on the hook. The thread is used primarily to secure materials  to the hook but in many cases is also part of the dressing of the fly. It doesn't matter if a…

AKA: Roping peacock herl. Peacock herl is the individual barbules off a peacock feather. It is wonderful fly tying material and as well as exhibiting its own natural highlight it exhibits various colours ranging from shades of greens through to various shades of blue. Individual herl can be used to…

When browns and rainbows are feeding on hatching midges at the exclusion of all else it pays to have a few buzzers in your kit. This pattern has proven itself to be readily accepted in many countries. Materials   Hook Thread Under-butt Body & thorax Rib Cheeks Hanak 300BL #10 to #12 Black…

When tuna attack a bait ball they absolutely guts themselves and if captured it's not unusual for them to cough some of the fish they were feeding on. In this recent capture on the "dark side" one did just that revealing what they had been feeding on … in this case hardyhead.   Each year the…

Published: Dec 31, 2016 Revised Mar 07, 2021 This is a list of flies that I know all work well for both Lakes Tantangara, Eucumbene and Jindabyne. For the sake of convenience I have set them out in my "go to" lock style teams and also some "matching the hatch" options and finally some alternative…

Here is an interesting email from Steve Samuels that I wanted to share with you. Redfin are prolific breeders They are carnivores that will eat trout Text3 From: Steven Samuels Date: 21 March 2017 at 14:15 Subject: Pumped Hydro = Pumped Redfin Dear Supporters, As you are aware the Federal…

This fly is designed as a bait to jig along the muddy and sandy bottom of local rivers and estuary bays when targeting fingermark, grunter and and flathead in particular. Presented to scrounging fish it can then be jigged along the bottom or close to the bottom suggesting it's a wounded bait fish….

Whilst not tied to imitate any particular insect this down wing style of fly can be tied with your favourite materials and in your favourite colours to imitate a range of insects. It is a good prospecting fly when nothing appears to be happening. In larger sizes it can be twitched or fished dead…

It doesn't matter if your fishing saltwater or freshwater, targeting demersal or pelagic fish or that your target fish is feeding on mullet, garfish, herring, bony bream, hardyhead or some other baitfish … at 13cm long and with a great swimming action more often than not my articulated bugger in…

Over time I have come to understand that there are two distinct classes of Barramundi in Lake Awoonga and other similar freshwater impoundments … "residents" and "travelers". Residents Barra are released into Lake Awoonga generally at a range of sizes from fingerlings to grown on fish of around…

A fly line is a fundamental piece of specialized equipment for the fly fisher. Modern fly lines are made from special polymer materials which are extruded around a core generally of monofiliment or more recently braid. The key difference of the two core materials to the fly fisherman are the…

AKA: Multi hitches by hand. A half hitch is simply and at the end of the day is a locked loop over the top of the tag end of a thread. Its the loop that locks the tag end in place. Single half hitches can be tied at any time throughout the dressing of a fly just to hold the thread tightly in…

AKA: Proportions – dry fly The physics of dry flies are quite simple either they rely on  buoyancy (displacement) to simply float or they rely on the materials used to be light and  resist water  penetration and consequently to be supported on the surface tension of the water. Booby beetles and…

Just behind poor fishing technique and inept netting technique the most prolific reason for fish being lost is a problem with a knot. There are more knots than you can poke a stick at that can be used in fly fishing and over time you will settle on a few that you tie well and have confidence in….

Just behind poor fishing technique and inept netting technique the most prolific reason for fish being lost is a problem with a knot. There are more knots than you can poke a stick at that can be used in fly fishing and over time you will settle on a few that you tie well and have confidence in….

This fly has it's origins based on my non bead-head inch nymph fly that I started tying over 20 years ago. For about 10 years now I have been tying this bead-head version in in black, dark olive, Adams colours, claret and brown. It's a great buggy looking fly and one of the on-going inclusions in…

There is nothing new about the snell knot itself but what you will find here is a unique way to tie it. I currently use this process of adding a stinger hook to the front of larger flies, soft plastics or even Mustard Fasthatch clips when I am fishing in low light or dirty water conditions. The…

This Albright knot is the knot I use  for joining lines of two different diameters such as braided backing to a thicker monofiliment or fluorocarbon leader. Form a loop in the  leader. Take the end of the braid backing from the front and pass about 4" of the  braid through the loop. Hold the…

My Fastach sinkers as shown in different sizes below can be a very useful sinker for use in paternoster rigs in estuary and other  tidal coastal waters.   It is a round "hollow" lead weight in a range of sizes with a hole thought the sinker. Through that hole I add a length of doubled over…

Food source [months] Fly suggestions Adult yabbies [30] [30] [30] [20] [20] [20] [10] [10] [20] [30] [40] [30] Yabby Woolly bugger Floating yabby Shrimp shell yabby Small yabbies [00] [00] [60] [60] [50] [50] [30] [20] [10] [10] [00] [00] Mini woolly bugger Woolly bugger Worms (as vegetation is…