Top flies for August when you should see plenty of fish rising early mornings, and late afternoons through the evening!
The CDC (Cul De Canard) feather has wonderful floating capabilities, one of it’s best uses is in the CDC buzzer. A deadly pattern wherever buzzers are hatching. Used on a floating line, the fly is cast out and then either wait for the trout to take the fly, cover a rise with the fly or pull the CDC under the surface of the water and allow it to resurface with the buoyancy of the CDC feathers, the latter method can have dramatic catching effects.
The black and green peacock Dry Fly is an ideal early season dry fly. It has the black and green combination that makes flies like the Viva and Montana so popular.
The hackle is clipped underneath the hook which allows the fly to sit much deeper in the water when compared to a full hackled fly.
One of many buzzer patterns that will catch fish. The other most popular colour is olive but red, orange and even white are worth having in your box.
A most popular lake and reservoir lure in the UK and Europe. The damselfly nymph comes into it’s own in summer months when main feeding occurs. Try the edges of weed beds for trout patrolling close in for this food.
In summer months when the mass migration of Damselfly nymphs occurs, use a floating line and long leader with a slow figure of eight retrieve or a series of short twitches. The rest of the year can produce using an intermediate or sinking line with a varied rate of retrieve.
This fly can be deadly through summer and in to the autumn.
An ideal fly to use when the real insects or anything small, and black is on the water. Two versions are available, tied as a wet fly or as shown here tied as a dry fly.
If the fish are refusing the fly, and still showing interest in it, trim the under hackle to enable the fly to sit lower in or on the water.
Use this fly when small buzzers and nymphs are on the water. Fish the fly on a floating line with long leader using a slow figure eight retrieve.
The Left version of this nymph uses micro UV straggle fritz for the thorax.
Whereas that on the Right has the pheasant tail fibres pulled forward over the thorax and secured down with thread. Trim the waste fibres, build a neat head, whip finish and varnish.
I've been practising inside for ages, finally got the hang of this fly tying milarky
Use this fly when small buzzers and nymphs are on the water. Fish the fly on a floating line with long leader using a slow figure eight retrieve. It can be used singularly or as a team of different sized PT Nymphs, however at Nineoaks it is single fly only not teams!
This version of the pheasant tail nymph uses micro UV straggle fritz for the thorax.
The Adams is one of the best all round dry flies, I prefer to tie the body with mole fur but any form of blue/grey dubbing can be used. Ensure that the proportion of the body and tail are correct as are the hackles with the hook gape.
The fly can be fished static or on a varied retrieve using a floating line. You should have lots of success fishing this fly on lakes using an intermediate line and stripping the fly very quickly under the water, takes from rainbow trout using this method can be very aggressive.
The Black Pennell is a great fly throughout the year for trout. Fish it on a floating line. By being tied small it represents any small midge. Also, tied with a plain silver body, without the body hackle, and fished about 3ft deep on a slow retrieve can be very deadly.
A really good all round lure, The black and green, black and yellow or black and red colouring makes it an ideal fly for the early season. Fish it on a floating, intermediate or sinking line at various rates of retrieve and it will still catch.
At this time of the year, a Black/Green fished on a sinking line on or near the bottom with a slow retrieve - deadly!
The Wickhams Spider also known as the Wingless Wickhams is a favourite fly. Generally the best time for this fly is spring to late summer. Different coloured head hackles can be very effective including white, grizzle, yellow and hot orange, all these variants fish well. The pattern shown has the addition of a hot orange hackle just behind the bead. It can be deadly when nothing else is taking especially in coloured or mirky water.
The fly can be fished on an intermediate line on it’s own or part of a team of two or three flies. Anything from a slow figure of eight retrieve to a “fast as you can pull” or even a roly-poly pull can be used, different days need different methods of retrieve.
An all round lure, fish either on a floating, intermediate or sinking line at various rates of retrieve and it should still catch. It works superbly even when fished very slowly or even on the drop. Available in various colours and combinations from orange to black combo’s.
A good all-round nymph/lure in the popular green & black colour combination. Worth trying in both weighted (gold head) and non-weighted varieties.
The Montana works well in many different conditions. Best fished on a floating line, long leader and retrieved slowly. The chenille thorax can be varied in colour, orange and yellow are other colours that fish well.
We recommend only using small hook sizes such as a #14 or #16.
Best fished in Autumn (August/September) using a floating line and either left static or twitched over the surface. Can be even deadlier when large waves are on the water and the fly being “ripped” through the waves.
Takes are fast and furious. The daddy has at times been known to fish well in early June through to August. This version of the daddy has a deer hair body which aids the fly to float very high in the water.
An excellent fly and one of the most successful all-year round nymphs, the Diawl Bach in all it’s variations is still worth a try during January.
The Diawl Bach (Little Devil) should be used when buzzers are on the water.
It can be fished on any line, from floating to fast sinker and at almost any depth.
There are many variants of a “Buzzer”, for bright sunny days this is a “good-un”. Fished near the top or submerged using a very slow, almost stationary, figure of eight retrieve.
Fish it near to reed beds. It can also be fished in the winter months when trout are still taking buzzers as part of their diet.
A simple, scruffy looking, and scruffier the better Fly. Just perfect for tricky surface feeders locked onto hatching buzzers.
In january the trout are often looking for fry and a zonker of some description is one to have in your box.
The Zonker can be used as a general purpose lure but is most effective when tied in grey or white and used in the fry season. The wing is highly mobile which makes this fly so effective when fry are around.
It can be fished static on a long leader using a floating line or on an sinking line and retrieved at various rates of retrieve.