Fly Fishing Articles
Welcome to the Fly Fishing Articles section of the John Norris site. Here we will bring you articles relating to Fly Fishing including Fly Tying Tips, Fishing Tackle Tips and more.
If you’d like to share your own fishing tackle hints and tips, we’d love to hear from you. Why not email us at: flyfishingtips@johnnorris.co.uk.
Lying at the fringe of Hawkshead village, Esthwaite water spans 280 acres in the beautiful southern Lake District. Similar in characteristics to its close neighbour Windermere, Esthwaite features a ranging contour of deep and shallow water, with numerous bays and small enclaves framed with rushes and lilies. Having fished the Lake District my entire life, Esthwaite was the one water in which I had never wet a line. It was with excitement then, that I learned my colleague Rob and I were to fish the “Tackle Dealers Pairs Competition” on behalf of John Norris of Penrith.
Esthwaite Water
Arriving at 9am, fishing conditions looked perfect, overcast and with a steady ripple. We were greeted by Dave, who runs Hawkshead Trout fishery on Esthwaite, and introduced to other competitors whilst the rules of the day were explained. The fishery offers a fantastic range of species and sport for the angler, including Brown and Rainbow trout, Pike, Perch, Rudd and Roach which can be enjoyed on a variety of methods. Today however, rainbow trout on the fly was the name of the game. The rules were simple, fish all day, take 2 fish, and the heaviest brace would win. This introduced an element of luck and judgement, but really, we were just heading out to have an enjoyable day.
At around 9.30am we silently propelled out of the landing stage in one of the spacious boats, complete with electric outboard, and decided on a sheltered bay on the far shoreline. As we approached we saw fish on the surface, and immediately we had plucks and pulls on our flies as we started our first drift. Before long the first fish fully committed, and I landed a plump rainbow of around 1lb 8 oz. repeating this drift we soon took over a dozen fish between 1-2lbs, falling to both mini lures on my rod, and a team of buzzers fished by Rob.
Our Rainbow Trout Catch
What followed was a genuinely brilliant days fishing. We caught fish on buzzer tactics, on stripped lures, and on nymph patterns. The fish were all between 1lb and 3lb, giving spirited and high speed fights. With fish stocked to over 13lb, we were unlucky not to contact anything larger; though both Rob and I lost fish that we suspected were of a large class.
At 4pm, we downed rods and guided the boat back towards base for the weigh in. Our brace had brought us a credible 2nd place, and the other competitors had also had a fantastic day, catching good numbers of fish. The biggest fish on the day had been a prime 8lb’er, taken on a tiny orange cruncher.
Time to start fishing
The hospitality, quality of fishing and advice provided by Dave was excellent, and the fishery is well worth a visit. With a well stocked tackle shop on site, boats for hire, and refreshments available too, Esthwaite is a great day out. With the possibility of contacting a real lunker, coupled with scenery and variety of fishing available, I will definitely be heading back as soon as possible!
Tight lines
Phil Ramsden
Editor says well done to Rob and Phil
Cruising north on the newly finished dual carriageway above Glasgow, my companion Alex and I followed the same route as that of thousands anglers every year. Most of these anglers making the renowned pilgrimage to rivers like the Tay or Dee in pursuit of the beloved and mystical salmon, our journey however, concerned the small and unassuming Loch Freuchie on the Glen Quaich estate, just outside Creiff.
Our target was Pike, a fish which until recently was not associated with fly fishing, but which actually prove to be wonderful sport on fly tackle. Alex and I had therefore arranged to visit Daniel, our gamekeeper friend on the estate, to see if we could encounter a few of these impressive predators. I had taken the new Guideline Epik Pike outfit and an assortment of John Norris Pike Flies on test, and hoped to hook into a few fish!
Our first drift was exciting, the WF9 line loading the Epik rod extremely well allowing me to consistently drop the fly in amongst the fishy looking reed beds. It wasn’t long until the first pike attacked my fly, doing so in a flurry of water about 2ft from the boat. He gave a spirited account of himself, which was hugely enhanced by the fly outfit - the ‘Softy Minnow’ clasped across his jaws proving his downfall. A succession of similar fish followed, all around the 2-4lb class, and all providing wonderful tail walking fights! The only larger fish, of around 8lb, unfortunately managed to relieve himself of my fly just prior to entering the boat, only providing a fleeting photo opportunity.
Fly style fishing for pike gave us a wonderful afternoons sport, and though the fish weren’t big, this was more than compensated for by the fly gear! The Epik rod allowed even these small Jack pike to show their stuff, and the flies actually out-fished traditional spinning methods.
At £159.99, the Epik pike outfit (including flies and leaders too) is a cracking deal. After giving the rod, reel and line a good amount of stick I’d be extremely confident in recommending it. If you haven’t already tried it, fly fishing for pike is something really worth a look!
Phil Ramsden
John Norris Country Sports advisor
By Bob Sherwood of Halstead and Bolton, destination fishing partner of John Norris
The UK’s spring salmon season is well under way with some encouraging early reports from rivers such as the Eden and Wye. But many of us with an incurable salmon addiction are looking forward to June 24 – the start of the season in Iceland!
The prospects for Iceland’s salmon season are particularly exciting this year. Catch returns for the last couple of years have been excellent, with some rivers reporting greater numbers and larger fish as widespread catch and return policies seem to be having a dramatic effect. With a short flight, quick three and four day trips are common, and many anglers choose to share a rod with a friend (practical enough given the 12-hour fishing day) to keep costs down.
Now is a great time to be planning an Icelandic salmon trip as there are still some fantastic slots available on a number of the best rivers and some good prices still to be had. But even though Iceland has just a short three-month season, the type of fishing can change significantly over the course of the season so do choose your time and river with care.
Early season slots starting from June 24 are typically cheaper and offer a bargain opportunity to get on some of Iceland’s famous rivers. Water levels are likely to be good, though temperatures can still be a little cold, which means the fish might be more reluctant to come to the surface, though many rivers will already have an excellent run of fish.
Moving into July and August will see a rise in temperatures and the time when the surface-scratching riffle hitch method comes into its own. Certainly there is no more exciting way of fishing than catching salmon off the surface on tiny flies. Small traditional patterns and micro sunray shadows also work really well.
Rivers in the north and east of Iceland should still have plenty of water but those in the south-east have struggled with a lack of rainfall in recent years, so do pick carefully.
By the end of August and into September, the rivers will be full of fish, though water levels will be cooling and hopefully rising again, if it has been a dry summer. Flies should still be small, but heavier tubes and larger sunray shadows can prove effective.
Most Icelandic rivers can be fished with trout gear: single-handed six- and seven-weight rods and floating lines. The new switch rods have proved very adaptable and can be a great choice. Matched with lighter salmon shooting heads, the switch rod was my choice for Iceland last summer.
Rivers can vary too. The famous Big Laxa requires classic swinging flies on double-handed rods, while others such as Flotjaa are more like chalk streams. There’s a new lodge this year and some open slots on Laxa in Asum, renowned for the highest per rod catches in Iceland, which promises to be spectacular. Midfjardara offers miles of pools in a canyon setting with crystal clear water and visible fishing, while if you are lucky enough to secure a slot on the storied rivers of the north-east, Sela and Hofsa, you should grab it with both hands, and take both single-handers and light double-handed rods.
Halstead and Bolton has available slots on most of these rivers throughout the season, including some bargain early and late season offers. Go to: Halstead and Bolton Iceland Salmon Fishing Special Offers .
AAPGAI instructors and destination travel experts Jim Curry and Bob Sherwood at Halstead and Bolton are always available to offer advice on tackle, flies and methods for your Icelandic salmon fishing trip. Go to www.halsteadandbolton.com.
Take a look at our recommended fishing flies of the week:
Salmon Fishing Flies
We’re well into spring now, and for many rivers the season so far has been encouraging. Reports suggest that fresh fish have been encountered regularly, with only the recent dry spell slowing the action. The Lower Eden for example has seen frequent catches, featuring some very special fish indeed – salmon of 27lb, 25lb and 22lb all being caught, as well as a good number in the upper teens. A River Wye monster tipped the scales to over 30lb, and Scottish Rivers have been producing fresh fish with good consistency. With a break in the hot weather, and hopefully some water, the odds look good for some new runs of fish in the next few weeks.
Recommended flies still feature a spring theme, with flashes of blue and silver in killer patterns such as the Silver Boyo, and Blue Charm. The Posh Tosh and Monkey Tube with their softer black and yellows make a good bet, their high mobility in water making them extremely enticing. Finally, the ever reliable Ally shrimp is the fly of choice for many spring anglers, and has accounted for a large proportion of fish this year, especially on the Eden. Interestingly, and worth considering, smaller sizes of flies have been very popular, notably one Eden 22lb’er being taken on a size 14 Ally Shrimp.
River Trout Fishing Flies
Recent weather has lent itself to early season river trout fishing. The warmer than normal temperatures have given prolific hatches of flies, with March Browns and Dark Olives hatching off in big numbers during the middle of the day. The trout have responded, and anglers have done well fishing nymph and wet flies during the morning and later afternoon, and covering rising fish with dry flies during the midday hatch. Already trout to nearly 5lb have been reported on the upper Eden! With these conditions in mind, the trout river fisherman needs to carry a range of flies to cater to the feeding habits of fish through the day.
The pheasant tail and hares ear nymphs are extremely effective patterns, using these on their own, or with a top dropper and a classic spider pattern such as the snipe and purple spider, takes a good amount of fish when surface activity is sparse. It’s a good idea to cast fairly short and precisely, exploring the different parts of the river and fishing the flies at different speeds by raising and lowering your line on and off the water accordingly. When fish begin to rise, the Olive Klinkhammer and winged March Brown are patterns that bring takes, being good imitations of the most likely food source.
A top tip in the early season is to combine both wet and dry, and fish a dry fly trailing a small nymph. Tie a 2ft length of line directly to the bend of a size 14 Klinkhammer, and fish a small nymph underneath. This method, coined in New Zealand, is deadly for searching out trout, and covers different fish feeding levels.
Reservoir Trout Fishing Flies
Now its April, most trout fisheries are up and running. It’s often a great time to get out, with some prime conditioned overwintered fish to be caught, coupled with the fact that the fish haven’t been fished for in several months. Again, with recent weather, fish are likely to be fairly mobile and on the hunt. Insect life is increasingly abundant, and hatches of buzzers will soon preoccupy the fish. The still water angler should be prepared, and should ensure a range of flies is taken to the water. Apps bloodworm is a deadly fly, and often matches the diet of early season fish, as does the black epoxy buzzer as the water warms up and the fish start to ‘top and tail’ at these little insects. The Diawl Bach fly is becoming more and more popular with reservoir anglers nowadays, mimicking a small nymph, and with a thin body, the fly has a knack of taking fish when others wont. It can be fished as a point fly, behind a buzzer and might just make that extra bit of difference.
The key at this time of year is experimentation, finding what the fish want and where they want it. Stripping lures such as the Fritz nymph always provides a good chance, and the phenomenal Orange blob seems to catch fish almost unquestionably. Read the water, and adapt the flies to the fish.
With little natural fly life to be seen at this time of year, reservoir anglers are most successful fishing lower in the water with stimulator patterns. Matching the natural hatch becomes more important as the temperature warms, but the attack triggering lure patterns are probably the best bet currently. Once again, using gold bead and lead head variants on classic patterns ensures that the fly fishes in the lower levels, where the fish are most likely to be encountered. To this end, most anglers tend to fish sinking or intermediate lines as well. Fritz lures are always a good choice, and the marabou wing and tails on the Cormorants, Dawsons and Cats give an attractive pulsation movement when stripped back slowly. The ever present Orange blob may resemble nothing in particular, but is a must in the arsenal of any reservoir angler.
Its early spring, hence a mixture of classic salmon patterns together with those more associated with early running fish. The Willie Gunn and Park Shrimp feature the renowned colour combinations of oranges, blacks and yellows and make a good bet at most times of the year. Fishing copper tube and conehead patterns in these flies helps in getting down to the spring fish’s level, and reports are that both flies have already accounted for spring fish this year on rivers including the Dee, Tweed and Tay.
The Ice Maiden, Blue Boyo and Green Highlander are more spring specific patterns. Flashes of blue, green and silver, increasingly tied on the new ‘Salar’ hooks give these flies a traditional spring feel, and they look the business in the clear spring currents. A great tip is to tie your flies to your leader with a ‘Rapala’ knot, giving that bit of extra movement that might entice a pull.
Do you want to be in with a chance of winning the Hardy Ultralite DD fly reel worth up to £299? If so, all you need to do is answer a simple question - Win the Hardy Ultralite DD Fly Reel worth £299.
The new Hardy Ultralite DD fly reel has been described as the best looking Hardy fly reel to date and has many features which are sure to appeal to you, features including the fact that it’s extremely lightweight as well as being strong, it has a reel back up-screwed through frame for maximum security and a quick release captive spool system to name just a few.
Here on the John Norris site we stock a wide range of Hardy fly reels so if you don’t win this one this time, why not take a look at our complete collection and treat yourself.
Learn what Phil Ramsden has to say abour brown trout fishing on Lake Ullswater.
For me, the start of the trout season has always been a captivating time. The reunion with rivers and lakes that seem like strangers after the winter months, and the mystery of whether fish are active and most importantly, catchable!
Early morning Lake Ullswater
I’ve fished Ullswater for as a long as I remember, it being one of the first places my father took his fishing obsessed toddler. Guiding the boat out onto this most scenic of lakes for the first time this season was exciting, I negotiated a hefty swell as I attempted to attach my team of flies. In recent weeks I’d spent most of my time tying these flies in anticipation, emulating classic examples we sell in our shop, typically the “Geoff Johnston Ullswater” range, and traditional Bibios and Black Pennels.
The stiff north-easterly wind meant me having to find sheltered bays for a controlled drift, to my delight, the very first cast rose a fish right at the end of the retrieve. The trout missed the fly, but my confidence soared. It was a timely reminder always to strip and them dibble the flies right up to the boat, for those last gasp smash and grab fish.
Three hours passed and saw me land 8 trout, each one different in colouration. Stripping an intermediate line quite fast with a team of three palmered hackled wet flies was the method on the day, and the fish seem concentrated in the shallow bays. Notably this was my first session using the new John Norris Pro2 clear green intermediate fly line, its performance in fairly difficult conditions was excellent cutting through the wind with ease and presenting the fly accurately.
First Fish to Take
Yet another Lake Ullswater beauty!
Ullswater is extremely accessible. Fishing is free to holders of an EA rod licence, and with miles of bank fishing there isn’t any need for a boat. The fish aren’t huge, but there is something unique about these acrobatic, plentiful little trout, and they certainly put a smile on the early season anglers face…..
And finally....
Here at John Norris we interviewed Glyn Freeman and asked him for his fly fishing tips, here are a few of his best tips:
Always use the appropriate Spey cast to suit the wind direction. Too many anglers get hit by the fly or experience cross-over’s and tangles not doing so.
Fish the fly right into the dangle, it is surprising how many fish will follow a fly right across the river. Far too often anglers will whip the fly away before a fish has committed.
The use of eye protection and other safety equipment like wading staffs and life jackets are a must. While wading, stay in your comfort zone. Do not become another statistic!
Fishing the fly for salmon at the correct depth, movement and speed is vital. The use of varying densities of sink tips, weights of fly and mends made for differing flows will achieve the ideal fishing depth, usually around 18 to 24 inches below the surface.
Get your fly casting and fishing skills up to speed before the season begins or prior to that trip of a lifetime abroad. Many days and opportunities are wasted on good water trying to get a fishable line out.
Trout Fishing on River Eden
GLYN FREEMAN is a full time, fully qualified A.A.P.G.A.I fly-casting instructor and guide for John Norris of Penrith. He takes people out on fly fishing experiences and gives them tuition for salmon and trout on the beautiful river Eden throughout the year.
Have you grabbed yourself a bargain in the John Norris winter sale? If not, take a look now to see the massive savings which can be made on many different items.
In the John Norris winter sale you’ll find; accessories, children’s clothing, ladies clothing, men’s clothing, footwear and waders as well as fishing tackle, dog products, and a selection of sunglasses.
The winter sale items in our accessories section includes everything you’ll need to prepare for a trip fishing or shooting. Choose from bags, hats, gloves and much more.
If you want to treat the children or yourself you be amazed at the great low prices across the whole of our winter sale, get a bargain today and prepare for your next trip.
Footwear is extremely important whether you’re fishing or shooting and can often prove to be an expensive purchase but that is no longer the case with our winter sale as there are lots of waders, boots and wellies from leading names, all at great low prices.
Does your dog need a treat? If so, there is sure to be something in our winter sale selection including dog coats, dog beds and toys.
Do you need a new pair of sunglasses? If you do you won’t want to miss the massive savings in our current sale. With names including Costa Del Mar, Flying Fisherman and Snowbee.
There are lots of bagains to be had in the John Norris winter sale but they won’t last long, take a look today before it’s too late.