I am a Professional Game Angling Instructor / Coach / Tutor and have succesfully mentored many candidates through to GAIC and APGAI qualifications in Fly Dressing I have demonstrated Fly Dressing at most of the major shows usually in the Salmon and Trout Association Stand and have demonstrated at the British Flyfair, this year it is a Trentham Gardens on the 1st and 2nd November come and see me there and tell me you've seen this and I (may) 'loan' you one of my flies.

FLYDRESSING FORUM FOR ANY FLYDRESSING PROBLEMS : http://ukflydressing.proboards.com/index.cgi?

Update 14th April 2009

Been out playing with a new Macro lens for the camera and share these with you.

This 'Stonefly' came out of the above 'shuck'

A 'Large Dark Olive' or is it a 'March Brown' ?

UPDATE 5th January 2009

Every now and again a fly becomes a favourite and finds its place on the cast on most outings .... this is so relative to a Grayling Bug which is very very effective, here is the 'RAT'

Select a size 14 Kamasan B160 hook and tungsten bead, placing bead on the hook and tying in brown tying thread I use UTC 140, secure the bead in position and take the tying thread along the hook shank to a point over the hook barb. Select a few barbules of Coch y Bonddu hen and tie in as a tail. Split the tying thread with your dubbing needle and tease into the loop of thread some Mouse Fur, create the rope by closing together and spinning the bobbin holder. Wind the fur onto the hook shank building up towards the bead to get a tapered effect on the body. Place some varnish on the thread and whip finish infront of the bead, trim the surplus thread.

There is another method, here it is:

‘TheRat’ the only fly you will need!

Firstly you need to catch some 'RATS' , they have to be kept alive as the fur off a dead 'RAT' is of no use at all, it looses it's body and shine almost immediately..... with about six 'RATS' put them in a cardboard box about 2' square and keep them warm and out of the frost. ….use the tapered end of a weight forward floating fly line preferably Snowbee or other good make to tie the box up with to keep them in. .... now then get some size 14 hooks and some tungsten beads, with 6 live RATS it would be about right to use 8 hooks. .... put the beads on the hooks and cover with superglue and open a small corner of the box and drop them inside. ..... tie the lid down tight with the fly line plenty of wraps here to keep the 'RATS' in for they will get high on the smell of the superglue and become uncontrollable. .... now for the intricate part of the dressing..... it is at this point that you need to get the tip section of your best 5 weight fly rod , preferably a 'Winston' or other good make, and give the cardboard box a good beating on all sides. .... this releases a number of very important chemicals in the 'RATS' bloodstream which transfer into the fur and at this very point .... this is critical.....you must start to kick the box about the house relentlessly for at least ten minutes to get the 'RATS' to shed some fur. ..... if you have timed it right enough fur will have caught on the hooks before the superglue dries off..... there you have it. One other important point you can only use the RATS once, hence the reason I have to charge £5 per fly.....good luck.

STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO Coch y Bonddu / Bloodworm / Heather Fly

THE G.H. COCH-Y-BONDDU BEETLE. Hook size 12 curved shank. You will need Copper coloured Raffia,Black tying thread,Black ethafoam sheet, Peacock Flashbright,Black Turkey tail, Black marker pen,Sparkle dust and superglue.First the real one!

G.H.COCH-Y-BONDDU BEETLE

Select a piece of copper coloured raffia and tease out flat. Strip a piece just over 1/4" wide from the edge about 3" in length. Tie the raffia in central in the width to the hook shank at the hook bend. Cut a piece of black ethafoam sheet about1/4" wide, 2" long. Cut ethafoam to a fine point.

Tie this in as shown and form a fine dubbing rope of peacock flashbright.

Wind dubbing rope along hook shank as shown, do not tie too tightly.

Pull the ethafoam strip gently over the dubbing underbody to form the abdomen and tie in. Pull and tease the raffia around the sides and over the ethafoam and tie this in also. Push the abdomen forward along the hook shank to make it bulbous and to allow you enough room on the hook shank to tie in the legs and to form the thorax.Half hitch the thread to secure.

Select black feather fibres (Turkey) is good. Knot two together to form one leg which displays a knuckle. Prepare four of these.

It should now look like this from underneath.

Invert the hook in the vice and tie in the legs two forward and two back and splayed. Half hitch to secure

Re-Invert the hook in the vice and catch hold of the ethafoam between finger and thumb, as shown, just off the hook eye.

Push the ethafoam back towards the abdomen to form a bulbous thorax and tie this in, half hitching to secure the thread. Trim the surplus ethafoam at this stage.

Tease the raffia around and over the thorax, tie in, half hitch and trim the surplus before painting the thorax all over with a black marker pen, allowing to dry before the next stage.

Mix some fine sparkle dust with superglue and coat the thorax with the mix off your dubbing needle, allow to dry before you apply a liberal coat of varnish over the thorax and abdomen to strengthen

There you have a Coch-y-Bonddu Beetle, that will float really well and fool the wariest of trout, tight lines. The Beetle hatches off bracken in June each year and any that fall on water are quickly devoured by the trout.

G.H.BLOODWORM Known as the one cast fly, cast it in and leave it sink onto weed or the bottom, keep in touch and wait for the take, has taken a number of double figure rainbows in small water fisheries with this method. Hook size 8 and 10. You will need Nymph Rib Glass which is flat one side convex the other, 4lb Clear Nylon, Red tying thread, Red and Olive Osterich herl, Sparkle dust and superglue.

G.H.BLOODWORM....LAID IN WEED FOR PHOTOGRAPHING

G.H.BLOODWORM...PROFILE

Place the hook in the vice and trap the tying thread.

Cut a piece of about 2" ribglass fashioning one end to a sharp point.

Take the tying thread over the apex of the hook bend .Trap in the clear nylon and take the thread around the hook bend in close even turns.

Attach the Red Osterich herl and wind the tying thread, 3/4 of the length of the underbody.

Take the Osterich herl 3 open turns is enough,trap in and trim, half hitch.

Two turns of the Olive Osterich herl,trap in and trim,half hitch.

Take the nymph Rib Glass convex side up,and lay in position on top of the hook shank.

Change hand once you have measured the desired overhang and as you hold it there.

With the clear 4lb nylon take it over the nymph rib glass to trap, but do not over tighten until you are on the second turn around, this will prevent the rib glass slipping over the side.

Take the clear nylon in open tight turns along the body, this will segment it for you.

Trap the nymph rib glass and clear nylon with the tying thread and trim the surplus.

Whip finish.

Mix some sparke dust with superglue and lay on the head with dubbing needle.

The profile of this pattern is very slim and fine.

THE G.H.HEATHER FLY

For this fly you will need a size 12 curved shank hook, Black Ethafoam sheet,Sparkle wing sheet,black osterich herl,orange coloured goos feather, black nail varnish, clear nail varnish, black tying thread.

Place the hook in the vice and trap thge tying thread on the apex of the hook bend

Cut two pieces of ethafoam about 3" long, one same as the width of the sheet.

The other 1/4" wide.

With the thinner strip of foam, shape with the scissors so that it is almost cylindrical.

Cut a strip 1/4" wide of Sparkle wing and shape the end into a 'V'

Tie on the cylindrical ethafoam so that it protrudes out 1/2" from the hook shank,trim surplus.

Tie on the shaped sparkle wing central over the ethafoam abdomen,as shown.

Invert the hook in the vice and tie in the 1/4" ethafoam, together with one strand of osterich herl.

Prepare and knot six goose fibres as legs, painting the legs from just above the knot with the black nail varnish, trim to 1/4" below the knot and tie them in individually, three each side and splayed, trimming the surplus as you go.

With the dubbing needle place a dab of superglue on the base of the legs, to secure and strengthen.

Using the dubbing needle manouvre legs into position as you wind the osterich herl along the thorax area inbetween the legs and ifront of the legs, tie down and trim.

Half hitch to secure.

Re invert the hook in the vice and pull the 1/4" ethafoam over the thorax area, not too tight, so that it does not close the cells, it aids floatation.

Tie this in and trim surplus

Varnish the head.

Varnish the wing and allow to dry.

Please contact: Gwilym Hughes on 01490 412731 or e-mail at ghughes2@btinternet.com

Email : Gwilym Hughes