As you all know "The Lifter" is a favorite of mine and many clients go to dry pattern for searching the water and covering rising fish. However there are many times when the fish get locked onto small uprights.
A key trigger is often the wing appearing in the trouts window ( Check out Vince Marinaro  "The Ring of the Rise" which has been a major influence on my dry fly fishing )


So here we have it.. ..my  "Perfect Olive" or "Stuie's Olive"   even though my good pal Charles Jardine did credit it...
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Last Friday was as cold a spring day as I can remember on the River Eden.
I was sharing my day out with Freddie who just started fly fishing this spring and is always eager to get on the river. He was set up with spiders and nymphs  and already fishing within minutes of arriving....and as he says its just great to be out on the river.
An easterly gusty wind with a bit of Northern wetness thrown in  blowing over the snow capped Pennines accentuated the already nithered feel. I had  previously d...
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The 2015 Trout season got off to a great start on 15 March with this stunning beauty on the dry ...check out those orange fins


Managed another 5 on the wet nymph set up.. Next visit different river brought another 6 to hand but not a trout caught...all grayling!!. Hatches were "slight" but better than non existent and I had the feeling that the hatches are better some days than others but at least the fish were looking up. A few days Guiding,Coaching, Casting and CPD training last week and tom...
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This week I have been guiding Kelvin. He has been out with me a good few times and I have to say his fly fishing has improved so much in a year that he is now a very decent fly fisher and able to catch a good few trout & grayling on the rivers.
With the river levels being so low and clear and very little hatching during the day I suggested he may wish to re-arrange however all credit to him, he wanted to use this as an opportunity to really develop his skills and tactics to handle such situat...

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First of all sorry for the lack of news and updates, the heading tells the story and since April I have been busy Guiding and providing tuition to lots of clients and the feedback from everyone is fantastic. Thank you so much I must be doing something right. 
If you are interested in regular updates, please check out my Facebook page and even better send me a request and lets be friends. 
As a member of the Coaching Team for the Angling Trust Talent Pathway another 5 young talented anglers secu...
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The Mk1 Lifter Dressing:
Hook: TMC 103bl 13/15/17;
Body Thread : Danvilles 6-0 Yellow;
Tail/Shuck: Turralls Ginger Polywing;
Thorax: Dubbed Hares Ear;
Underwing: Para Post Yarn (Dun)
Overwing: Elk
Head: Dubbed Hares Ear
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It started last Monday evening meeting John & Mick at Earlston and a couple of pre trip beers in The Bull before our start on Tuesday morning.
These trips are not really planned  just an idea of a direction to head in and a few options and then see where we end up. John offered to do the driving so that was a result and early Tuesday morning we're off to the Clyde near Abington for day one.
Our final itinerary:

• Clyde (Abington/Crawford)
• Pitlochry (overnight)
• Spey (Kingussie)
• Aviemore (overnight)
• Don...

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Blimey...this spring is taking some time to warm up and I'm sure it's because we were so spoilt last year with such a warm early start. In reality the insects never really get going until there are a few leaves on the hedgerows & trees and they are just now showing some greenery up in the frozen north !!.
I managed to squeeze just over an hour this Wednesday on a warm but very windy river in between some appointments with hotels, guest houses & one of my major tackle suppliers.
There was still ...
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Despite these challenging spring conditions managed a nice one on Saturday and at 53 cm was very pleased especially on the dry from a really difficult lie under some branches ...it thought it was safe !!....
We just need some warmer weather and the water to warm up to get some more of these on the feed.


 
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These Easterly winds have been with us for over 3 weeks now and with temperatures just getting above zero and daily snow squalls it is a completely different season to our glorious 21 degree start last year!. We're now into April and there's still snow around !!



Large Dark Olives and Midge are coming off at lunchtime and a few out of season grayling are moving on our rivers East of the Pennines however the trout definitely have their heads down and the odd ones coming to the nymph are in need ...
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Fishing is all about learning and now that I'm out and about travelling and fishing  here and there I continue to learn.
One of the biggest  issues for me this year was sleeping over in the Jeep.

My mate JT tells a good story of kipping in the car which may ring a few bells with those that have tried !!**!!!.

I'm a bit more up market (probably age related neccessity really) and my Jeep is kitted out as a great overnighter however a few things have been improved to achieve a comfortable overnigh...
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We now have a new Info &Technical Resource page on the site which will be added to over time.
To kick things off there is:
 -  'X' Rating Tippet and Leader Selection Table (primarily for Stroft but can be used for other brands too);
 -  River brown trout length to weight ratio table to help identify the weight of that trout you returned after C&R;
-   Introduction to Tenkara article which includes a useful Tenkara leader /line size guide.

Go to Information & Technical Resouce

Hope you like it.........
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Last Friday I was fortuntate enough to be invited to coach and fish on the beautiful Derbyshire Derwent below Rowsley.
Despite high & slightly coloured water, hardly a fish showing and very little hatching we managed a respectable number of fish to the nymph and blind dries.
Both Gordon & John are now busy developing their newly learned nymphing methods and I'm looking forward to our future fishing exploits and search for local pasties !!.
At least one photo came out OK....

A derbyshire derwent...
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A beauty wild brown trout just over the pound caught by John on the dries on what was a tough day this week. 
15 minutes after this picture was taken the water came up brown and muddy...and we definitely weren't on the Mississippi !!
Hopefully this rain will ease soon and we can get back on the rivers.
In the meantime, fly & tackle orders and ventures to lakes and stillwaters are keeping us busy.


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I managed to keep hold of a couple of fantastic brown trout this week ...a 54 cm and a 58cm which fought like tigers. Lost a few others as well !!......need this rain to stop and then back on my travels.

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