My fly box has become a matter of great personal shame and I would be mortified if you, or anyone else, were to look inside it. Mercifully, there is little chance of that happening because it tends to be so well hidden that nobody is likely to come across it. Half of the time I have no idea where the thing is myself!
Continue readingCategory: Flies and fly tying
Order out of Chaos
May 11, 2025
Exploring the upper Río Ebro
Filed under: Fish and fishing, Flies and fly tying, Natural history, Other bits and bobs — 3 Comments
April 8, 2025
You may have come across a couple of posts here about the town of Reinosa, through which the Río Ebro flows. This town, in the northern province of Cantabria, has become the focus of attention for Catriona and me because we have established a little base here where we can come to stay. After a few short visits we are beginning to get a feel for the place and the countryside surrounding it. It is a good bit cooler up here than back home in Málaga and it will make a fine place to retreat to when the heat of the Andalucían summer really begins to kick in.
Continue reading →Red letter day
Filed under: Fish and fishing, Fishing reports, Flies and fly tying, Folks I know, Natural history, Other bits and bobs — Leave a comment
September 23, 2024
The black bass at Concepción can be contrary and moody creatures, given to ignoring whatever we might tie to the end of our lines to tempt them. But yesterday evening, for reasons best known to themselves, they decided that they were going to play ball. Whatever we were offering they were having it, and then some. No questions asked.
Continue reading →It takes two to tango
June 1, 2024
I just went and tied up three ridiculous flies and have hatched a plan to catch a carp on one tomorrow morning before the rest of the household have stirred from their slumbers. I have a poor record in the reservoir I will visit which is only partly down to my own ineptitude. The carp themselves are not blameless in this unfortunate state of affairs since they truth is that they cannot be relied on to show up and, without them putting in an appearance, all will come to nothing.
Continue reading →A turtle on the fly
Filed under: Fish and fishing, Fishing reports, Flies and fly tying, Natural history, Other bits and bobs — Leave a comment
May 4, 2024
I caught a turtle on the fly yesterday which probably allows me to be considered among the world´s foremost authorities on fly fishing for reptiles. It has to be said that I had no intention of catching the thing and so I cannot pretend that this outcome was the result of focused effort or cunning strategy. What happened, as you can probably figure, is that I cast a fly out in the hope of catching a black bass when this dumb turtle showed up and decided it wanted to get in on the action.
Continue reading →An Unholy Trinity
Filed under: Fish and fishing, Fishing reports, Flies and fly tying, Folks I know, Other bits and bobs — 4 Comments
April 8, 2024
I had a chance to meet up last week in Ireland with my brother Sean and our old fishing buddy Mark for a long anticipated fishing trip. This was to have been a multi-day adventure but Mark announced that he would have to cut things short due to work commitments and, naturally, he was berated by Sean and me for getting his life priorities arseways.
Continue reading →Man cave
February 11, 2024
I don´t know how long Catriona had been asking me to clear all the crap out of the loft. It was obviously a job that needed doing but, largely out of laziness, I slipped into the old “out of sight out of mind” mindset and kicked the idea into the long grass.
Continue reading →Deenish Island
February 2, 2024
My brother Sean informed me about a fish farm proposal on the south west coast of Ireland which is going to have horrible effects locally if it is allowed to go ahead. He asked that I, and any others who might have similar views, send a message of objection before a deadline for such public consultation expires on Feb 12.
Continue reading →Hit job
Filed under: Fish and fishing, Fishing reports, Flies and fly tying, Other bits and bobs — 4 Comments
October 5, 2022
I had it in mind to fish surface flies for bass on my recent outing with Steve Lawler. This can be a lot of fun if the fish are well disposed to hanging around close to the surface. For the hotter part of the summer they seem to prefer to stay deep and surface flies are likely, not only to be ignored, but very probably not even seen. But maybe in the autumn, I began to think, might they be inclined to look up?
Continue reading →Best in the world?
Filed under: Fish and fishing, Flies and fly tying, Natural history, Other bits and bobs — 8 Comments
September 11, 2022
Listen, I´m a pretty modest bloke most of the time, but it occurred to me that I might actually be the finest living exponent of the the art of fly fishing for the elusive Guadalhorce Nase. Despite my world-beating expertise I have only caught them on my last three outings to the river. The first time I took one on a dry fly and when I looked at the thing I said to myself “what the hell is that?”
Continue reading →
fishydreams 