J Son Website

In case anyone wants the website for the Swedish chap who ties these flies here it is:-

www.jsonsweden.com

Getting Better (I think!)

Tied up a few more sedges using the plastic membrane and burner. A grannon and another brown sedge. I don't think they are too bad, are they? Still having problems applying the right amount of heat to get the wing spot on. Will persevere, maybe the grannon needs the hackle triming underneath?

Apologies for the poor quality of the images but haven't got a macro lens and having to use photoshop to blow them up.

I am going to get this right this evening if its the last fly I tie.

Snowy Derwent

This is a similar shot to that in my header but about 6 months apart!

A Few Caddis

I have finally started to use the special winging material I purchased from the Fly Fair. The wings need to be burned so its proving a bit difficult getting the right amount of heat to weld the edges of the wing.

The above photo is a detached body sedge which the guy on the J.Son & Co stand tied on a size 12.

This second shot is my first attempt using the first decent wing I managed to burn. Its very basic but the general impression looks ok. Will have to carry on experimenting with the burner. Hopefully they will get better over the coming days. Will post a shot of the first one which makes it into my fly box!

Happy New Year to all.

No Fishing!

Weather - sleet showers, 4-6" of snow between Baslow and Sheffield over the top bad driving conditions.

Decided to watch my JT Early Season dvd instead and tie a few JT olives, will post photos if they are any good!

Alas no ladies!

Went to the Derwent after lunch above the works with Derek. Fished for couple of hours but I didn't get any grayling just a few out of season trout. Derek managed some grayling on a pink bug. The Derwent was in good condition only a few inches up but clear...ish, didn't see any fish rise so it was a couple of bugs fished up and across. It was hard fishing today only just above freezing and the odd shower but hey still better than being in work! Derek suggested we go to the Wye tomorrow weather permitting so not being one to give up an offer we agreed to view the weather tomorrow.

Bakewell 26th December

Went into Bakewell to blow the Christmas cobwebs away. The hunt came through, a lovely typical English sight, all the horses and dogs. Lots of people watching.

Tried to walk along the river but path still far too icy. There were 2 intrepid anglers but didn't catch anything whilst I was watching briefly. The river was in fine form then but now the snow has all melted and there has been a fair amount of rain so it may be up a bit now.

Hoping to get out this week as have a few days off. Will post details if I do get out.

Best wishes to all and thanks for looking in on my blog.

Grayling Society Meeting

Went to the Grayling Society meeting at the Devonshire Arms in Baslow on Tuesday evening. Mike Harding was the guest speaker who gave a good talk with some excellent tying of north country spiders, good jokes and anecdotes. Won a copy of the Jeremy Paxman book in the raffle! Spoke to David the river keeper from Cressbrook and Litton and he still can't say entomological (those who have seen the JT mayfly dvd will know what I mean!). Steve and Hilary also had an excellent time fishing in Mexico for the bonefish, see Paul Procter's blog for a brief resume. It definitley sounds like the trip of a lifetime. All in all a good meeting and worth the effort to go out on a miserable night to speak with like minded people. The next meeting is on the 19th January when Don Stazicker will be giving a talk.

Went to feed the ducks earlier today and the Derwent is still up by about 12", slightly coloured and raging through. More snow is forecast but there is only a very light sprinkling here in Baslow. Hope to get out for a few hours over the weekend weather permitting.

Checkout the video, some belters but where they setup?

A Few Hours At Last!

After numerous weeks not being able to get out of a weekend due to one thing and another finally managed a couple of hours in Chatsworth Park. The Derwent was up quite a bit and running really fast but reasonably clear with only the peaty tinge of a good malt. No fly hatching as it was nippy so decided on a couple of heavy nymphs. A beige czech nymph on the point and a watery olive shrimp on the dropper. As I walked down past the cricket pitch I could see the bank damage done by the recent floods. I started in my usual spot where I normally pick up a grayling by the stump but as the river was running so fast it was a wasted effort there. The river bed has also undergone some changes and where it was reasonably shallow, some deep holes have been scoured out.

Went down to Mary's Bower fishing close in to the bank where the current was not as fierce and got a grayling on a latex grub which had replaced the czech nymph. Also dropped one too. Changed to a pink shrimp and hoicked out a 2lb+ rainbow obviously out of season but in superb condition and quickly returned, so started to work my way back upstream. Only managed to land another grayling before brass monkey's set in and I called it a day. It was good to get out and feel the river pusing against you. Hopefully get out next weekend weather permitting!

BFFI Sunday 8th November

Went to the Fly Fair on Sunday, a good day out with some retail therapy thrown in (but don't tell Mrs P)! Numerous good tyers of all different types of fly from tiny spiders to massive pike and saltwater flies. All the usual suspects were there, Oliver Edwards, Paul Procter, Stuart Crofts, Malcolm Greenhalgh etc.
There was an excellent tyer from Sweden demostrating some wing burners and some thin film to create very realistic wings on olives to caddis, needless to say I succumbed to a caddis wing burner in a small (8-10mm) size with some corresponding film, will post some pics when I get started. Got some tiny beads in assorted colours (brown, purple, orange) which will work well on small spiders to get them down to the grayling. Also picked up some dyed muskrat in olive which always dubs well and creates good looking bodies, at least on an adams etc. so should tie up well on small olives too! Picked up a dvd from the WTT produced by Paul Gaskell of the Trout in the Town (I think) fame, providing you made a contribution of £15. A really good watch and well worth it. Also spotted some of the new John Tyzack dvd on mayflies, which looked definitely promising.
All in all a good day but I don't think there were as many people as in previous years, maybe the credit crunch is having an effect.
Not had a chance to get out on the river for any grayling yet as I tend to use the trout close season for appeasing Mrs P. although last week the Derwent was up and coloured for a few days.