| This page will
list a series of fishing articles. The subject
matter will be varied but will focus
particularly on fly fishing for trout, salmon and
sea trout in Scotland, the river and loch
locations, the fishing flies used and the
methods employed. The fishing articles may be
selected for viewing by clicking on a title in
the panel to the right. |
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| To
begin with, the article below tells a bit about
the origin and development of the Needle Fly, a
fishing lure devised for late night sea trout
fishingon the River Earn in Perthshire,
Scotland. Other fishing
articles, accessible from the panel on the
right,  relate to a wide variety of fishing
subjects, from fly tying step by step
illustrations to tales of fly fishing on
Scottish rivers and lochs,
for salmon, sea trout and brown trout; from some
thoughts on fly lines and Spey casting to the
making of a wading stick; The merits of catch
and release in salmon fishing; new developments
in salmon and sea trout tube fly design; angling
club waters on the
 Spey, Ness and elsewhere;
steelhead fly fishing in North America and new
tube flies to catch them; the development of the Spinhead, a new salmon fly fishing device; sea
trout fishing on the Spey, Earn, Endrick and
Avon; Gray's Loop, a new fly line leader loop;
memories of fish and fishing places in Scotland;
photographs of flies, fish and fishing locations
throughout Scotland and elsewhere; salmon and
sea
 trout catches in recent years on the Grantown association water of the River Spey;
notes on the recent development of Grays Needle
Tubes and Tube Flies for salmon, steelhead and
sea trout fishing, developed and manufactured in
Scotland by Grays of Kilsyth; a new tube fly
vice, designed to hold ultra slim needle tubes,
down to 1.5 mm outside diameter, the finest
plastic lines metal tubes currently available
commercially for fly tying; step-by-step
illustrated fly tying instructions on how to tie
a variety of trout, sea trout and salmon flies, for example traditional
patterns like the Stoat's
Tail salmon fly, Ally Gowans's Cascade, the
Mallard and Silver sea trout fly, and more
modern fly styles such as Scottish Shrimp tube
flies, Wee Monkeys, the Fiery Cascade salmon
needle tube fly, the Black & Silver sea trout
tube fly, Irish Shrimp tube flies.
 There is a
series of
articles on Sea Trout Fishing, a kind
of Sea Trout for Starters series, which may
interest those thinking about trying sea trout
night fishing,
and, recently added, a few pages
showing a selection of fly fishing photographs,
of trout, sea trout and salmon fishing locations
throughout Scotland, and some of the flies
used in their deception .... and much more on a
variety of fly fishing subjects.
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Latest Article
Step by Step tying of a Lammas Shrimp
Tube Fly. Simply dressed on fine
stainless steel needle tubes in the
Irish style, they are intended, as the
name suggests, for late summer fishing
....
more |
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fishing articles on the right >> |
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THE NEEDLE FLY
An alternative to the tube fly and Waddington for
late night sea trout fishing.
by John Gray
Picture the scene..... A night in late July. It’s
one a.m. and you are alone by a favourite fishing pool. The
river has gone quiet. You would be inclined to
 doubt
that there were any sea trout in the river if it weren’t for the
brace of two pounders in the bass at your side. You tip them out
on to the grass for another look. They shine silver in the
moonlight, fresh from the tide. They were taken well before
midnight on a size 8 Butcher, fished on a floating line. Since
then, nothing. Time for a change, for something bigger, to be
fished deeper, perhaps on a slow sinking line. Something long
and slim and not too heavy.
A look in your fly boxes reveals a variety of
fishing lures, tied over the years for just this purpose. A box
of tube flies in all shapes, sizes and materials; a selection of
Waddingtons; rows of beautiful tandem lures, sparsely dressed in
the Falkus style; a few Marchogs with their long trailing
trebles. Each, in its own way, ingenious. Each undoubtedly
effective as a sea trout fishing lure. Yet none of them quite
perfect.
The Tube
fly, though simple in design, is not the easiest thing to fit in
a fly tying vice. It also has a relatively bulky body,
particularly the commercially available plastic versions, while
thinner plastic tubing has a tendency to bend if used in longer
lengths. Metal tubes, e.g. aluminium, though thinner than the
plastic, can cut into the nylon leader if the internal plastic
core is damaged. In addition, I have always felt that the
attachment of the treble hook by means of a length of fairly
thick plastic tubing is too bulky to be entirely satisfactory.
The Waddington lure can be tied on various gauges and lengths of
wire but the attachment of the treble hook can be problematical.
The fly may have to be discarded, or, at the very least,
partially retied if the treble is damaged. Sunk lures have the
advantage of being very slim and well balanced. However, whether
tied using singles, doubles, trebles or a combination, all
involve considerable time and care in their construction and,
when damaged, will likely have to be discarded.
I sought,
therefore, to devise a sea trout fishing lure which would
overcome the shortcomings of these earlier designs while
retaining some of their best features. Such a lure would ideally
have the following characteristics:
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It should be simple to construct, in a
variety of sizes and weights, using inexpensive and readily
available materials.
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It should be easy to attach to the line or to
change at night.
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The hook should be easily replaced if
damaged, without the loss of the lure itself.
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It should be generally light in weight, even
in large sizes, so that it can be easily cast and fished
effectively on both floating and sunk fly lines.
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It should have a slim profile to give the
impression of a small fish.
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The lure should always swim in line with the
leader.
The result,
after much experimentation, was the Needle Fly.....
this
article, outlining the origin and development of the needle fly,
is continued at The Needle Fly -
Part 2 |
