[clark]

Hi guys, hadn't posted in a long time so i thought i would ask you a quetion that most people will be spinning thruogh their heads every time they go fishing over the winter months. What is your best catching winter fly ??? Now dont be keeping back the details like one fellow angler did to me last moth and said  " am usin nymphs mate"....... thats all he said 

[Mike Livingstone]

My favourite winter fly is the one I am tying at that time with a glass of whisky beside it!

I am not much of a winter fisher but when I do it is probably a size 16 tungsten goldhead hares ear.

[Jim Eddie]

As a traditionalist , I fish the traditional Cats Whisker 

 

Jim

[Barry Robertson]

Traffic light cormorant , closely followed by a Corneto 

[Paul Garrigan]

I have always done well with cats whiskers and boobies but recently i have been using aps bloodworms. They seem to pick up fish all year.
GRHE is always a safe bet too. Fished very slow on an intermediate. 

[Rob Brownfield]

A red hook with 3 to 8 turns of red wire, depending on the depth I want.

Will sometimes coat the whole thing in ultra violet reflective nail varnish for an extra pull.

[TROUT-SALMON]

My Favourite Winter fly is Aps bloodworm i do well all year round with this fly 
Tyler

[Jim Eddie]

Apps Blood worm works well for me at Haddo and Waulkmill , never had a touch on it at Braeside , though I have had Wild Brownies on it at Fedderate.

 

Jim

[GARYBOY]

probably cats whisker or yellow dancer   either that or my BRIGHT pink bunny leech

[Jay Scott]

A sunburst damsel 


Jay

[Iain Goolager]

In the absence of surface activity the Apps is a banker for me too.

[clark]

WoW ! I think thats the most replies i've ever had to a post before I must admit that and apps blood worm is also a really banker for me with hares ear and black buzzer close behind it 

clark

[Iain Goolager]

Just thought I'd make myself unpopular.........................

what's the story with the Apps (ok it's not an Apps but a variant) that has a beaded body - that's ugly and not cricket.

[clark]

I think its just to give that wee extra bit of attraction  Certainly the beads i use have a reflection shiny coatin on them which glistens when is in the water but who knows what was going on in the head of the person ??? we probably never know 

clark

[Jim Eddie]

Just thought I'd make myself unpopular.........................

what's the story with the Apps (ok it's not an Apps but a variant) that has a beaded body - that's ugly and not cricket.

Iain

Cricket is a game played in America I think, its a bit like rounders  Now I've clarified that for you  Here's  my take on the beaded bloodworm or any other similar variant fly which could cause angst.

1. If any fly or variant is banned from a Loch , River Beat or fishery absolutley no problem with that, stick to the rules.

2. If its not banned do what Jimminy Cricket says and let your consience be your guide 

3. Even I have my limits as to what I will and won't use  but I have a live and let live attitude to others who have their own limits   

 

Jim       

[Iain Goolager]

Jimminy,

Any pattern using more than one bead (two small small beads tied perpendracula to the hook shank is accepted  ) is a crass abuse of our devolved rights to tie flies.

Any fish feasting on something from Beaverbrooks window deserves to get eaten!

Iain

[Mike Barrio]

Photo of one of these beaded bloodworms please gentlemen

Two of my fly suppliers do some that sound like what you are discussing, I've been daft enough to have ordered them in the past ...... and they ended up in the swingbin

Cheers
Mike

PS: The simplest of Apps bloodworm are the ones that produce the most fish. Small ones with very fine rubber ( legs / arms?)

[Rob Brownfield]

I am supprised the Apps is not banned on every water...Terrible "fly"...anything that wraps itself around a fish and swims to the side before flipping it onto the bank is wrong Looks like a HUGE great fish eating beastie

But the Apps does look just like the real thing 

[Mike Barrio]

Yep, that's the one

Usually tied with the legs way too short, but that ones not bad, the movement seems to be the attraction and short legs don't move enough. To improve on the above version, get rid of all the beads, or maybe keep just one as a hotspot ..... and use a small barbless hook and the thinnest rubber you can find which will improve the mobility, buzzer type hooks are good for this fly.

Cheers
Mike

[Barry Robertson]

Photo of one of these beaded bloodworms please gentlemen

Two of my fly suppliers do some that sound like what you are discussing, I've been daft enough to have ordered them in the past ...... and they ended up in the swingbin

Cheers
Mike

PS: The simplest of Apps bloodworm are the ones that produce the most fish. Small ones with very fine rubber ( legs / arms?)

[/glow]

This is only an opinion of course Mike and not a fact 
Not to be controversial but i think the apps with all the legs are popular for a reason, but again its all down to self confidence at the end of the day!
If you feel that a skimpy bloodworm is the best for you then skimpy it is but on there day a big apps is just as deadly 
Best to have them both in your box 

[Barry Robertson]

Here is a fact!
The top rod at this years Sharps at Inch was won by someone fishing a leggy apps under a bung 

[Mike Barrio]

Yep, that's the one

Usually tied with the legs way too short, but that ones not bad, the movement seems to be the attraction and short legs don't move enough. To improve on the above version, get rid of all the beads, or maybe keep just one as a hotspot ..... and use a small barbless hook and the thinnest rubber you can find which will improve the mobility, buzzer type hooks are good for this fly.

Cheers
Mike

Hi Baz

Yes, as per above quote, IMVHO the fly is more productive when it is "leggy"

There are way too many flies nowadays that include multiple beads, polystyrene and foam etc in them. I personally would have no problem with this if the folk that fish with them could be 100% sure that they won't break off and leave the fly in the fish ...... but obviously this is not the case.

This is why flies like boobies, sugar cubes, propellors and foam daddies etc are not allowed on most waters and to be honest, most fishery managers were reasonably OK with allowing anglers to use "bungs/indicators" for fishing with buzzers ( myself included ) but with the recent surge of fishing Cats, Fritz, Bunny Leeches, Yellow Dancers, Apps Bloodworms, Blobs, WSWs and many other lures under a "Bung/indicator" ......... I assure you that we are all seriously considering stopping "Bung/indicator" fishing on our waters altogether

Best wishes
Mike

[Ben Dixon]

There are way too many flies nowadays that include multiple beads, polystyrene and foam etc in them. I personally would have no problem with this if the folk that fish with them could be 100% sure that they won't break off and leave the fly in the fish ...... but obviously this is not the case.
This is why flies like boobies, sugar cubes, propellors and foam daddies etc are not allowed on most waters and to be honest, most fishery managers were reasonably OK with allowing anglers to use "bungs/indicators" for fishing with buzzers ( myself included ) but with the recent surge of fishing Cats, Fritz, Bunny Leeches, Yellow Dancers, Apps Bloodworms, Blobs, WSWs and many other lures under a "Bung/indicator" ......... I assure you that we are all seriously considering stopping "Bung/indicator" fishing on our waters altogether

Hi Mike,
What in your opinion constitutes an indicator or bung and is Haddo totally "foam free" or is it just boobies that are banned?  Not trying to be  controversial here but I am fairly sure I could tie a Klink or G & H sedge big enough to support a gold head blob, a Klink with a large yellow & pink post would be as visible as a fish pimp or thingamabollocks indicator.  Is it the method that is the issue for you or the "hardware" usually used by those fishing the method, eg foam flies?  I would ban blue or red hooks but there again, I am bitter & twisted 

Baz, PM me your adress and I will send you something on condition that you give them a review and we get some pics.

Cheers

Ben

[Jay Scott]

I agree... New Zealand style has by far been my most productive method this year and somehow using an indicator  seemed to put the fish off. Got a good amount on the dry fly too  . Sedgehog seems to work well however the newer sparser flies dont work as well 


Jay

[Mike Barrio]

Hi Mike,
What in your opinion constitutes an indicator or bung and is Haddo totally "foam free" or is it just boobies that are banned?  Not trying to be  controversial here but I am fairly sure I could tie a Klink or G & H sedge big enough to support a gold head blob, a Klink with a large yellow & pink post would be as visible as a fish pimp or thingamabollocks indicator.  Is it the method that is the issue for you or the "hardware" usually used by those fishing the method, eg foam flies?  I would ban blue or red hooks but there again, I am bitter & twisted 

Baz, PM me your adress and I will send you something on condition that you give them a review and we get some pics.

Cheers

Ben

Hi Ben

Anything that you add to your kit to act as an indicator that is not a fly would more or less sum it up I guess

I have always been pretty open minded on this subject Ben and have tried not to put too many limitations on folks enjoyment of the sport ..... "live and let live" Currently, Boobies, flickers, spinners and propellor type flies are not allowed within the rules at Haddo, but I also try to explain the problems associated with using multiple beads, polystyrene and foam etc to anglers whenever the rules are discussed in an effort to reduce their use.

The issues are mainly to do with fish health and condition Ben, nobody likes to catch fish with damaged mouths or that are out of condition due to blocked stomachs. Striking too hard with overgunned rods is a very common problem associated with these issues.

I'm glad you mention Klinks and G&H Sedges ( I'll add Sedgehogs ) ...... as for some reason, when folk adopt similar fishing tactics by using a buoyant fly, eg fishing "New Zealand Style", they do not fish in such an aggressive fashion and in my experience they do not appear to harm the fish so much.

This is a huge topic Ben and not one that I can answer easily on the forum, but suffice it to say that this is as much about attitudes towards the fish as anything else

Best wishes
Mike