12th January 2016
So it has been a month since my last post and alot has happened in this, somewhat, short time. Firstly, i am writing this on my phone, limited to my phone for internet due to moving house i have been somewhat pushed away from some of the people i have come to know since i began fly fishing last year. Hopefully when BT figure a way to get internet past the tree roots on my street then i will be sorted. Secondly, and i will post pictures once i have internet on my PC, we have had 6 major storms since me and Mike asked for a bit more water in the river. One lf which broke all records and caused 20-30foot rise in the Irwells river level. Now, floods are natural, but they can be managed better, i won't go into my case on urbanisation and deforestation (even if its a coiple of riverside trees i don't mean like in the amazon).
The unnatural thing about the floods is the amount of rubbish left behind and the numerous bikes and other objects that i removed from the river last year are all in vain as the river is now inandated with tonnes and tonnes of not just rubbish but massive metal objects, ripped away from there bankside lies. The river has changed shape, tonnes of silt deposited has changed the river with channels formed and a total removal of a tiny side stream feeding 'big fish pool', again pictures will be posted once i have got internet on my pc.
So what have i done in my spare time, well moving house is stressful enough, especially balancing a higher rent. But one thing i didn't expect to get into this soon was fly tying. Now, i had been talking to Mike F about it for a while and i began to develop an itch. After trying to find a vice another friend of mine, Mike J messaged me he had a vice he had. Having kept hold of it for a month while i moved house and sorted some finances i bought the vice and he kindly threw in a few materials to get me started. Mike F kindly tool me to a Bolton fly tying meeting and showed me how to tie my first fly, i soon realised i needed to wear my glasses. Something i haven't sone since i left my best pair in college 7 years ago. Now with the 'spare pair' with slightly bent arms from playdates with my daughter they offer me greater vision on such a tiny work space. I tied 6 of the fly Mike showed me to tie, a pheasant tail nymph, and i was pleased with the result. Was great to finally get going and with a ideology of 6 flies of each tied, it gave me a basis to work on.
Now i have been watching a good few videos and have enjoyed watch Davie McPhail on youtube, he doesn't mind leaving little tags so gave my confidence in not being 100% neat, something Mike F had told me about a highly respected fishermans fly tying being not about neatness but catching fish. After watching a video of him tying a polish nymph i decided to have a crack, having only pheasant tails featherwise, except CDC, it allowed me stick with something i knew. I had a couple of issues with the dubbing not staying on the thread as well as i would of like, a frayed thread as it caugjt on the hook end, and the whip finish getting stuck behind the bead causing the final pull through to be a little tough. All in all it turned out well and i am looking forward to whatever i choose to tie next.
To conclude, most of you who have followed my blog know of a couple of flies that got demolished last year to a point were they fell apart, well i kept these and what was left of them and was considering, especially the adams, doing a repair job, the adams was basically stripped of dubbing and the depth charge,well, all that is left is the superheavy bead but i have tinsel and black dubbing to restore it to the depth charge!
Blog images here (can't upload from phone)
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