I’d like to take this opportunity to update you all to a few changes happening here at Fly Fishing in South Wales; to those of you who have been following the blog for the last four-and-a-half years or to those who are visiting for their first time.

As most of you know, the forum area of this website can be a little clunky and quirky to use and, from my standpoint, it can also be an absolute nightmare to update in the background – my working life is filled with such IT technicalities and, as such, I try to make sure that my ‘off-time’ isn’t. Hey, instead of burying my head in PHP code attempting to de-bug an issue I could be out fishing or tying.

Anyway, I digress…because of the above clunky/quirkiness’, I’ll soon be separating the blog and forum areas into two separate entities. What will this mean to you, the loyal members of FFISW I hear you ask?

What this mean to you…

First off, the downside of installing a totally separate and stand-alone forum will mean you will all be required to register with the new forum, however, the new forum software is a world apart from the current PainInTheAss Version 3.0 which FFISW is currently running. It will offer much more functionality including better support for images, personal messaging, etc.

Also, and in order to makes things a little simpler for both you and I, I’ll be purging all users from the blog. Unfortunately this will mean that should you like to comment on a particular blog-post (which I really hope you continue to do) you’ll be required to enter a name and email address each time. In a positive light, however, it’ll mean you only have one account to manage instead of two.

New Updates Coming Soon

As well as the new forum, I’ll be tweaking the site a hell of a lot over the coming months and, if successful with a few personal development quests that I’m currently undertaking, I’ll be able to offer a range of professional game angling services next year. More on this to follow in due course.

Most Importantly, Thank You!

Lastly, I’d like to thank you all for your continued support and that you actually enjoy reading what I write here at FFISW. Whether you enjoy my rambling, the tying, or just drop in from time to time, my biggest thanks. Personally, I’ve met some fantastic people because of FFISW and have made a few life-long friends. Because of that, it’s been a pleasure to keep FFISW going for all these years.

More news will follow when all is ready with the new forum, but until then, my most sincerest thanks for visiting and I hope you keep reading and commenting.

All the best,

With a touch of orange in the mid section of this reversed para emerger I feel that this artificial would replicate the Pale Watery ephemera (Baetis fuscatus) rather nicely, however, current abdominal colouration should match the Olive Upright (Rhithrogena semicolorata) fairly well; either way, this is room for further improvement but I don’t think it’ll matter too much to the trout.

Testing of this pattern will be carried out this coming weekend with a few guests.

Hook: Partridge K14ST (Oliver Edwards Nymph Emerger), #18
Thread: Roman Moser Power Silk 10/0, olive
Tails: 6x Whiting Midge Saddle, medium dun fibres
Body (bottom half): A mix of SLF Masterclass #09 Ephemera Danica and #02 Baetis Green Olive
Body (top half): SLF Masterclass #02 Baetis Green Olive
Rib: Monofilament, 4lb
Thorax: A mix of SLF Masterclass #09 Ephemera Danica and #02 Baetis Green Olive
Wing: Whiting Midge Saddle, medium dun

With the end of the trout season fast approaching we anglers rush to the rivers, streams and lakes like crack-addicts rushing shuffling to the nearest drug-rehabilitation clinic for their weekly allowance of Methadone. As it was also the Boss’ birthday a week of annual leave was booked and the relaxation/party begun…with a few fishing trips squeezed in for good measure I might add.

For some time now I’ve been of the opinion that my fishing life is too rudely interrupted by that of my working life. Instead of sitting in front of damned computer monitors all day long I could be stood in a river casting to a rising fish all the while being gently cooled by a light breeze instead of a hell-spawned rickety old office fan.

Instead of hearing the sounds of gently chattering waters I’m assaulted greeted with the wonderful sound of multiple server fans, whirring loudly in their non-climate-controlled server cabinets at the height of summer; instead of hearing the bird’s summer song I’m kicked (quite literally) in the nuts by whining IT support calls querying as to why, for example, they’re unable to turn their monitors on. At the risk of sounding totally honest sarcastic, it could be something to do with the unauthorised convector heater you’ve plugged into the socket where your monitor’s power cable plug used to be; and yes, I said convector heater, and yes, I know it’s the height of summer; such are the levels of stupidity I am duty bound to endure.

Such levels of annoyance are reduced by said annual leave and it was a fine week away from work responsibilities with much fun, beer and the even saw the odd fish oblige; I was lucky enough to be able to fit in a little more exploration on the new stream (Stream ‘B’) and also a nice short trip away for my better half’s birthday.

Sunday 22nd August: Further Exploration of Stream ‘B’

The stream of skulls…

Mark’s first fish of the day, a stonking 12″ wild brown trout

Finally, levels are up after a decent amount of rain and everything is refreshed at long last

Beauty with spots

Mark fishing ‘The Tunnel Pool’…

…and our slightly nervous journey through it…

…five minutes later (and after a lengthly discussion on how to get above the rapids) we’re safely out the other side

Nature abounds

Another ‘never been hooked before’ beauty for Mark

High waters

Yours truly beginning a cast

Hidden beauty

Sunday 24th August: Exploration Done, It’s Time for Relaxation With Stream ‘B’

The hike down to the stream and, this time, via one of the valley’s gentler slopes

White-tipped perfection

Spooky fish hold in the smooth, gentle glides…

…and only the most delicate of patterns will do, a Blue Winged Olive Reverse Parachute Emerger…

…the result: six wild brown trout.

Sparkling riffles and glorious glides abound…

…and hold similarly glorious trout.

Klinkhamers and greedy trout

Sunday 25th/26th August: Tenby

What British summer on the beach looks like…

The rain lifts…time for the pub…

Restaurants, shops and pubs hide well down the narrow alleys of Tenby harbor…

Couldn’t help it…FFISW.COM

Cliff-top vantage point

A windy morning but the gulls seem unaffected

Sunday 27th August: Return To The Home Stream

My glorious glorious home stream and where my thoughts are constantly fixed…

Autumn Dun (Ecdyonurus dispar)

One of the many obliging fish of the day, this one violently rose to a Klinkhamer

Riffley perfection

BWO RPE…

…and a trout that wanted to eat it

I’ve put a little more time into improving my tying of the Reverse Parachute Emerger (RPE) lately and, this time, have employed SLF’s Masterclass dubbing for the body and thorax instead of the pheasant tail fibres and Superfine dubbing incorporated into my previous pattern.

I’ve been tweaking this pattern in order to replicate the emerging small blue winged olives we are still enjoying on the small streams here in South Wales. Let me put you under no illusion, after 20 fish brought to hand in near enough as many minutes (which resulted in a very messed up looking RPE) I can only deduce that the trouty inhabitants of our beautiful tributaries give this pattern the thumbs up.

Hook: Partridge K14ST (Oliver Edwards Nymph Emerger), #18
Thread: Roman Moser Power Silk 10/0, olive
Tails: 3x dyed olive pheasant tail fibres
Body: SLF Masterclass, #02 Baetis Green Olive
Rib: Monofilament, 4lb
Thorax: SLF Masterclass, #01 Baetis Brown Olive
Wing: Whiting Midge Saddle, medium dun

The venues…

…the results…

Inspired by the mighty Roy Christie last weekend at the North Wales Country Fair, and after our over-a-beer chat regarding all things fly tying (there were others present, it wasn’t a date), it is time I pushed myself to tie his revolutionary pattern, the Reverse Parachute Emerger.

Fly tiers come and go, but true pioneers live forever. Like messrs Sawyer (for his legendary Pheasant Tail Nymph) and Van Klinken (for the world altering Klinkhåmer) before him, I believe Mr Christie’s patterns will live long after we are gone and that this fantastic pattern is a true eye opener in fly tying innovation.

Incorporating a monofilament paraloop to neatly hold the hackle, the pattern (as its name suggests) is tied in reverse with the tail at the hook’s eye and the head at the curve of the hook. Of course, this style of tying dictates that the hook’s eye is pushed through the surface-film and, as a consequence, a small amount of tippet is also buried…fantastic, I think you’ll agree, for overly spooky trout.

This is a pattern that just needs to be seen to be believed and which is also buoyant enough in all but the most turbulent of waters. Cast it into a gentle glide where fish can be just that little bit too cautious, it simply excels. Best of all, the RPE pattern can be tied to suit any style of emerger, simply match the colour of your artificial to that of your local water’s inhabiting invertebrates and you can’t go wrong. For example, I’ve tied the below pattern to match the emerging Blue Winged Olives of our streams here in South Wales.

A true classic and inspired tying.

Hook: Partridge K14ST (Oliver Edwards Nymph Emerger), #18
Thread: Roman Moser Power Silk 10/0, olive
Tails: 3x dyed olive pheasant tail fibres
Body: 3x dyed olive pheasant tail fibres
Rib: Monofilament, 4lb
Thorax: Superfine, Blue Winged Olive
Wing: Whiting Midge Saddle, medium dun