Caddis Pupae

A bunch of caddis pupae for a swap. Although the swap is in the UK the flies are of a local pattern that has turned to be successful on Ohře, one of the most enigmatic of Czech rivers.

Memories of BFFI 2011

This year was my first as a featured tier at the British Fly Fair International, and in addition I was invited to give a presentation on tying the Czech style nymphs in the Fly Tying Theatre. No wonder the show left me with some very strong memories.

I was tying next to Scott Kane from Scotland, a true gentleman and a genuine master of the Clyde style fly dressing, and Roger Salomonsson of Sweden, a versatile tier of both Trout and Tarpon flies. It was both inspiring and fun company.

It was good to meet with a fellow East European tier Stoyan Filipov (who - unlike the civilized Britons, appreciates the qualities of a fine Sliwovitz) and the fly tying legend Alice Conba.

I met with Patrick Del Fatti from Switzerland, an unassuming gentleman and a wet fly tier of uncompromising perfection.

I truly appreciated the full dress Salmon flies tied entirely in hand by Jens Pilgaard. Jens is truly unique in being able to change his personality from tweed clad English country gentleman to a bare chested Viking blacksmith (and back again).

And for the whole BFFI weekend I was truly grateful for the warm welcome of the UK Fly Dressing Forum gang, who graciously made a stranger with a foreign accent truly welcome.

Almost ready for the BFFI...

... just hope the customs people don't come asking me funny questions at the airport. The contents of my bag might be hard to explain to the uninitiated :)

Lost & Found

A friend came visiting to the Czech Republic, a great chap I had been in contact via the internet and whom I hoped to finally meet in person. Alas, I was detained by other obligations and we missed each other.

A few days after his leaving I went fishing the river Kamenice. While working a very fishy pool in the Frenchy nymph style I felt a strike; but when I set the hook I found out I had not hooked a fish, just a very tangled leader. When I examined it in detail I found that it had still some flies attached - and from just one look at the flies I knew they were left there by a particular Scotsman. So here is one for Mr. Craig McDonald from Glasgow :)

The fish of Kamenice

I am spending a few days on Kamenice. I managed to catch the four salmonid species present in the river during a single day: the Grayling (my all time favorite), Brown trout, and two introduced species: Rainbow trout and Brook trout. All of them could be persuaded to take a dry fly, which was even more fun.

Redheads

I was told men find redheads sexy. Now the $1000 question: do trout as well?

The tie:
Dohiku 301 #14 hook
brown UNI thread
Coq de León tails
tan Muskrat dubbing
UNI Pearl Tinsel, counterribed
3-4 CDC feathers
scruffy Hare dubbing, well teased out
red Danville thread, 70 dernier just for the head

The Green Fairy

One has but to wonder how the French came to invent the famous leader technique: since no reliable history is known perhaps I might be allowed to fantasy that it is came as a thujone induced hallucination out of a dark recess of a twisted mind...

To keep with my Absinthe inspired idea I decided to call this little creation the Green Fairy.

The tie:
#14 Dohiku 302 wet fly hook
2.0 mm tungsten bead copper
14/0 Sheer thread gray
tail of grizzly rooster
home dyed peacock quill - Olive
home dyed rabbit fur - Hot Orange