popular flies at sharpley

[topbanana]

I've decided to take up fluff chucking after a trip or two here and there. So my question is, what would a reasonable selection of flies be for sharpley as this will be my main place. I'm guessing buzzers, cats whiskers in various colours, what about dry flies ? Whats classed as lures etc ? Many thanks chaps.

[Ian Alexander]

Hello Banana,
Last year was my first year fly fishing and I fished Sharpley quite a bit.

The flies that have worked well for me are, (but please remember I'm very much a beginner); Damsels, black buzzers, olive buzzers, apps bloodworms and when I've been desperate blobs and tinnies.

My best dries were CDC emergers, hoppers, daddies, sedges, grey/olive parachute, small F-flies and some small black dries that I don't know the name of...just little scruffy things.

The non-imitative patterns are usually classed as lures. These are the cat's whiskers, zonkers, fluffcats, blobs and the like.

Last summer I had some great late evenings fishing hoppers and daddies, I never caught as many as some anglers but I had a lot of fun fishing these dries.

Good luck, Ian.

[topbanana]

Thanks for your time and info Ian, very much appreciated

[L_muslibar]

Hi Nicky

As a regular at sharpley I can tell you the lakes do best with flies representing any stage of the midge life cycle, from bloodworm to the winged adult
Especially this time of year.

I'm more of a dry fly fisherman and have been known to walk away if there's nothing rising, but on days like this you'll still catch your fair share on buzzers, especially brown, black and olive. Don't rule out red buzzers though as these can work on days when all else fails.

Fish buzzers on a floating line, varying leader length - really (and I mean really) slow retrieve is the key.

My favourite method when the fish are frequently rising is a suspender buzzer (has a little foam head) which sits right in the surface. I have to say this accounts for most of my fish on sharpley, either black, brown or hares ear. It's a fly the can work throughout the year as well so always a good confidence booster. I normally fish this fly static unless the wind is towards me, in which case again - really slow retrieve, just enough to keep up with the fly.

As it start to get warmer and into the summer months I tend to go down on an evening and fish a dry sedge pattern. Just twitching it back slightly on the surface - can make them go wild on some evenings.

These are my favourite patterns - there's are many others that have success on the day

[topbanana]

Thanks liam, I done a bit surface fishing last sunday up at whinney loch and its exciting fishing. My mates a bit of a purist when it comes to that lol. Thanks again for your time mate.

[jimmy]

black buzzers with either orange, white , yellow or fluoro green cheeks size 10 -16 on the point for me, daiwl bach on middle dropper and a nice olive nymph on the top dropper, fished from a 16 ft leader and fished static. if the fish are taking lures, yellow,blue or picric dancers for me ( mini )

[jimmy]

one other thing mate, if you are not catching and others are, ASK what they are catching on and what size, go into the lodge and ask Davey Mordu to tie you some of those flies, top lad is Davey

[pottsy]

If they are taking off the top I find these successful.



Same fly, different colour cdc to use in low light conditions. I tie them in a variety of sizes too.



If they are taking just under the surface thats when these work



Its just a wicked white buzzer (you can use any buzzer pattern) with a bit of fluoro tied in with some egg yarn to keep it floating.

Ali

[topbanana]

Thanks a lot lads and lasses, much appreciated. I had a bash yday and there was'nt a lot happening for the majority. Anyway I got one about 3/3 and half lb on a blue zonker. To be honest I just picked the most outrageous thing in me mates box lol.

[mick dunn]

I still cannot figure it out after over three seasons. I just try different things. seen few fish caught on mayfly imitations when they hatch but struggled with dry flies.