It seems that the Pink Shrimp Czech Nymph has become synonymous with grayling fishing over recent years; to do one without the other almost seems strange to many an anglers, myself included. To go fishing without any of these patterns seems to lessen my confidence.

The question still abounds, ‘why do grayling love the colour pink?’ In the pink shrimp it’s fairly obvious, as our rivers do hold a number of these fresh water shrimps; however, it’s now a regular occurrence to see row after row of patterns in many angler’s fly boxes sporting patterns with pink bodies, pink thoraxes, pink ribs, etc. One theory regularly discussed on the riverbank is whether the grayling (bottom feeders by default) think the pink, shiny shades resemble eggs. Another theory of course, is that this so called ‘Lady of the Stream’ is just that…a lady…and like her human counterparts (with their love for all things bags and shoes), she loves a bit of flashy bling! Of course, I couldn’t possibly comment on such a sexist theory! All I know is…pink works.

Personally, I opt to fish the pink shrimp on the middle dropper in a team of three, with the point fly and top dropper usually comprising of more natural, drabber Czech nymph patterns. My thinking is that, should the fluorescent brightness of the fly turn the fish away, whether the fish heads up or down, there’ll be a more natural pattern close by to act as a backup. That’s my way of thinking anyway…whether it’s right or not, it gives me a little confidence.

So, onto the step-by-step…

Hook: Partridge Authentic Czech Nymph, Size #8
Ballast: Adhesive Lead Foil
Thread: Sheer 14/0, white
Shellback: Hends Shellback, Fluorescent Pink
Rib: Tippet material, 7lb
Body: Wapsi Sow-Scude dubbing, Shrimp Pink

Czech Nymph – The Ingredients…dubbing, shellbacks, adhesive lead, and ribbing materials. Easy.

1. After mounting the hook in the vice we first need to add our weight…

2. For the weight, we’ll be using adhesive lead foil. Cut one strip approximately 1.5mm in width…

3. Apply two layers of lead foil to the hook but it’s important that we start to create the body taper at this stage. Notice that the first layer is shorter than the length of our intended body, and the second layer of lead is shorter again at only four segments in length.

4. Enter the thread 1mm or so behind the eye and work back in touching turns to the rear of the hook. We only need one layer of thread – this will stop the dubbing (when we get to it later) from slipping around the lead. Note, keep the taper going. It’s important that both the rear and the front of the fly are thinner than the body. Below, we can see a nice slim taper thanks to the preparation made in the above steps.

5. Tie-in the shellback at the rear, and bring the thread forward to the mid-point of the body in touching turns. Enter the rib at this point, and bring the thread back to the rear of the fly ready for the dubbing stage.

6. You can add the dubbing using your preferred method, however, for a spikier effect, I like to split the thread and spin the dubbing. As shown below, the dubbing has been entered and the thread spun.

7. Spinning your dubbing really forces it to stand out. Don’t worry if there seems too much dubbing at the moment, we can clean up later. Bring the shell back forward and tie off at the eye.

8. Lastly, counter-wind the rib up to the eye and tie-off. At this stage we can now teas-out any additional fibres or remove any if there are too many. Varnish, and we’re done. Simple.

At the beginning, I mentioned that it was important to keep a tight taper at the butt-end of the fly. The natural has one…so the pattern has one too. From the below image, you can see ‘carrot-like’ taper starting at the butt.

By varying our materials and colours, a wide range of Czech Nymph patterns are easily possible. Tweaking the odd trigger or too, and the effects can cover the many naturals present in your home waters.

Olive Czech Nymph with Flash Rib – Here we have a secondary under-rib which adds an additional flash trigger. 

Brown Czech Nymph with Hotspot

Gammarus Czech Nymph with Parasitic Hotspot

Calling All Step-By-Step Fans!!!

I’m aiming to do at least one fly tying step-by-step per month, so if there is any pattern you’ve seen on either Fly Fishing in South Wales or Gareth Lewis Fly Fishing which you’d like to see covered, please do let me know and I’ll add it to the list. Contact me by clicking here or simply leave a reply/comment at the bottom of this blog post.

Coming up in the next step-by-step, the mighty X-Caddis. The X-Caddis, developed by Craig Matthews of West Yellowstone, Montana in the early 1980′s, is a fantastic pattern for both small stream and large river when emerging caddis are being taken. This simple but deadly pattern works for trout and grayling and is a HUGE(!) personal favourite. A pattern not to be left at home and one which has accounted for literally hundreds of my fish in just the last few seasons. Stay tuned!

Coming up next – The mighty X-Caddis…

All patterns mentioned in the above blog post are available via The Fly Shop at Gareth Lewis Fly Fishing.

Playing around with a few new jig patterns this evening, I was after something with a little more mobility and so I got the CDC out for a play. Keeping with the traditional jig make-up, this pattern keeps a slim taper in order to sink at it’s optimum rate, but I feel the addition of CDC gives it a nice added touch of movement. The rib was just something I had on the tying desk, but adds just the right amount of flash. Adding a flash-back/belly is another option, but I like the way this basic pattern has turned out.

There’s nothing really ‘new’ about this type of pattern, but shows just how versatile and open to ‘personal touch’ jig patterns are. Apologies for the lousy picture quality…the SLR is packed away so I grabbed the compact for a couple of quick shots.

Hook: FTB “J” Hook, Size 14
Bead: 3.5mm Tungsten, gold
Thread: Sheer 14/0, black
Tails: Partridge fibres, grey
Rib: Small UTC Ultra Wire, Red
Abdomen: Hare’s Ear, olive
Hackle: CDC, khaki
Thorax: Superfine dubbing (in split thread), brown-olive

It’s been a busy ol’ weekend. As a number of you know, I’m resident of the lovely Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales – which sits snugly at the top of the South Wales valleys and at the base of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Okay, so our snow levels are nowhere near the levels seen on the Continent, etc, but when the snow does fall ‘heavily’, our elevation in comparison to the lower climbs of Cardiff, etc, does give ‘some’ a wake-up call. Schools close, roads grind to a halt, bread and milk sell-out in every shop and supermarket, and all-out panic kicks-in due to the impending Snow-Apocalypse (why bread and milk? Is that all people eat and drink when snowed-in?!) RUN! SAVE YOURSELVES!!!

I’ve never been much of a fan when it comes to panic. I suppose it comes down to my good looking lighthearted and laid back attitude. ‘The house is on fire? Let me just grab a coffee and I’ll have a look.’

Anyway, I digress. To my post!

Thanks to the snows, I opted to take the safe route and not go hiking in the Beacons this weekend, although I would’ve easily jumped at the chance if thrown even a hint of optimism by either the better-half or a hiking partner. Training for the TrekFest event coming up needs to continue but, unfortunately, my immediate area was ground-central for the Met Office’s Red/Severe Weather Warning alert. Best stay at home then. Instead, Saturday was spent pouring over maps and planning my route for next weekend. I also managed to get quite a few fly orders finished up …getting trapped-in has never been so productive!

The roads were starting to become passable on Sunday, so Liam and I decided to descend into the warmer (almost tropical) -1°C temps of  lower Taff. The day was a cold affair of cold fingers and toes, but we did the leg work and caught a number of rather nice looking grayling. All of my fish took a pink shrimp pattern on the middle dropper (stay tuned for a step-by-step post to follow this week) and fished as part of a team of three Czech nymphs in a short-line fashion.

British Fly Fair International 2013

I’ve recently been invited to this year’s British Fly Fair International (BFFI)! Chuffed to bits with my second invite and can’t wait for June! Planning is now well under way and the show will undoubtedly be, once again, bigger and better than ever. The 11th BFFI will be taking place on the weekend of 22nd & 23rd June 2013. There’ll obviously be a number of posts to follow regarding this, but I’m looking forward to getting down and dirty regarding everything small stream and main-stem river fishing and the flies needed to tackle both types of water bodies! I’ll also be selling flies at discounted prices again this year, and I’ll have a number of selection boxes with me for those wishing to purchase rather than chat tying. Either way, both bases will be covered.

New Patterns Coming Soon at The Fly Shop

Lastly, I’ll be adding a new selection of micro flies to The Fly Shop this coming weekend. I’m just finishing up the macro shots for them and, once complete, we’ll be ready to rock! Remember, there’s still a 10% discount on all order placed up until January 31st. Simply enter HAPPY2013 on the Shopping Cart page.

A few shots from the weekend past…

One of the dozen grayling, this one taking a pink shrimp on the middle dropper…

And the pattern itself – The Pink Shrimp (step-by-step to follow)…

…and the rear of the fly. A smooth taper is SO important on Czech Nymphs (more to follow int he step-by-step)…

The -1°C temperatures must have been to the liking of the olives, as quite a flurry hatched around 1pm…

And back to The Fly Shop…the below size #28 Caenis Spinner photo didn’t make the cut – You can see the tails are out of alignment and so not up to scratch…I’ll nail it on the next picture…

…and lastly, the mighty Rim’s Semblance 2 (aka, RS2) in olive, size #24; soon to be added to the shop…

More ‘harsh terrain’ training in prep for June’s mammoth charity hike took place on Saturday and, this time, we decided to make things a little harder by deciding to take on the Brecon Beacons Horseshoe Ridge route and by adding on an additional 1.4miles. This pushed the day’s route to 10.4 miles. I believe the saying goes something like “Practice Hard, Play Easy”…that was the idea anyway. Thankfully, the weather decided to give s a helping hand and made things even tougher…

The terrain for the day was to be a mix of steep climbs, mountain paths, as well as a mix of scrub and boggy marshland. Add to that approximately 20ft of visibility throughout most of the day, gale force winds, -0°C temperatures, ice, snow (even our water bottles started freezing up)…well, you get the picture. It was harsh. Proper harsh.

That said, the winds did die down and the fog did dissipate, and we got to enjoy some amazing views! A tiring trek, but still no blisters…so it looks like we’re going to have to push harder again next week…

Training Distance Covered To Date- 17.4miles

The route – Brecon Beacons Horseshoe Ridge, plus some! 10.4 miles…

Heading off from the car at the Lower Neuadd, and conditions were as foggy as last week. Unable to see the ridge we were headed for, we hit the map for directions… — Lower Neuadd Reservoir, Brecon Beacons.

The fog cleared for a few seconds, and we could see the route we had taken was bang on target…but things were about to get steep! — Ascending Graig Fan Ddu, Brecon Beacons.

Did I mention the first climb was steep? We practically reverted to using our hands to ascend…it was a tough slog. The gale force winds were so strong a waterfall was actually blow back UP the mountain! So tired on the climb, I didn’t both with a photo! — Gareth Rowlands ascending Graig Fan Ddu, Brecon Beacons.

On the summit of Graig Fan Ddu, and a 2 mile hike across Rhiw yr Ysgyfarnog and Craig Gwaun Taf before before hitting our target of Bwlch Duwynt. — Graig Fan Ddu, Brecon Beacons.

Things started getting a little cold. Even our walking poles started icing up! — Craig Gwaun Taf, Brecon Beacons.

As I said, things started getting cold… — Craig Gwaun Taf, Brecon Beacons.

Finally at Bwlch Duwynt, we stop for a break and realise both of our packs have iced up… — Bwlch Duwynt, Brecon Beacons.

If this was a movie, it’d probably be called “The Most Awesome Hiker Known to Man”. Before hitting Corn Du, we decide to add three miles to our 7.4 mile journey by heading down to the Storey Arms burger stand… — Descending Bwlch Duwynt, Brecon Beacons.

Just below the Storey Arms Outdoor Centre, there’s a burger stand. Probably the best burger stand in the world! — Storey Arms Outdoor Education Centre.

From the Storey Arms we head up Y Gyrn trail towards Corn Du. This trail wasn’t too bad, but the final 73 meters to the summit was HARD. With the ice and gale force winds really becoming a problem we practically reverted to ‘crawling’ tactics — Y Gyrn Trail, Brecon Beacons.

We didn’t take any photos on Corn Du due to the high winds. It was tough to even take a step forward at several occasions. Here Gareth Rowlands (also taking part in the 54miler) hits the summit of Pen y Fan. — Pen Y Fan summit

Yours truly on the summit…

Pen y Fan, 886m/2907ft. Second time in two weeks…

It got THAT cold, that our water bottles actually started icing up. Great. — Pen Y Fan.

Walking down from Pen y Fan along Craig Cwm Sere the fog FINALLY (FINALLY!!!!), for the first time in the day, clears! Woohoo!! Cribyn from Pen y Fan. — Craig Cwm Sere, Brecon Beacons.

Looking down on Cribyn from Pen y Fan. If I look tired, it’s because I am tired…this is after 7 miles of gale force winds, ice and snow. Starting to get tired… — Craig Cwm Sere, Brecon Beacons.

Descent from Pen y Fan done, we see Cribyn from Bwlch ar y Fan — Bwlch ar y Fan, Brecon Beacons…

…and looking back, we start to pull away from Pen y Fan. Only 3.5 miles back to the car — Bwlch ar y Fan, Brecon Beacons.

The home straight, three miles along the Tor Glas Trail — Tor Glas Trail, Brecon Beacons.

Stopping to check progress a mile or so down the Tor Glas Trail,  and we see Cribyn (right), Pen y Fan (centre), and Corn Du (left) — at Tor Glas Trail, Brecon Beacons.

 Passing the Upper Neuadd Reservoir, a water I’ve fished a lot over the years. I’ve never seen it from this distance though. — at Tor Glas Trail, Brecon Beacons.

Finally, and before we reach the car, the first summit destination which was blocked by fog earlier in the morning comes into sight. That was ONE HELL OF A STEEP CLIMB!!! NOT enjoyable, but a great accomplishment! — at Tor Glas Trail, Brecon Beacons.

Today was a tough one. With temperatures plummeting yesterday we knew the grayling may not have acclimatised just yet and, as such, today would be a little tricky. Add to that the fact that they’re still pretty shoaled up and, well…we were right.

Shoals apart, and with temperatures failing to rise above 0°C all day, we did the leg work and managed a few grayling each, all around the 3/4lb mark, however, the end of the day brought a rather welcome surprise for Liam (aka – The Tenkara Guru). The surprise, a 2.5lb grayling.

A bloody cold day, but made the warmer thanks to the stove, fresh bacon sarnies for breakfast and curry for lunch, and a great final fish.

Good morning Irfon…-3°C…

Magic!

The bug that accounted for three of my grayling – Tungsten Bead Head Flashback Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear

Walshy working a very grayling-looking, but very grayling-less run…

The ice builds…

Double-Magic!

And finally, a grayling worth a picture! Weighed-in at bang on 2.5lbs. Well done Li’! I must say, this picture doesn’t to do the fish justice…the thickness of the things was amazing!

Good night Irfon…

Happy New Year folks!

As we move closer to the new trout season, why not get those fly boxes restocked with a great range of flies available from The Fly Shop? As a New Year’s gift, all orders placed up to January 31st will receive a 10% discount; simply use the coupon code HAPPY2013 when you get to the Shopping Cart.

Again, the warmest of Happy New Years to you all, and I hope your 2013 is better, brighter, and full of good health! May your lines always be tighter than mine!

All the very best,

Gareth

Parachute Adams, size #16…

Well, that’s the registration form signed and completed…now there’s no turning back!

On June 8th 2013 I’ll be taking part in the TrekFest 2013 challenge, an endurance challenge which will see me hiking 54 miles in just 24 hours! Oh, and that ‘route’ just happens to be the Brecon Beacons, a mountain range in South Wales which is home to the highest mountain in southern Britain, Pen y Fan.

Located in the breath taking Brecon Beacons National Park (training ground to the SAS), the Brecon Beacons offer some truly amazing scenery whilst at the same time providing an exhilarating mental and physical challenge. Crossing the highest peaks in the Brecon Beacons and South Wales – Pen y Fan (886m/2906ft), Corn Du (873m/2864ft), Cribyn (795m/2608ft) and Fan y Big (719m/2358ft), I can assure you that this is going to be one hell of a weekend! It’s going to be tough, but the reason for the Trek is totally worth it!

I am taking part in the event in the aid of Kidney Wales Foundation, a fantastic charity who promote strategies and services in order to prevent and treat kidney disease. This is a charity very close to my heart, so if you are able to donate anything at all, I would really really appreciate it.

For more information, or to make a donation, please feel free to visit my Just Giving page at www.justgiving.co.uk/GarethLewisTrek.

Training Has Started – Saturday 5th January, 23 weeks before the Event

This Saturday saw the first piece of training take place, and a great start is the Pen y Fan and Cord Du circular route which is approximately 4 miles in length. Starting at the Storey Arms, situated between Merthyr Tydfil and Brecon, the hike saw us up to Corn Du and then on to the highest Peak in South Wales, Pen y Fan. I can’t say the views were spectacular, magical or life changing, as there simply weren’t any. Visibility due to low cloud that day was around 30′ max, but we enjoyed the trip all the same. After the summit, we detoured in order to add an additional 3 miles to the route, and then headed back to the car for a much deserved burger and refresh. 7 miles in the mountains in 3.5hrs, and for our  first hike, it’s on the ball pace-wise for the ’54 miler’.

Onwards and upwards, and the endurance training will increase next weekend with a more strenuous 10.4 mile circular over a larger variety of terrain  that being the awesome Brecon Beacons horseshoe ridge (with an added detour to increase the distance). Stay tuned!

A few shots from last weekend’s hike in and out of the Corn Du & Pen y Fan circular route…

The start of the route – the path leading to Corn Du…

Up into the cloud and a quick look back downhill doesn’t reveal much!

On the summit of Pen y Fan! 886m/2907ft. L-R – Paul Cremin, Gareth Rowlands (another TrekFest attendee), and yours truly.

Pen y Fan Summit – 886m/2907ft…

The Road to Nowhere?

…and the hike back down, with Beacons Reservoir in the distance.

I am delighted to announce the launch of the brand new Fly Shop, offering a more streamlined ordering experience through a fully automated shopping cart facility, and which ties in seamlessly to PayPal (bank transfer and cheque payment options are still available). The new platform enables clients to select more defined fly specifications, and you now have the ability to track the status of your order(s) by accessing the ‘My Account’ area.

In a step to further enhance the already high quality tying service, this new ordering platform aligns itself perfectly to what Gareth Lewis Fly Fishing is committed to – delivering high quality products and services, every time.

Due to demand, an exciting range of micro dries, emergers and nymphs will also be hitting the shop over the next week or so.

Lastly, to celebrate the launch of the new Fly Shop, all orders over £20.00 placed before the end of August are eligible for a 10% discount. Simply enter ‘BANKHOL’ into the Apply Coupon field at the Shopping Cart stage of your order.

To access the new Fly Shop, simply visit Gareth Lewis Fly Fishing and browse the ‘Services’ menu, or simply visit shop.garethlewisflyfishing.com.

I love the versatility and robustness of the Klinkhamer; the pattern’s silhouette, buoyancy properties, and it’s ability to seemingly ‘bring fish up from the deep’ is simply amazing. Above all, the pattern is generally a quick and easy to tie, and is a perfect example of a pattern which allows the tier to alter it’s size, colour, and materials without affecting it’s overall fish-ability.

With this in mind, I was recently commissioned to supply a number of Klinkhamers, however, my client required the pattern to be smaller than my standard offering – tied on the size #16 Partridge Klinkhamer Extreme 15BNX…a big hook by normal standards. That said, Hans Van Klinken himself doesn’t class anything smaller than a size #14to be a ‘true’ Klinkhamer.

My ‘new’ smaller offerings include an emerging Large Dark Olive and Blue Winged Olive, both of which have been tested to death, and are working really well. I’d be hard pressed (or comfortable) to fish anything but an Klinkhamer Special/LT Caddis, but these are two examples of how the Klinkhamer ‘construct’ can be used to effectively match the hatch.

Long live the Klinkhamer!

Hook: Fulling Mill/Hyabusa Living Larva #14
Thread: Sheer 14/0, tan
Post: TMC AeroDry Wing, fluorescent pink
Hackle: Whiting Pro Grade Saddle, grizzle
Tails: Microfibbets, tan
Body: Fly-Rite Extra Fine Poly Dubbing, Medium Brown/Dun Variant (#39)
Thorax: Fly-Rite Extra Fine Poly Dubbing, Medium Brown/Dun Variant (#39)

What can I say!? What a fantastic show! I’m still tired after the show three days later, but really chuffed about the number of you guys who popped by to say hello or stopped for a chat, and absolutely blown away by the requests to sign fly boxes, cards, etc. Amazing. The highlight of the show was meeting up with old faces and having a great chin-wag, meeting a host of new faces and, finally, to meet a few of my fly-ordering clients…always fantastic when a name and address finally becomes a smiling face!

A huge thanks to all who attended and who came over for a chat and, of course, to Steve, Bridgette, The Babes and the entire BFFI Team for putting on such an amazing 10th anniversary show! Here’s to another 10 years!

The doors open and the tiers are off…

Jerry Lee (left) and Gwilym Hughes (right)

Gareth Lewis (Wales) – An amazing privilege!

More goes on outside the show, here with Illtyd Griffiths (AAPGAI)

The Mighty Dai Jones (foreground), with Roy Christie (background), Dave Ridding (aqua shirt), and Scott Kane (blue t-shirt)

Mark Roberts tying beautiful yellow may duns on the Game Angling Instructors’ Association Stand…

Yours truly tying a size #24 Chironomid Emerger (courtesy Gayle Marsh)

Discussing all things small & micro (courtesy Dai Jones)

A view from one of the hot-seats, Pat Stevens’ awesome Fly Tek!

A look down one side of Fly Tiers Row…

A quick on-site order – Micro Selection (coming to The Fly Shop soon!)