At the latest fly-tying meeting at the Chequers in Lamberhurst, we were sad to hear that the excellent Fish&Chips-and-a-pint offer had disappeared (a sign of the times), but we all enjoyed a nice meal before settling down to a really good fly-tying demo.
We were treated to a very impressive demonstration by Miros, a new but very accomplished member, of how to tie the excellent 'Rock-Chick' or Rockerke dry fly, made famous by Lubos Roza.
He introduced a few new techniques, and to a beginner like me, they looked scarily complicated, but several members succeeded in following his guidance. The result was an insanely fluffy CDC dry fly, that certainly looks deadly, and will probably keep itself afloat (and warm) in the coldest weather. I'd love to try this out around some Brown Trout, but I'd also like to see what the Grayling make of it.
Keith then tied a couple of famous Reservoir flies which were a bit more conventional, but used seal's hair dubbing. The first was 'Bob's Bits', then a variant using knotted legs to make a very convincing Daddy Longlegs.
It was a really interesting evening, even for those of us far less capable, and there was lots of good discussion and swapping of tips and knowledge as ever; it's always worth the journey to Lamberhurst.
For anyone itching to try out their dry flies but unable to wait for April, don't forget that you can fish the reservoir for Trout. There's still lots of Trout rising there, and they can easily be seen prowling the margins. It's been improved a lot, and on a wind-less day as we've had recently, it really is a lovely venue, whether you're casting half-way across with a heavy rod or trying to sneak a dry fly under the willows with a light fly rod (or in my case, a Tenkara rod). Either way, you've got a good chance of catching a Rainbow, with patience and a bit of luck, and you're very likely to get a few lovely little Rudd and maybe a Perch as well.
Do give it a try, but check the wind forecast, and always wrap up warm there.
Thanks to Tony for the great pics once again.
Tight Lines
PeterB
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