Adrian Freer is the author of books on reservoir fly fishing, fly dressing, trout fly patterns, religious topics, children's stories and poetry.

FLY FISHING PUZZLE

 

Although we all should try to help our fellow anglers when they can’t catch, on a recent fishing trip to Scotland one man was taking all the trout when the rest couldn’t get a pull. He didn’t buy his flies locally so no one would know the successful patterns. Instead he sent a note to a fly dresser in London for a fresh supply, with the flies cryptically concealed in it. Can you find the successful patterns? There are twenty five and they are all listed in my book Reservoir Trout Flies!

 

Dear Mrs Palmer

 

Not much to report. The air is generally clear but there is a lot of grey dust erupting from the volcano.

No one has caught much here over the years although Alex and Raymondo O’ Bryan, a couple of Irish anglers who lived until 1924, once said, “even if we make heavy weather of it we will catch trout from this loch or die in the attempt”.

There are a lot of strange anglers here: a Dutchman from Rotterdam, Buster from Chicago, Bibi on her first trip to Scotland and a vivacious lass from New Jersey. Her dad is here too.

As I saw a duck flying stiffly overhead, two anglers at the dam selfishly took both their fish last night on bran-tub lobworms – they were humungus. I saw one of them, whilst eating a tic tac, lift one straight out with his net. Someone tried to push him in, but how can you dunk elderly men like this? Gino made some rude remarks, and he got the hump, yet it made no difference. A raid, erroneously carried out by the local clan, chiefly composed of bald erudite locals, should have frightened them.

 

Send the flies by return.

 

Jack Frost

 

Answers to the puzzle:

 

To make it easier they are listed in the same order as in the letter. The flies are:

 

Mrs Palmer

Grey Duster

Alexandra

Dooby

Olive Dun

Ke-He

Loch Ordie

Dambuster

Bibio

Viva

Jersey Herd

Duck Fly

F-Fly

Damsel

Blob

Humungus

Clifton

Dunkeld

Nomad

Humpy

Raider

Clan Chief

Alder

Jack Frost

 

Dear Mrs Palmer

 

Not much to report. The air is clear but there is a lot of grey dust erupting from the volcano.

No one has caught much here over the years although Alex and Raymondo O’ Bryan, a couple of Irish anglers who lived until 1924, once said, “even if we make heavy weather of it we will catch trout from this loch or die in the attempt”.

There are a lot of strange anglers here: a Dutchman from Rotterdam, Buster from Chicago, Bibi on her first trip to Scotland and a vivacious lass from New Jersey. Her dad is here too.

As I saw a duck flying stiffly overhead, two anglers at the dam selfishly took both their fish last night on bran-tub lobworms – they were humungus. I saw one of them, whilst eating a tic tac, lift one straight out with his net. Someone tried to push him in, but how can you dunk elderly men like this? Gino made some rude remarks, and he got the hump, yet it made no difference. A raid, erroneously carried out by the local clan, chiefly composed of bald erudite locals, should have frightened them.

 

Send the flies by return.

 

Jack Frost

 

If you find any errors please email me on the contact page and I will correct the answers!