ADRIAN V W FREER
Adrian Freer is the author of books on reservoir fly fishing, fly dressing, trout fly patterns, religious topics, children's stories and poetry.
FLY PATTERNS 1
On this page I am listing some flies of mine that have caught a lot of fish. They are either new creations or my own modifications of existing patterns which have performed well for me fly fishing the Midlands reservoirs.
Do give them a try and see how you get on!
Olive Damsel (Freer)
Hook: Wet fly hook sizes 8 to 12
Tying thread: Black
Tail: Olive marabou
Body: Olive seal’s fur, ribbed with fine silver, gold or green wire over the body and shellback, well picked out with a dubbing needle
Shellback: Pearl tinsel or pearl film stretched over the top of the body (optional)
Thorax: Olive seal’s fur, again well picked out
Hackle: Olive-dyed partridge collar hackle
Head: Black thread, clear varnished
There are innumerable damsel patterns around but this one has been my most successful by a long way. The marabou, seal’s fur and partridge hackle all work together to suggest it has life!
Black & Green Marabou (Adrian Freer)
Hook: Long shank hook sizes 8 to 12, weighted if required
Tying thread: Black
Tail: Black marabou
Body: Rear: three turns fluorescent lime-green chenille, front: black chenille, ribbed with medium oval silver tinsel
Hackle: Black hen collar hackle
Wing: Black marabou
Head: Black thread, clear varnished
This is a variation of the Tadpole/Viva with a marabou wing added to give it even more life and movement. It is an ideal early and late season fly which has accounted for countless scores of fish and it needs to be fished slowly to allow the marabou to pulsate effectively.
Black Seal's Fur Buzzer (Adrian Freer)
Hook: Wet fly hook sizes 8 to 14
Tying thread: Black
Tail: White Glo-brite floss
Body: Black tying thread tied part way round the bend, ribbed with fine silver wire
Thorax: Black seal’s fur, with the fibres well picked out with a dubbing needle
Cheeks: Amber Glo-brite floss
Breathers: White Glo-brite floss
Head: Black thread, clear varnished
Variants: Substitute red, green, olive or brown tying thread with matching seal’s fur. Gold wire can be used instead of silver.
This can be used anywhere in the water column, but the light materials enable it to fish high in the water when the trout are taking buzzers in the surface film. The straggly seal’s fur gives the impression of a buzzer on the point of hatching.
Rough Bodied Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear
Hook: Wet fly hook sizes 10 to 16
Tying thread: Black
Tail: Fibres of hare’s fur
Body: Fibres of hare’s fur tied scruffy, ribbed with fine oval gold tinsel, well picked out with a dubbing needle
Thorax: Hare’s fur dubbed a little more thickly
Hackle: Honey hen collar hackle
Head: Black thread, clear varnished
There is probably no artificial fly that is as versatile as the GRHE and this variant can suggest a hatching buzzer, olive nymph, sedge pupa, corixa, shrimp or just about anything you could name that is alive.
Flexi Bloodworm
Hook: Wet fly hook size 10
Tying thread: Red
Tail: Two 2 inch strands of red Flexifloss
Body: Fluorescent red floss, ribbed with red Flexifloss, and coated with clear varnish; alternatively use translucent red beads
Antennae: Two 2 inch strands of red Flexifloss
Head: Tying thread, clear varnished
Trim the Flexifloss to the length required; normally the faster the retrieve, the shorter the strands will need to be. Orange or green versions can be tied and it may be weighted or tied with a gold bead. Trout often pluck repeatedly at the fly, but wait for a firm pull and the fish may well hook itself. This fly has caught dozens of trout (and a big pike!).
Black & Green Fritz Tadpole
Hook: Longshank hook sizes 8 to 12, weighted if required
Tying thread: Black
Tail: Black marabou
Body: Rear one-third lime-green Fritz, front two-thirds black Fritz
Hackle: Black hen collar hackle
Head: Tying thread, clear varnished
This is a very simple but successful pattern and the long marabou tail gives it life and movement. Tied with a Fritz body, it makes an ideal fly to be retrieved deep on a sinking line. The texture of the Fritz induces the trout to hang on to the fly just that little bit longer and so convert a 'pull' into a 'take'!
