NEW BOOK JUST PUBLISHED!

 

Dr Bell’s Trout Flies: The Stillwater Nymph Patterns of Dr Bell of Wrington

 

by Adrian V W Freer

 

Dr Howard Alexander Bell of Wrington was the most important and influential pioneer in the development of imitative nymph fly patterns and flyfishing techniques on the English reservoirs. Despite the fact that he was such a significant figure in the history of angling relatively little is known about him.

During research for a biography of Dr Bell, a number of previously unknown patterns designed by him came to light and it was therefore decided, before this valuable information was lost forever, to emedy the situation with the publication of the dressings of every fly attributed to him. There are thirty five patterns listed, more than half of which have never previously been published.

This book details the dressings of all of Dr Bell’s patterns, with each one illustrated in colour. It describes how he conducted autopsies on all of the trout he caught and the parameters he followed in fly design. It gives suggestions on when and where these patterns should be fished, and how they should be retrieved.

Looking at the innovations introduced by the doctor in the early years of stillwater flyfishing makes it possible to have a clearer grasp of how reservoir methods evolved during the twentieth century, largely as a result of Dr Bell’s revolutionary advances.

 

Contents include:

• Introducing Dr Bell

• The reclusive doctor and his passion for fishing

• Dr Bell’s revolutionary nymph fishing techniques

• The importance of autopsies

• Dr Bell’s approach to fly design

• Catalogue of Dr Bell’s fly patterns

• Grenadier patterns

• Buzzer/midge patterns

• Daphnia patterns

• Damsel pattern

• Bug patterns

• Fry and small fish pattern

• Dayfly pattern

• Sedge/caddis patterns

• Terrestrial pattern

• General purpose deceiver nymph patterns

• Multi-hook patterns

• Fly patterns to imitate reservoir creatures

• Postscript

 

76 colour and 13 black & white illustrations

 

Paperback, 120 pages, page size 165mm x 242 mm

 

Leather over oatmeal cloth hardback, 120 pages, page size 165mm x 242 mm RRP £95.00
 

Published by Coch-y-Bonddu Books Angling Monograph Series ISBN 978 1 904784 94 4

www.anglebooks.com

Tel: 00 44 (0)1654 702837

 

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