111 janPresented from Issue 111, August 2014
Writing for the start of the season is a delight and full of anticipation. What will the new season bring? As I write this I am finishing a coffee in my front room looking out over Great Lake.

Two parrots are noisily pulling the bark back on a small gum tree in front of the house and I can only assume they are looking for and finding some insects of some sort — perhaps gum beetles are on their menu. I don’t imagine there is too much else around.

So for the start of the season instead of imitating anything in particular I try and excite the fish. The areas I target early will mostly be from the shore around any structure I can find. Structure can include rocky shores, dead trees and bushes. These are all good prospects and you will find the shallower water warms up more quickly and here you will find trout.

My fly line will be a floater with a nine foot leader and a dropper about four feet up from the point. I like fluorocarbon tippet as it sinks faster and is less visible.

The point fly will be fairly large — it is an exciter. I am not trying to imitate, but get the fish excited and activated.

The flies that should be in your kit for the first month or two should be woolly buggers, fur flies, Mrs Simpsons in sizes #8, 6 and 4s.

The following fly pattern is none other than a woolly bugger, mostly black in colour with a small amount of flash to attract attention. This fly can be weighted with lead if required to get down quickly in deeper water.

Bugger

Method

1. Take thread along shank and tie in marabou for tail. Make tail a little longer than the hook shank. Tie in one strand of Krystal flash each side of the tail.

2. Tie in bronze wire rib and then the chenille for the body. Wind chenille forward in tight turns and finish just back from the eye. Tie down and cut away excess.

3. Take the grizzle hackle and strip fluff from butt end, leaving the bare stem. Tie this in firmly and wind back to bend and follow with thread. Holding this by the tip wind the bronze wire forwards through the body hackle, being careful not to crush it. Tie wire down and cut away excess.

4. Form a nicely shaped head, whip finish and varnish.

111 jan