Easthope Flies

20/06/2026

I know there are strong feelings on wether Weighted flies require or even benefit from cdc being used on them, CDC is a material that has certain qualities, are the qualities wasted when the fly is intended to be fished wet?
Well if you put its floating qualities aside for a moment, in the water the mobility of cdc is incredible.
So yes I use CDC for wet flies.
Yes I use the same quality as I do for dries
And yes In my experience it induces takes by adding “life” to lifelike

30/05/2026

30/05/2026

Fly tying is as seasonal as fishing is, big and beautiful is a welcome change when mayfly dominate the order sheets, it’s nice to tie them, but it’s a small window and then it’s back to small and tidy, not easier or harder, just different, free feeding can be replaced by picky, inconsistent rises but the recipe to success never changes… a pattern that you have confidence in tied to represent the fly life in or on the water that the fish are seeing. Now its the blue winged olives that are regularly on the menu, and as for a fly that gives me confidence, well this is my go to! No post to spook the wary fish, everything they expect to see, nothing they don’t, this is a popular choice so the the vice is churning them out ready

20/05/2026

I”m fairly used to tying custom flies for other people’s special trips, in fact I would describe it as an honour, and a privilege to be asked to do so.
my advice is simple, choose flies that you have confidence in but make sure you cover all eventualities, that means cover the possible hatches and the possible stages within that hatch, occasionally I’m asked to suggest patterns and I will choose one that will suit that persons experience and ability but never more than one for each stage, l believe this would easily confuse folk and in addition, many would fish one pattern with less confidence knowing there is another in the box if it fails where actually if it does fail changing to a different stage would be more beneficial the same stage of the same fly even in a different style is more than likely going to return the same results..
Well I’m sure I would be expected to practice what I preach when I too have a special trip on the horizon, but no! I’m taking so many options, some replicating the same stage of the same fly
I was tying at an event last weekend and more than one person spoke about learning to tie. And the common theme was the appeal of catching fish on flies you have tied yourself. I was then asked, I don’t suppose you get that feeling now!
On the contrary. I get the same buzz even now. But occasionally it’s more intense trying out new pattens incorporating my materials and techniques into flies and proving to myself they deserve other people’s confidence.
The mayfly are out and that means I have a final testing opportunity in a beautiful setting
Easties sedge wing is a new hackle style which loosely resembles a deer hair wing but with much finer c**k hackle fibres
The sedge wing has proved deadly on sedge patterns and now it’s time to see how it performs when integrated into a mayfly pattern, my cling wing patterns will also get a swim some would say receiving the ultimate test!
Of course I have faith in them! But any fish that fall to them on Saturday will be very special indeed

05/04/2026

Sometimes it’s the simple ties…. Just a body, tail and wing on this, the possibility to lay so many different ways on the water just by chance, attention to detail isn’t always needed
The postless parachute is perfect for representing a wing, it splays the fibres but maintains an overall natural shape, carp hooks for strength and we’ve got a guide fly! Quick to tie, strong and effective to fish!

22/03/2026

When it comes to emergers the tendency is to tie in every feature like a jackpot for the trigger happy fish … this is not how it works and what I have found is it confuses the fish! and they either poke at it inquisitively or refuse it.
Stage one
just a nymph making contact with the surface film everything is sub surface bar the foam thorax cover that hold the position
Stage two
The nymph frees its legs and they go top side, no longer visible under the water but the dimpled impressions of the parachute hackle tell the fish that this is what has happened.
Stage three
the body is removed from the shuck, the shuck starts to look empty and shadows are cast on the surface as the majority of the fly is now top side, wings are not present but it’s the legs that hold everything up
Stage four,
for the transformation process to be complete the fly has to pump blood into the veins of the wings, until this happens the wings are not strong enough, and sit like an empty tent canvas on the ground without any beams giving it structure, the shuck is no longer attached and will start to separate away
I carry all of these stages and often one will outfish the others but all will look natural, vulnerable and tempting to the fish feeding on emergers and will inevitably induce takes

18/03/2026

A little experiment using cling wing for something it wasn’t designed for, sub surface flies, the result is awesome, it’s begging for a sparce postless parachute on this particular pattern to suggest a fly that is just about to emerge, but even deeper down the fish are bound to recognise it as natural food

07/03/2026

Fly of choice at my two favourite reservoirs at the start of the season, size 16 grip nymph 12413BL. filled a whole box of these and now filling the stock box, yep you’re in the team!

01/03/2026

Okay, so spent wings with cling wing are great, but no surprises there! Because that is what the material was intended and designed for. Using it for a healthy dun pattern, just ready to leave the water seemed like it was going to take a lot more creativity, especially as the wings would not be in contact with surface, but as it happens cling wings also makes the most fantastic detached bodies,
Yep definitely making a load of these for May