New crystal eyez baitfish

Hiya all...

I have been playing around with the new crystal eyez, using them in place of the standard or jurassic eyes and I personally think they look great!!

I personally think they are the way forward when using 3D eyes on your flies especially when trying to achieve a more realistic look to the pattern you are tying.

The most realistic adhesive fish eyes in the world!!!

Hiya everyone

For the last few months I have been working on a new range of fly/lure eyes that are based on actual fish eyes. lets be honest,99.9% of all the so called 'realistic' lure eyes actually look nothing like real fishes eyes so I decided to have a go at designing some myself. I think they turned out rather well...:o)

These will be available within the next couple of weeks in 8mm and 10mm in gold and 8mm in chameleon and red. If anyone is interested please email me at m4dc4t@gmail.com and I will put you down on the mailing list.

Cheers....Rich

New colour 'Hybrid' flies...

Hiya all.....

Here are a couple of Hybrid flies I have tied. The first one is basically all Chartreuse,the second being a mixture of claret,olive and hot orange with some UV flash thrown in as well!

All are tied on Mustad 34007 stainless hooks,not because they need to be stainless I just like that particular pattern of hook and I happen to have them in stainless!

Zonker Minnow

Hiya All.....

I have been messing around with Rabbit Zonker strips lately and decided to have a go at enlarging a roach fry pattern designed for trout! This particular one has been tied on a 3/0 fulling mill 32461. They are so easy to tie and very effective in the water. I may add a loop of stiff flourocarbon to the back of the next one to help with tangling.

Even more eyes!!! New colours....

These arrived the other day,more eyes in various colours and sizes. I now have 35 different colour/size combinations!

I know thats probably way too many different kinds of eyes but I like to mess around with colour and size. I doubt the colour of the eye makes that much difference to the fly but it keeps me happy and that's what counts...:o)

I especially like the fine glitter silver/purple/black,they look stunning in day light!!

Slikk Squid!

Hiya all....

While browsing one of the popular American fly tying forums I came accross a Squid pattern that looked pretty cool so I thought I would give it a go.

This one of course has my own little modifications in materials and colour and I have named it the 'Slikk Squid'.

I reckon this would be perfect for all manner of UK saltwater species,anyone fancy giving this a go give me a shout and I will send you one to try out.

sand eels and easy baitfish patterns.

Hiya all......

I got asked a few weeks ago to make a sand eel pattern that had to incorporate my teardrop eyes for Bass fishing off the South coast. I came up with the idea of using the eyes as the head of the fly allowing me to create a neat looking pattern without the use of epoxy or UV resin.

While I had the orange synthetics on my tying desk I thought why not make a Pike fly with the same materials as I like the colours! I put some UV flash through the middle of the Pike fly and it shows up really well, I reckon this one will be an awesome pattern!!!

New ties:

Hi all.

Apologies for not updating the blog these last few days,various other things have taken up my time.

Whilst tidying my kids bedroom I came across some material that looked like a nylon braid,it was attached to a pen that had broke so I thought I will have a go at making something from it and here are the results.

There is 30lb mono running inside the tubing as well as some orange crystal flash. I think the fly turned out rather well and I cant wait to try it on the pike.

Fleyez and Eyez.......

I came across these iridescent eyes a while ago and immediately thought that they where the most realistic stick on fish eye I had ever seen!! They shimmer in the light and have the same translucent quality of a real fish eye. Perfect for adding to a realistic baitfish pattern!

Email m4dc4t@gmail.com if you are interested in the eyes.

Handmade Hair Stackers!!!

A couple of weeks ago I was struggling stacking some very long Bucktail in my Dr Slick hair stacker, every time I banged the stacker to line up the points the hair would come out and go everywhere!

I told a friend at my local tackle shop of the problem and he said that most hair stackers are simply not tall enough to cope with long bucktail and I had to do it the old fashioned way and line them up by hand.

I mentioned this problem to my Father and he came up with the idea of making our own stackers! After a few attempts we finally got it right and here are the results... I think they look far nicer than any commercially available stackers and being handmade they can be customised to your own needs.

Email m4dc4t@gmail.com if you are intersted in having your own custom hair stacker made

Awesome saltwater, pike eyes!!

Hi all......

I have just aquired some really nice holographic eyes. These have either a micro glitter effect or tiny little holographic squares. (I have scanned the eyes at high res so you can see the detail).

In natural light they have an almost rainbow effect to them and I am sure will prove to be a great target point for any predatory fish.

Anybody wanting a few freebies just email me and I will give you details for sending me a stamped addressed envelope. Email is at top right of page..

Metz Magnum Saddles....

I have a fairly good selection of standard Metz and Whiting saddles in various colours and have been using them primarily for tying in whole across the back of pike/saltwater flies. My only problem with these hackles is they are very fine and can break easily, although on a plus side they do have fantastic movement in water!

A few months ago I came across the Metz range of 'Magnum' saddles and I immediately knew these where what I had been looking for.....

They have fantastic movement in water,good length and more importantly seem stronger than the standard saddle feathers. They come in a great range of colours,perfect for the more brightly coloured Pike/Saltwater flies I tie!

Simply a beautiful colour.....

A friend of mine owns a tackle business in the north of England and he dyes various materials in the most exquisite colours I have ever seen! He is not afraid to experiment and will mix several different dyes to achieve the colour he wants. I have had several Metz saddles off him and each one is stunning but my favourite has to be this one (hot orange badger). The colours have to be seen in daylight to be really appreciated,the whole saddle almost glows!!

I have tied a variant of my Hybrid pattern on a strong but fine wire hook and dressed it fairly sparse using the saddle hackles for the back. I have also left in alot of the 'fluff' at the head of the fly as this gives it added movement.

Natural materials, are they past it?

I have been pondering lately if there is still a need for natural materials in Saltwater/Pike flies..

There is such a vast range of synthetic materials out there to choose from,making dressing a complete fly in synthetics not only easy but effective and affordable!

I personally love natural materials and the action they have in the water,but a fly dressed mainly with naturals is usually alot heavier to cast requiring a stiffer action rod. A fly dressed in synthetics will shed the water on the back cast allowing you to get away with a lighter rod and have more fun with the fish!

If you tie a few flies then cost also becomes an issue. A decent quality saddle will cost you the best part of £20.00 and thats just one material and one colour! Add some bucktail,deer hair,icelandic sheep,and a few others and before you know it £50.00 has gone! You will get a fair few flies out of one saddle but what if you want 2 or 3 colours??

Now not all synthetics are cheap, but the ones mainly used are very affordable allowing you to have a vast range of colours in your kit at little cost.

But.......In my opinion there is just no substitute for a Pike/Saltwater fly dressed in naturals.They just look so damn good both in and out the water and are a pleasure to tie. I just love them!!!!

New colour synthetic hackle!

I am very fortunate to have a contact who sends me materials to try whenever he gets them and this new material he sent me has got me very excited!!!

This material is basically a synthetic type hackle that comes in some lovely colours including the UV black I have been sent.

Now,the synthetic hackle isnt new but I have always found the colours very limited. This material will be coming in a huge variety including the special UV types that I like so much!!

This material makes my life so much easier as its now possible to wind a uniform large head/collar onto a fly without having to faff around with dubbing loops!

From saltwater to freshwater. The 'Big Eye Ultra Shrimp'

I have tied this version of the Ultra Shrimp for quite a while now and its versitilaty makes this fly a must have for many species of fish both here in the UK and abroad, in saltwater and fresh! A true 'Jack of all trades'.

The main difference between the original ultra shrimp tied by Bob Popovics and mine is the lack of an Epoxy carapace and mono eyes... The reason for this is simple, I have thousands of small eyes so need an excuse to use them and I prefer a mylar carapace as it allows me to play around with colours and styles best suited to my fishing. (plus the wife doesnt moan about the epoxy smell!).

The Mylar is ribbed with either clear mono or fine copper wire to segment the body slightly and help lock in the hackles.

Maybe not a true 'shrimp' pattern but an effective one all the same...

3-D fly, lure eyes, are they too expensive?

I tie alot of flies and found the cost of the 3-D eyes was just too much! After all, you can go into a craft store and buy 100 googly eyes for 0.99p! so why are holographic lure eyes so expensive? I mean £2.55 for 20! Thats outrageous.

After much research I found a reliable supplier (harder than you think) and several emails later we agreed on a minimum order quantity of 5,000 per colour and size. Now, I use alot of different size eyes and the huge variety of colours available where too much to resist so I made my first order for 55,000 eyes!! This cost a small fortune and my wife was not very happy....

On the posative side I really dont need that many eyes so I kept 5,000 for myself and decided to sell the rest on ebay and to friends and family at good prices that anyone can afford. (£1.99 for 50,depending on size and colour).

What I found was that not only does size increase the cost but shape and colour also. Most fly tying/lure making retailers sell the basic silver or red 2 colour eyes which are the cheapest to make and import. If you start adding 3 colours into the eyes or using a pearlescent or glitter background the costs start to increase but still nowhere near enough to warrant the retail prices.

Do we really need all these fancy coloured eyes?

I personally think the eyes are a vital part of the fly,they give the fish a target point and also add realism. If you are trying to immitate a baitfish then adding the eyes is as important as the overall shape and balance. Dont forget if you have confidence in the fly you have tied you will fish it better!

So,back to my original question,are they too expensive?

I am fortunate to be friends with a few people who work in fishing tackle retail so I know how much they pay from their supplier, and believe me the fishing tackle store is not making much money! The bulk of the cost is charged by the suppliers,they are the ones making the money but they are also the ones who have to import,package and distribute them.

I personally think the suppliers are being too greedy, I realise they have to make money but there is plenty of room to either cut the cost or add more product for the same price especially as most of them are only offering basic 2 colour eyes.

My advice is this, If you only want the basic 2 colour eyes or maybe you only want a few then support your local tackle shops. If you want a greater variety or want a larger quantity then shop around,there are some good deals to be had...:o)

The Hybrid

I have never been afraid to try new things and having a canal full of Pike on my doorstep has allowed me to try weird and wonderful creations pretty much whenever I want.

I remember seeing a Salmon pattern a while ago (cant remember the name) and thinking I would love to incorporate some of the design and materials into a Pike fly. I decided to go with a short shank circle hook rather than a traditional long shank pattern as this suited the kind of fly I had in mind., although I have tied this pattern on Ad Swier and Fulling Mill long shank pike hooks with equal success..

This fly has a beautiful action and compresses nicely into a baitfish profile when in the water.

I used a multitude of materials in this fly both natural and synthetic which I shall list.

UTC 140 chartreuse thread

Eagle Claw 5/0 circle hook

Translucent red 15mm blob fritz

mirage tinsel (wide) for the body

Polar flash (available from Deer Creek)

Pink and White Bucktail

Holographic red tinsel

yellow grizzle Metz magnum saddle feathers

Metz grade 2 light blue dun hackles

I will eventually put up a tying guide if anyone is interested.

Fly tyers of the future!!

(above picture fly tied by 8 year old son)

My 8 year old son and 7 year old daughter both love to sit with me whilst I am tying and one day not so long ago they asked if they could have a go!!

Sharp scissors,hook points, and children are the perfect recipe for disaster so I unwillingly sat them both down with a spare vice each and tried my hardest to teach them how to tie a basic generic saltwater/pike fly.
As it turned out they had far more talent than I originally credited them and it was me who constantly got his finger jabbed whilst trying to show them a whip finish!!
I am a firm believer that if you spend time with your children reading,playing even fly tying it will give them such an advantage later in life. Far too many children nowdays spend all their time in front of the TV or games consoles.



Already my 2 youngest children can tie flies and make the most exquisite dolls house miniatures. Maybe this wont help them get that perfect job but it will help increase and develop their creative imagination which can only be a good thing......

Are fly tying tools worth their money?

I have long been a believer in the saying 'you get what you pay for'. My parents always purchased the best they could afford and that attitude has rubbed off on me.

I have always been a big fan Dr Slick scissors as they are good quality and sharp (although very pricey!). so I decided to try and find where scissors like these are manufactured and why they are so damn expensive!

Needles to say I found the company that supplies many fly tying companies (who shall remain nameless) with their tools. I sent off for samples so I could check both quality and price and was shocked at what I found. I am not going to start listing prices here but lets just say the fly tying companies should be ashamed of themselves..

Above are some pics of the tools that arrived. I know its hard to see from a picture but these scissors and tools are as good quality as the top names!

Check out DeerCreek.co.uk as they will be carrying a selection of these tools at the right price!