Fly fishing guide, Alan Hobson, shares the fly patterns he uses in the streams and stillwaters around Somerset East

Fly fishing guide, Alan Hobson, shares the fly patterns he uses in the streams and stillwaters around Somerset East

Wednesday, 24 September 2014 09:21

I have interspersed the pictures of Alan’s flies with some images of the waters he fishes that have obviously helped him develop the most effective patterns possible over the last seven years. This is high altitude, arid Karoo country around the town of Somerset East, but the waters that are very nutrient and spring fed. Tom Sutcliffe.

Says Alan,

I have included a range of the flies I have found to be most successful in our tea-coloured waters in this area of the Karoo where we have some decent high-altitude streams offering trout and yellowfish and also some great stillwaters.

Click in images to enlarge them

1 Live blood worm from my water feature 25-60 mm long

Live blood worm from my water feature 25-60 mm long

2 My bloodworm imitation great as a point fly very heavy tungsten bead and tungsten sheet

My bloodworm imitation, great as a point fly, very heavy, tungsten bead and tungsten sheet

3 Soft hackle Mayfly great tied off New Zealand style one foot behind the bloodworm or fished as a dropper just below the surface

 

 

 

Soft hackle Mayfly, great fished New Zealand-rig style one foot behind the bloodworm, or fished as a dropper just below the surface

4 The Angler and Antelope 4

 

4 Zak variation un weighted fished as a dropper

Zak variation, un-weighted, fished as a dropper. I also use a bead-head version and have this in four colours; natural, olive, this one (brown), and black

 

5 Daphnia imitation works on yellows because of the Orange

Daphnia imitation. Works on yellows because of the orange colour

 

6 CDC Marabou and copper deadly

CDC Marabou and Copper – deadly

7 CDC Marabou and copper equally deadly

CDC Marabou and Copper variation, but equally deadly

 

8 Alans water beetle tied with chewy skin

Alan’s Water Beetle tied with Hareline’s UV Chewwy Skin

8 The Angler and Antelope 5

 

9 Hot spot mayfly nymph glass bead keeps it midwater in faster water

Hotspot mayfly nymph. The glass bead keeps it mid-water in faster water

 

9 The Angler and Antelope

 

 

10 Mustard Caddis Horst Filter pattern

Mustard Caddis  - Horst Filter pattern

 

11 emerger using Veevus iridescent thread fished with an active retrieve in faster water tail of a pool

Emerger, using Veevus iridescent thread, fished with an active retrieve in faster water, tail of a pool

 

12 Caddis pupae fished as a dropper just off the bottom or just below the surface as an emerger

Caddis pupae fished as a dropper just off the bottom, or just below the surface, as an emerger

 

13 Black fly larvae great on the bottom on a drag free drift

Black fly larva.  Great fished on the bottom on a drag free drift

 

13 The Angler and Antelope 3

 

 

14 Mini Mottled Dragon works like a bomb for yellows if there is a little visibility in green water

Mini Mottled Dragon. Works like a bomb for yellows if there is a little visibility in green water

 

15 Hot spot nymph weighted with tungsten strip and tungsten bead

#16 - #20 Hot spot nymph, weighted with tungsten strip and tungsten bead

 

15 The Angler antelope article

 

16 Black fly larvae size 16 to 12

Black fly larvae #16 - #12

 

17 Blood worm tied on size 12 Partridge Klink hammer hook 25mmone inch long

Blood worm tied on #12 Partridge Klink hammer hook 25mm/1 inch long

 

Alan and Annabelle Hobson own the Angler & Antelope Guesthouse in Somerset East, a comfortable fishing lodge on the doorstep of some wonderful streams and stillwaters that Alan guides on.

18-The Angler and Antelope 2

The Angler& Antelope Guesthouse

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