Fly Patterns for Draycote
The Association has a number of expert fly-tyers, who are happy to share their knowledge of what flies to use and how to tie them. This section provides a list of some of our favourite patterns for Draycote. Scroll through and you will see recipes are included for most of the patterns. These flies are ones that members have used successfully at the water and many have featured at our Winter meeting fly-tying events.
If you click on a photo a magnified picture will appear as a pop-up.
Early Season Flies
Draycote is famous for it's early season buzzer fishing and you should always have a good selection from March to June. One method that is very popular is to use a "washing line" with a buoyant fly on the point and buzzers or nymphs on the droppers.
Newly stocked fish will of course also take lures and we have a few of our favourite lures listed here as well.
Hotspot Buzzer
A simple buzzer pattern with a key trigger point at the thorax. The rib on this can be red or silver micro wire or natural stripped quill.
Biscuit FAB
One for the washing line point fly. This can be used throughout the year.
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Mirror Cheek Buzzer
This pattern was unbeatable as a small buzzer imitation a couple of seasons ago. The mirage thorax atracts the trout's attention
Sparkler Booby
Another washing line point fly, but this one can be also used as a lure on sinking line.
Yellow Owl Buzzer
This fly makes an interesting change when black buzzers are losing their effectiveness as the water warms up.
Gold Humungus
This can be a great early season fly for stock fish. The yellow eyes make a big difference to the pattern's effectiveness.
Summer Flies
The early summer provides some excellent top-of-the-water fishing conditions, with dry flies widely used when the conditions are right. Pulled wet flies and nymphs also work well. There will be an appearance of pin fry at some point in the summer. In the "doldrums" of July and August fast-sinking lines with lures such as snakes is the most effective method, especially around the aerators. Boat fishing is more effective than bank fishing at this time of year.
Hot Orange Hopper
Hoppers can be fished dry or wet. This pattern is designed as a "pulling" hopper that is fished below the surface or in the surface film. Orange is an effective colour in summer but claret, black, bibio or yellow hoppers also work well.
Bob's Bits dry fly
Such a simple pattern but very effective from late spring and through the entire summer. Ginger, red and claret are our favourite colours
Dun Cow Dabbler
A slight variant of the classic Dunkeld wet fly pattern, renamed when someone misheard what fly someone was using. The name stuck in honour of the Dun Cow pub in Dunchurch
Big Red dry fly
Draycote can have hatches of large red midges in the summer. This is a favourite fly for many.
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Red-ribbed Diawl Bach
A well-known fly pattern, but one that catches a lot of Draycote trout
Crippled Midge
Another popular dry fly. This is the Fulling Mill pattern that should be available in the lodge
Autumn Patterns
Draycote has a huge population of coarse fish. Many anglers have accidentally caught specimen perch while fishing for trout. From late summer perch fry, roach fry and sticklebacks are around in their millions and the trout can become preoccupied on these. The alternative food sources include Daddy-long-legs and also shrimp.
Hare's ear hopper
This pattern is a general attractor but especially deadly when fish are feeding on shrimp.
White snake
Snake patterns are used throughout the summer and autumn with black-barred green and Cat's Whisker patterns most common. This white and pearl pattern imitates sticklebacks well.
The Flying Squirrel
A good fry pattern named by one of the DFFA anglers while fishing when he misheard the description.
Orange Foam Daddy
Often more effective than the natural green or tan coloured patterns. Used from late summer to mid-autumn. The fly can be fished static or pulled.
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Minkie
Do not visit Draycote in the autumn without some of these in the fly box. One of the best fry patterns around.
Popper fry
One of the most exciting forms of fishing is when a popper fry is pulled fast across the surface and a fish smashes it from below. You often see fish following the fly way before any take.
Traditional Patterns
Draycote Fly-Fishers appeared in a recent edition of Fly Fishing and Fly-Tying Magazine. The following patterns are ones that regular anglers contributed to this article.
Freshwater shrimp
A good standard shrimp pattern
Aunt Edna's Minkie
A great fry pattern. Deadly when just swung in the breeze.
Sedge pupa
There have been some great sedge hatches from June in the last few years.
Greenwell's Spider
Good general nymph pattern.
Ray's Buzzer
A buzzer pattern from one of DFFA's top anglers
Mirage Buzzer
The flash on this pattern acts like a beacon for the trout.
Video Links
A number of these patterns were tied at our winter meetings and the tying recorded on video. Here is an example of the discussion about fishing a washing line with booby/fab and buzzers, together with the tying of a good early season pattern.