sawyers killer bug

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Tweed

Re: sawyers killer bug

Post by Tweed »

I couldn't say that I've found it especially killing, and believe I have a tiny bit of 477, but which bit? Got some substitute too and some further supposed genuine, which I doubt is really.

I think the actual wire might be hard to find too. Add to that the fiddly tying with fine wire for what I have found to be a mediocre fly.

Better in my honest opinion to use a leaded body covered with opossum or hare fur in a suitable colour.
I frequently point out to people that it was mostly catch and kill in Skues and Sawyer's time, nowadays it's c&r and educated seen it all fish.
In my streams the requirement to sink is first and foremost, just my few thoughts.
Last edited by Tweed on Wed Nov 09, 2016 10:43 am, edited 1 time in total.

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George387
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Re: sawyers killer bug

Post by George387 »

I was given for my birthday this year some original Chadwick wool still on the card from an old fisherman who I used to visit, I've used Chadwick nymphs or chaddies as they are known in Scotland since a boy, an excellent pattern tied with both red & pink underlays, copper or red wire also wound up the body has produced many a good fish for me too.
Brown Trout maybe Beautiful But Grayling are Gorgeous. "Lets Tackle Cancer" Supporter
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Ian
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Re: sawyers killer bug

Post by Ian »

Thats a point.the fish are defo getting more tricky to catch.i used to catch grayling on a hook with black thread wound onto it.the red tag and maggot was another good combo for grayling but even thats not as good.i suppose the fact that theres not as many fish around as there was so the competitions not as fierce.they dont have to grab at anything that passes them.
Don’t cast doubt,cast out.

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George387
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Re: sawyers killer bug

Post by George387 »

Ian there is plenty of grayling around if you know where to look, Im heading back up to Scotland this weekend to fish specifically a river I know contains literally thousands of Grayling with lots in excess of 3lbs, its all about putting the time in on the bank as Im sure your aware, I come back up as many times as I can as the Grayling in the Scottish rivers I grew up on are a better stamp than the ones in Yorkshire in the way of size and numbers. I was out midweek on an urban river down here and had in excess of 40 fish in a few hours, the tactics have since changed since sawyer days and today's modern nymph tactics if fished correctly can be deadly.
Brown Trout maybe Beautiful But Grayling are Gorgeous. "Lets Tackle Cancer" Supporter
The Flee & Float

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Stour Otter
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Re: sawyers killer bug

Post by Stour Otter »

Hello Ian.
I carry this little picture in my wallet just in case I come across materials at a car boot or charity shop. The Chadwich 477 is hard to find, but having said that going through old work baskets these places can unearth all sorts of items you can adapt to use in fly tying.

Image

Happy hunting!
Stour Otter
The good angler is not the one with expensive equipment. Common sense, observation and trying to realize
what is happening above and below water will catch fish no matter what price equipment you fish with.
L.A. Parker - This Fishing 1948

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Ian
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Re: sawyers killer bug

Post by Ian »

Stour Otter wrote:Hello Ian.
I carry this little picture in my wallet just in case I come across materials at a car boot or charity shop. The Chadwich 477 is hard to find, but having said that going through old work baskets these places can unearth all sorts of items you can adapt to use in fly tying.

Image

Happy hunting!
Stour Otter
I would never have thought of doing that stour otter,thats called initiative.
Thanks for putting the picture up.good luck at the bootys
Tight lines
Don’t cast doubt,cast out.

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Ian
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Re: sawyers killer bug

Post by Ian »

George387 wrote:Ian there is plenty of grayling around if you know where to look, Im heading back up to Scotland this weekend to fish specifically a river I know contains literally thousands of Grayling with lots in excess of 3lbs, its all about putting the time in on the bank as Im sure your aware, I come back up as many times as I can as the Grayling in the Scottish rivers I grew up on are a better stamp than the ones in Yorkshire in the way of size and numbers. I was out midweek on an urban river down here and had in excess of 40 fish in a few hours, the tactics have since changed since sawyer days and today's modern nymph tactics if fished correctly can be deadly.
Hello george
The area of the clyde i fish is from m/well bridge up to tobies hole and the grayling declined immeasurably in the late eighties/early nineties.
Coincidently,the salmon started to run the clyde and cormorants started to appear in serious numbers.
The trout in this area have also declined in big numbers.this is no coincidence.some of the runs have no trout in them.
The thing is,the grayling and trout disappeared at the same time.
Funnily enough,the salmon dont make it to the top end of the clyde but i dont know about cormorants.
Ive also fished the avon from where it meets the clyde up to the weir at the old avon bridge and its the same thing,i wouldnt fish it for the trout or grayling.although above the weir to the white bridge still has plenty.
Maybe i just witnessed the boom time in the early eighties and now things are back to where they should be but that doesnt explain why things are so bad around the m/well area.
Now i go to the nith,annan and crawford on the clyde.
Keep up the good work george and i look forward to browsing over your stories and photos during this winter

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Don’t cast doubt,cast out.

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George387
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Re: sawyers killer bug

Post by George387 »

Hi Ian,
The Avon was poisoned in the late 70s and it decimated the Grayling and trout from the Candermouth at Stonehouse all the way down to the meetings at Hamilton, It took Avon angling club predominately John Reid years to get it sorted on the trout side of things but alas the Grayling were a different kettle of fish, its only just in the last 4 - 5 years that I've caught Grayling at a few points on the Avon, nowhere near as prolific as it used to be, My personal best Grayling from the Avon is a fish of 2lbs 11oz caught behind the old craigbank school in Birkenshaw where I used to live. The Clyde took a hammering also downstream of the meetings hence your trouble from m/bridge. Like you say though the Clyde has took a massive predator hit from the Black death. We counted over 400 birds 2 years ago and that was just in the lower regions so that sort of numbers does effect the stock, unfortunately the authorities cant see this so a cull is not on the cards.
The nith is in my books the best Grayling river in Scotland currently, I dont fish the main river but some of the smaller tributaries which are overlooked and less angler populated.Like I say if you know where to go there is still plenty of large Grayling a stones throw from the Larkhall/ Hamilton area, The clyde above Lanark falls took a massive hit with the crayfish and there isn't as many smaller fish as there should be but some really large fish have hammered weight on eating the crayfish, only last weekend there was 4 fish over 3lbs I know of caught. It tells a story when English fishing guides are bringing parties up for weekends, they wouldn't do that if the fish weren't there :)
I try to keep the blog as informative and good reading as I can so hope you enjoy.
Now its nearly time to come home for square sausage and scotch pie over indulgences. :)
Brown Trout maybe Beautiful But Grayling are Gorgeous. "Lets Tackle Cancer" Supporter
The Flee & Float

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Ian
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Re: sawyers killer bug

Post by Ian »

George387 wrote:Hi Ian,
The Avon was poisoned in the late 70s and it decimated the Grayling and trout from the Candermouth at Stonehouse all the way down to the meetings at Hamilton, It took Avon angling club predominately John Reid years to get it sorted on the trout side of things but alas the Grayling were a different kettle of fish, its only just in the last 4 - 5 years that I've caught Grayling at a few points on the Avon, nowhere near as prolific as it used to be, My personal best Grayling from the Avon is a fish of 2lbs 11oz caught behind the old craigbank school in Birkenshaw where I used to live. The Clyde took a hammering also downstream of the meetings hence your trouble from m/bridge. Like you say though the Clyde has took a massive predator hit from the Black death. We counted over 400 birds 2 years ago and that was just in the lower regions so that sort of numbers does effect the stock, unfortunately the authorities cant see this so a cull is not on the cards.
The nith is in my books the best Grayling river in Scotland currently, I dont fish the main river but some of the smaller tributaries which are overlooked and less angler populated.Like I say if you know where to go there is still plenty of large Grayling a stones throw from the Larkhall/ Hamilton area, The clyde above Lanark falls took a massive hit with the crayfish and there isn't as many smaller fish as there should be but some really large fish have hammered weight on eating the crayfish, only last weekend there was 4 fish over 3lbs I know of caught. It tells a story when English fishing guides are bringing parties up for weekends, they wouldn't do that if the fish weren't there :)
I try to keep the blog as informative and good reading as I can so hope you enjoy.
Now its nearly time to come home for square sausage and scotch pie over indulgences. :)
Hi george
Thats very informative of you.i didnt realise the avon had been poisoned.unfortunately the black death have a free reign as strathclyde country park dont take much to do with fishing since the match days of the eighties.they roost on the loch itself and in the morning they head for the clyde.i havent saw many on the avon,wether this is due to it being in a gorge im not sure.a 2lb11 grayling from the avon is a magnificent fish and well done on that capture.my pb is a grayling of 2lb and that was from a run that sits well out the way.i read your blog about fishing a dropper and i thought that was run of the mill,i didnt realise it was a central belt method.i mind one day i pulled up rocks in the river and collected the small water snails and trotted maggots with one of these snails on the dropper and every one of the several fish i caught took the snail.what i would do to get a proper snail pattern hint hint ha.
Funny you mention the old man who taught you all about fishing the avon and clyde.i too was shown how to fish with stick bait by an old guy i met whilst fishing the avon as a lad.he used a stick float and it lay flat on the surface of the water,a bite resulted in the float cocking.very light tactics.well i hope you enjoy your square sausage when you get back up here.
Tight lines
Ian
Don’t cast doubt,cast out.

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