Top 5 Fly Patterns for the New Reservoir Trout Season – Turrall Fly Fishing

That most eagerly anticipated time of the stillwater fly fishing season is already upon us. It might still feel a tad chilly, but fly anglers all over the UK are busily sorting out their gear and booking boat and bank tickets for an exciting start to the reservoir trout season. But which flies should you bank on to get those first pulls of the season? Turrall fly designer and top competition angler Gary Pearson has five proven patterns to put a bend in your rod in March and April. Here are his must-have reservoir flies and his own thoughts on successful presentations:

“I have two basic approaches for fishing this time of year. The first is a floating line with the Heavy Black Buzzer (size 10) on the point with the Quill Buzzer (size 12) on a 6 inch dropper 7ft above it with another 6 to 8ft of nylon to the fly line.

Black buzzer fly — Simple but deadly: the Black Buzzer

Given a good ripple and active fish in the upper layers, this is the nicest way of all to catch. As with all buzzer fishing, retrieve sparingly, just keeping in touch with the line and watching for pulls, which are not always dramatic.

Quill buzzer Turrall fly pattern — The Quill Buzzer- one of Gary’s favourite dropper flies for the early season.

In an ideal world, I could happily fish a floating line with buzzers all day- but on those early season sessions you might need to be pragmatic and try something louder and more obvious! Hence my other approach is to switch to lures and use a Di3 slow sink line with 10ft between two flies and a overall leader length of 18ft. It’s vital to find the level the fish are cruising at, and with this set up I count the line down to different depths each cast until I locate the fish. I prefer to do this with the Di3 because the line is so versatile.

Cats Whisker, reservoir fly patterns — The ever dependable Cat’s Whisker, ideal for the first few weeks of the season.

I start the season with a size 10 Cat’s Whisker on the point with a Blob on the dropper. The Cat’s Whisker is one of those classics that seems to work every new season. Being a competition angler though, I do quite like a slightly smaller fly in a size 10, which can lead to fewer tail pulls and more full-blooded takes.

Blob fly, Turrall — The deadly Blob- cracking as a dropper fly to draw fish with a dash of colour.

The infamous Blob, on the other hand, is a newer addition but too effective to ignore (my starting choice is a Hot Orange Blob, size 10). Even when you’re not catching on it, that dash of bright colour will draw fish to your other flies.

As with any fly fishing, however, you can’t always depend on the same fly or formula each trip. Stock fish get a little wiser and conditions change, so as March turns into April, the Cats Whisker tends to get replaced with the Fab Cormorant (size 10). This is my own variant on a proven pattern, which has scored very well on Blagdon Reservoir in particular. I would fish this pattern with confidence on any reservoir though, and if the fish are particularly fussy I will sometimes fish two Cormorants.

Fab Cormorant, Turrall stillwater fly patterns — Gary’s Fab Cormorant. Ideal for keeping the takes coming when the fish get more picky in April.

My other advice would be simply to get out there and fish, rather than waiting until the warmer spring days. With the introduction of new stocks and longer daylight hours, early season sport can be fantastic. Do keep an eye on the catch reports and keep active to find the fish, because the fresh stockies won’t always be evenly dispersed. You’ll often catch from the bank, but boat fishing can be even better and you can always compare notes and depths with a friend until you hit on the right formula.

Happy fishing and do share any great catches on the Turrall Flies Facebook page!”

Gary Pearson British Fly Fair Fly tying — Gary is an avid fly tyer and former England international angler with a keen eye for detail; his expertise can be found in many of Turrall’s range of stillwater fly patterns.

Stock up now for the new fly fishing season!

Our award-winning flies can be found at various fly fishing shops, or ordered at the click of a mouse through various online fly stockists. Besides individual flies, we also sell quality fly selections, including beautifully presented boxes of every type of fly from barbless river flies to stillwater classics. Unlike many cheap flies to order, our entire range uses tough, razor sharp Japanese hooks and top quality materials. Insist on the best and ask for Turrall by name!

Our range of top flies, materials and accessories is always growing, while our team of experts at Turrall aim to bring you tips, fresh ideas and more throughout the season. Keep an eye on the blog and our Facebook Page for the latest news.

Fly stockists and tackle shops can easily start an account at www.turrall.com where you’ll find all our bestselling flies, tools and accessories. We offer quality at a fair price- and larger fly selections also come with a free compact display unit, perfect to get your customers browsing without taking up acres of space. All enquiries: flies@turrall.com

Stock up now for the new fly fishing season!

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