For sometime now I have been thinking about the size of flies that I use. While I make no claims to fish micro flies – sizes 20, 22 or smaller – most of the time I use 14s, 16s and the odd size 18. The only time that I go bigger is during the Mayfly hatch when I will fish a size 12 Grey Wulff. But I have now come to the conclusion that I am fishing with over-large flies too much of the time. The silly thing is that this has been known about for at least 100 years, if not more. To some extent it is a question of degree because many of the flies used by Victorian anglers can best be described as monsters. And while we wouldn’t think of using such big flies today, many artificials are still too big.
            Sidney Buxton, M.P., had some interesting opinions for his day (the end of the nineteenth century), particularly on artificial Mayflies, many of which he thought were ‘simply grotesque.’ In his book Fishing and Shooting (John Murray, London, 1902), he wrote: ‘most of the patterns are still far too large, though, of late years, the standard size has considerably diminished. The small mayfly is easier and neater to cast, and dries quicker. It is more sporting to play and land a trout on a small hook, than to haul him out on a meat-jack. Then the fish is actually less likely to be hooked by the overgrown full-feathered fly; for often, when rising, his attempt to seize it only results in his knocking the feathers and hackle with his nose, and driving away the hook. And, finally, the fish like the little flies the best.’
            Dr. Tom Sanctuary was another angler who much preferred to fish with small Mayflies. Sanctuary was born in Dorset in 1852 and died in Scarborough in 1931. He was a friend of George Selwyn Marryat, and knew Hall and Halford. His optimum size was a fly never ‘longer than 5/8in.[15mm] from the eye to the bend of the hook’ and with the wings standing up about 3/4in.[19mm] from the body.’ His advice holds true to today. He felt that ‘Unless the fish can get the fly easily into his mouth at first attempt, it is of no use.’
            Although some anglers will fish with artificial mayflies tied on hooks as large as a 10, I have always felt that they were too big. Hence my choice of size 12s. But over the last two or three seasons I have decided that a size 12 can be bigger than many trout like. A size 14 can often be a more acceptable mouthful for a trout.
            Towards the end of the 2012 season I spent a couple of days fishing with a visitor from the South Island of New Zealand. While he was here we had a fly swap. His flies – both nymphs and dry flies - were tied on 16s and 18s. And we all know just how big New Zealand trout can be. And a local friend who fishes in New Zealand very now and then has also commented to me how the locals that he meets all use very small  flies.
            Fly tiers should tie small and fly buyers should buy small.

I had an enjoyable half-day on the Wensum yesterday with Simon Cooper of Fishing Breaks. I am pleased to say that Simon caught a very fine wild brown trout in its full spawning livery. It was a wonderfully coloured fish that I hope will go on to spawn successfully.
    During the morning there was a good mixed hatch of caddis, some blue-winged olives and other small, pale upwings and a number of fish feeding. I saw - I think for the first time - a caddis on the river with its wings folded over its back. It was very similar to the one in my photo of a caddis on a nettle leaf. All the others were in flight, their wings a blur. As it is, at least in my experience, so rare to see a non-flying caddis on the water, I have never understood why so many artificial caddis patterns have folded wings.
    Can someone please explain why this should be so?

Earlier this season I had a pair of wading boots with very good studded rubber soles but the uppers were about to give up. I also had another pair of boots with reasonably good uppers but one had lost the felt from the combination felt and rubber soles. I decided that it should be possible to make one good pair of boots out of the two. The challenge would be to find a suitable adhesive to glue the rubber soles to the uppers.
    I spent some time Googling adhesives to see what I could find. I was looking for a seriously heavy-duty and waterproof adhesive. Most of my searches pointed to various American products used on kayaks, inflatables of one sort or another and they were all quite expensive. I then started looking at various UK websites and those of UK adhesive manufacturers. I ended up on the Evo-Stik website where I discovered the somewhat inelegantly name Sticks Like Sh*t all-weather adhesive. It look as though it might be the answer. It is inexpensive, comes in a 290ml cartridge and is readily available.
    Before attempting to bond the soles, I stuffed the boots with newspaper so that I could bind the sole to the upper by wrapping it with string to apply some pressure while the adhesive cured. I decided that it would probably be easier to glues the soles in two goes. I made sure that the two parts to be joined together were clean and dry (apparently Sticks Like Sh*t will bond in the wet), applied the adhesive (with a caulking gun) to the sole and instep only and then brought the two together. I wrapped the boots tightly with string and left them overnight. The next day I fixed the rest of the sole. You can always add one or two stainless steel self-tapping screws, if the recipient boots have thick sole, just to make sure. If the soles are a bit bigger than those of the boots, it is a simple job to trim-off any surplus with a sharp Stanley or craft knife.
    Since then I have used the boots for a regular monthly kick-sampling session which is very hard on wading boots and the soles are still “hanging on” well. The uppers are now looking pretty second-hand and as soon as I find another pair of wading boots, probably with felt soles, I will use the rubber soles to replace them. Sticks Like Sh*t has, so far, worked far better than I could have hoped.