Olives. DTAA member Mark McAllister says that Olives are showing on the Tourmakeady shore this time of year and he’s had success with his friend and clubmate, Nessan Kelly’s Olives.

When asked, Nessan emphasised that these were not “his” olives, they were tied after Dennis Moss’s pattern, the Dark Olive Midge page 57 of Trout from a Boat. Size 12 wet,. Nessan mixes some yellow partridge into the red game hackle fibres for tail, rest as per pattern, with Veniards olive seal fur sub main body and thorax dark olive sparkle dubbing,. Big thanks to Nessan for sharing this pattern and these pictures. Tight lines (for whenever we can get back on the water!).

DTAA Committee member and ecologist John Harrington has noticed good hatches of hawthorn flies around at the moment, great fishing when they’re blown onto the water.

John’s tying for hawthorn (first picture):

Hook b160 size 12,

Thread black uni 8,

Body tied black 3 pheasant fibres tied half way round bend, fine silver wire reverse tied over.

Thorax black ostrich,

Legs 4 black pheasant tail fibres,

Wing white Antron or wing tips, black hackle on front. Fished dry, now just wait and watch

DTAA membership secretary and top fly tier Justin Clarke also shared this pattern (second picture):

Justin calls this his Bibio Hawthorn (he uses that term loosely!) He’s tied a few short runner legs under the wing and finds that on the top dropper it can be effective at this time of year stirring up the surface when no fish are visible.

12 hook,

Body black peacock dubbing, fine silver rib.

4 Sili legs, black with a red fleck, red dubbed thorax, starling wing and black hackle.

Thanks for sharing John and Justin. Tight lines.

A Peter Ross Hopper from DTAA Committee member, Fran Nugent. This pattern that has caught many fish on the upper Bohernabreena Reservoir, This works really well from June on to the end of Season and is very easy to tie.

Hook – B175 size 14/12

Rib – Silver wire

Body – 2/3 Silver tinsel 1/3 Red dubbing

Legs – 6 black knotted pheasant tail fibers

Hackle- Natural black hen

Gerry’s variant on the International Dabbler is an outstanding wet fly for pulling up a trout in a good wave.

It is Gerry’s own Mayfly pattern that he uses on Conn, Corrib and Mask. The wing and tail is bronze mallard, rib is gold wire, the thorax is hot orange seals fur and the body is golden olive seals fur and the front over-hackle Indian game. Gerry considers this to be useful on most lakes in Mayfly time.