The Fly Box

Welcome to The Fly Box, our comprehensive repository of fly patterns. Here, you’ll find a meticulously curated collection of flies, each designed to enhance your fly fishing experience. Whether you’re targeting trout in a mountain stream or bass in a local pond, The Fly Box offers detailed patterns, tying instructions, and insights on the best conditions for each fly.

Discover traditional favourites and innovative new designs, all contributed by expert anglers from our community. Dive in, explore, and elevate your fly fishing game with the perfect fly for every occasion.

Gartside Gurgler

The Gurgler Fly Pattern is a floating fly that spits and “gurgles” when stripped, and is designed to imitate everything from shrimp to baitfish and a frog for bass.
Invented by the late Jack Gartside, the Gurger is a simple and very effective fly to tie, and the tying technique has even been incorporated into mouse flies for trout.
It can be tied in many different colours and sizes. White, Tan, Shrimp, Chartreuse and Olive are favourites among many fishing guides in both the salt and freshwater.

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Carping On!

Paul Fedeles' Go To Carp Bash fly

These flies were originally recommended by HFF Distant Member Paul Fedeles for the Hunter Valley (formerly Singleton) Fly Fishing Club Invitational Carp Classic, however they still apply to any carp fishing, eg. Nundle. The Carp Classic was held on mid…

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Flies for Nundle

Peter Glasson's picks for some effective flies to use when fly fishing Nundle.

Trout - Chaffey Dam and Sheba Dam:

Termite fly, Rodney’s Blowfly, Rodney’s take on a hopper, Red Tag, Emerging Woolly bigger, Olive Woolly Bugger. Car & Perch: Bread Fly, Backstabber Hybrid Carp Fly, Bead Headed Carp Fly and Bass Vampires.

Cod – Chaffey Dam and Peel River

Try Purple and Brown colours and take a sinking line to get the flies down deep. Try some Vince’s Loudmouth Popper‘s, Vince’s Diving Gurgler, Paul Fedeles’ Orange Bass Flopper and the Backstabber Hybrid in larger sizes – 1/0 and 2/0s – plus a few of Rob Meade’s Gutless Flies.

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Squimp Fly

squimp fly

The Squimp Fly is very simple to tie, but lethal for countless flats species.

The Squimp fly very closely imitates a small shrimp, which is the main forage for any bonefish. It also works for other saltwater flats fishes.

The Squimp fly can be tied in many colour variations. Pink works but the traditional tan is the most popular and the most effective. The Squimp fly can be tied with heavy or light eyes, depending on the depth of the flat and the spookiness of the fish.

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Variations on a Theme – Woolly Bugger

The Woolly Bugger is a very versatile pattern that will catch fish on virtually any lake or river. It can be tied in a variety of colour combinations, usually natural ones such at black, brown and olive.

The basic woolly bugger pattern is fairly simple, however, don’t be afraid to experiment. Remember, any fly that catches fish is a good fly. Below you’ll find some variations as tied by Club member and Fly Tie Coordinator Ben Hicks (red was the colour of the day, apparently).

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Rabbit Fly

Primarily tied as a general nymph pattern, the Rabbit Fly also makes a pretty good imitation of small dragonfly nymphs that emerge in huge numbers on many Australian lakes. The Rabbit Fly has a collar and tail of soft rabbit fur that moves well in the water, even when the fly is retrieved very slowly.

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