What are your go to flies? These are mine and available on Fulling Mill now.
Due to popular demand I'd like to supply a bit more context on my fly range now available in Fulling Mill. The guys at Fulling Mill asked me last season to put together a selection of Irish style Lough flies that will not only work on Irish waters but also on English waters.
As a guide and commercial tyer I am always looking to develop innovative files and techniques that will catch more fish for my clients, who could be guests on Lough Arrow or Melvin, or they could be for a team and competition purposes. So when I was asked by Steve Carew from Fulling Mill which flies I like best my reply was I like them all because they are my preferred patterns for their part of the season. The range starts from early spring right through until late summer and consists of Stimulators, Mayflies and Daddies.
I selected the patterns that have worked for me and my clients throughout the season, which suits Irish and English waters, covering Wild Trout and of course Rainbows. Then I sent my representations of those patterns to Steve and we had a bit of collaboration on material selection and tying and reviewing the Fulling Mill versions. By January we had the selection and patterns nailed and reviewed and then it was put to production, with the flies being made available in recent weeks. It's been a pleasure dealing with Steve and the team and I am honoured to have my flies listed with such a fantastic company.
Early Spring
Early Spring sees Stimulators in action, and are designed to provoke the Trout into a reaction. My design ensures enough disturbance when the fly is pulled through the water. It has a hot spot or "hot head" as a target, and pearl rib to also attract the fish. There's a range of colours as well to suit the conditions.
The original stimulator pattern was designed for a stone fly imitation, many anglers believe the name "Stimulator" was given to the pattern by Jim Slattery who was an angler from Montana. The stimulator arrived on our shores over 20 years ago and since then it has been one of those patterns that just catches fish. It can be tyed in size 8, 10 and 12. Many years ago while fishing Lough Melvin during a mayfly hatch I caught my first ever Salmon on an Olive Stimulator. The range that I have put together can be fished from the start of the season right to the very end of the season. It can be fished on either floating line, intermediate line and even down to a DI5 line, I even caught Sonaghan on a DI5 on this pattern.
Hot Head Fiery Brown Stimulator
This is a definite pattern for your cast for pulling across the rocks for fish feeding on shrimp and hog lice.
It is also good for the end of season when sedges are about and are on the trouts menu.
Hot Head Black Stimulator
Another very good early season pattern especially when duck fly or black midge are hatching.
Hot Head Sooty Stimulator
A pattern that fishes extremely well when olives are hatching.
Hot Head Olive Stimulator and International Stimulator
These 2 patterns have fished extremely well when Mayfly are around especially on Lough Mask and Lough Corrib.
Summer and Late Summer
Summer sees warmer days and evenings and a wide range of hatches to interest the Trout. Starting in May with Mayfly patterns and the Green Drakes and Mayflies. The Mayfly selection consists of some of my favourite patterns that work on Lough Arrow, Corrib, Mask and Melvin. They have also worked well on Lough Sheelin. Last season Fulling Mill were in Ireland fishing with Tom Sullivan and Mike Keady during Mayfly and they got a chance to test out the range I put together with great success. I'm looking forward to seeing the video which will hopefully be out soon. They are available in size 10.
The Spent Gnat range consists of 3 patterns, 2 of which are Para Spent. One has white indicator the other has pink indicator. The pink indicator makes it really easy to see when the light conditions are starting to fade. The flies are designed to sit right into the surface film.
When conditions suit the cream of dry fly fishing is of course Spent Gnat fishing and I'm including my Spent Gnat pattern for late afternoons and evenings.
For Summer and late summer the Daddy comes into it's own, and is one of those flies that started off as a dry fly but very soon
anglers figured out it was equally good stripped as a Wet fly.
Jackie's Melvin Daddy
This pattern is a must if you are fishing Lough Melvin, it's also a very good Seatrout pattern to have on your cast.
Jackie's Pearly Daddy
I have tyed this pattern for Lough Melvin and it also helped me to get one of my Irish caps on the International scene.
It was also on my cast when I won the Melvin Open in 2006. It has also taken Salmon and Seatrout on Carrowmore lake.
You can check out the range on the Fulling Mill website.
You can also check out my Fulling Mill Stimulator and Mayfly range from Pat Nolan of Premier Angling.
For guided fishing please use my contact page to get in touch. Now taking bookings for the 2025 season.
Tight lines,
Jackie Mahon