Me,Fishing & Bipolar
I’ve recently had the pleasure of writing a few thoughts for Bipolar Scotland’s “On the Level” magazine. It’s about how fishing consumes me for a few hours every now and then, and gives me a break from intrusive thoughts. I think all of us fisher-people will understand that, but the important thing to take away is that being in nature can have a massively positive effect on mental health.
For me it calms me down, or gees me up, whichever I need at that particular time. But there’s a sense of recalibration after a fishing session. It really focusses my mind for a while on what’s going on around me, doesn’t matter what I catch as it’s just about being there in that moment. While your mind is full of nature it forgets all the other crap going on, if only for a while. But those few hours of escapism fill the tank til the next time. It really is magical.
I got this tattoo a few years ago to remind me of good times on the river. Sometimes I need to remind myself that there’s plenty to look forward to in life. It’s a greenwells glory, because a salmon fly was too hard to copy! I just wanted a colourful fishing fly , life is colourful. It didn’t heal properly so is a bit patchy, but I like it that way as nothing is perfect. A good metaphor for all sorts of things
Please read the article below, i’d really appreciate it!
tight lines
Scandi Flies
I've been obsessed with Scandinavian style flies since about the year 2000. the way they're built around movement and how they swim so beautifully. I find them mesmerising in the water the way they pulsate and wriggle.
It's perhaps a different approach to our traditional Scottish fishing techniques but when you see the flies in the water you understand why the fish take them.
A Templedog is can be tied on pretty much any tube, but I mostly tie on "US tubes" and Sean Stanton signature tubes. The fly's engine room is a palmered hackle over tinsel, or dubbing, or both which does two things.
Firstly it supports the wing which is tied in above it and helps it kick in the current.
Secondly it traps the flashy dubbing and creates a halo effect in the water, it's very cool.
The Samurai is a slightly different style of fly, it's much thinner and more streamlined . These flies are very flashy, and have two balls of dubbing tied in before and after the wing. This flashy dubbing is aggressively brushed out which creates that all important halo in the water. Designed to fish fast through the upper layers like a Collie Dog or a Sunray.
They look just incredible when they swim, very much like a sand eel or a small fish. Colour combinations are endless too.
For the fly tyers…..
Part of my mission here is to get people into fly tying, so please feel free to ask if you want some guidance. Fly tying is one of my passions, it’s a great way to get ideas out of your head.
Going forward, I’d like to start some fly tying coaching classes, but that’s for the future.
Here’s some suppliers I use on a regular basis, i try to support small businesses who are passionate about what they do—
Frederik does the best fox I’ve ever used, can highly recommend his products, the colours and preparation are second to none. Superb quality boar bristles too
Tony stocks the best of the best and has a passion for excellent materials. He happens to be one of the best fly tyers on the planet too, although he’d never admit it!
https://chucknduckflytying.com/
Andy and team have an ever expanding range of products that are absolutely tremendous, a real success story from the last few years
Tubes explained - US tubes
US tubes are polished brass tubes that are used for weight. They fit a standard 1.8mm liner and come in a range of sizes from 6mm to 20mm. The smaller ones can be used as a weight on a plastic tube, and the larger ones can be tied on directly.
Templedogs and shrimps look great on them, with a thinner profiled body than other tubes
Tubes explained -Sean Stanton signature tubes
I tie a lot on these, they give the fly a lovely profile whether it be a templedog or pot belly pig.
The tube is made of brass and is tapered so it's got a big rear end. This makes casting them a doddle and they get down quick enough.
14mm is my preferred size for most spring stuff, and 9mm for summer.
welcome to scandi candy
It all begins with an idea.
My name is Grant and I love fly fishing and fly tying. I've been tying for about 25 years , starting out on trout flies but quickly moving onto salmon patterns. There's so much variety and imagination involved , it's more than a hobby to me actually as it's a big part of my life. I have Bipolar disorder you see and fly tying is one of the things I do to regulate myself. Whether happy or sad it brings a calmness to my soul and gives me a chance to express whatever artistic talent I may possess !
The aim of this place is to provide imaginative patterns that catch fish, and encourage as many people as possible to get into fly fishing and fly tying. There's too many mental and physical benefits to count. I'm never calmer than when on a river somewhere, I suffer from verbal tics and they disappear on the water, it's truly magical.
I tie a whole bunch of flies and am always working on something new. It satisfies an inquisitive nature and provides some calm in a busy mind. It's truly a passion of mine. I'm a flyologist and an unapologetic geek when it comes to salmon treats. I find tying very therapeutic, it takes me to the river in my mind.
10 percent of all the website sales go to Bipolar Scotland, who are a small charity that helps people like me and those surrounding them. Life can be unpredictable for us so it's important to have organisations like these to provide a safety net. I'm lucky that I'm able to speak out about mental health matters but it's a very lonely world sometimes all the same. One day I'll do fly tying classes with a view to promoting the mental health , but one step at a time.
https://bipolarscotland.org.uk/