That's why, when it comes to the planning stage (we always plan at least 6 months in advance for all our flies - due, in part, to the length of time it takes our guys to tie them!) I sit down with a pencil and a big notebook and start to jot down ideas.

As you may imagine, I get through loads of pencils (if you're interested I prefer to use Blackwing pencils - quite expensive and very traditional, but I find the ideas start to flow as soon as I pick one up!).

As a consequence of using a traditional wooden pencil, you need to have a good pencil sharpener handy.

It was whilst using said sharpener and discovering where it was invented - down a YouTube rabbit-hole! - the idea hit me for the email you are reading now ...

I'm sure that you were not aware the humble pencil sharpener was invented by a spanish guy - called Ignacio Urresti. 

Just like the pattern this email is concerned with - it is the product of a Spanish fly tiers imagination (José Carlos Rodríguez) devised  in 2002 - he took inspiration from a Catalan nymph devised by José María Cros and a micro-nymph tied by the renowned French angler Pascal Cognard - very Frespañol.

It is of course one of the most successful Autumn & Winter nymphs, a Perdigon:

 

Our tyers have really out-done themselves with these - yes, they are some of the more expensive flies we sell - this type of quality is never cheap, but hopefully you will have the same excitement when using them as I do when I reach for my Blackwings! 

We've loads of info on the Perdigon below - no matter if you want to buy them from us or tie your own (with the launch of the Perdigon kit from our sister site, Feathersmith - see below). 

Please Note: I've also included a section at the very end of this email on how to get the best presentation when fishing with perdigon flies and a special offer for the first 30 orders placed today!

SPECIAL OFFER - for today only - if you are one of the first 30 orders, we will include a 'hand-tied' (by myself) indicator leader - made from bright-red 12lb Amnesia mono - which are great to detect any subtle takes, I use these myself, they are easy to see & ultra sensitive!

TL;DR - Too Long; Didn't Read

I know that some of you are pressed for time and save our emails to read later in the day, by this time our selections are sometimes sold out (I get lots of emails from customers pointing this out to me).

I've put this section at the beginning, so you can grab your flies now - and save reading my musings for later, safe in the knowledge that you have already secured your Perdigon nymphs.

This email is all about the Perdigon nymph, a fly pattern specifically designed to sink fast, and catch fish! These flies are all tied on one of the best jig hooks available (the Hanak H450BL).

In this email, we are launching our Autumn & Winter Perdigon patterns, all available in sizes 14 & 16. We are making them available as either individuals (including packs of 3 or 6), two separate selections or as a full 'Ultimate' selection. Click the button below to grab yours now:

SPECIAL OFFER - for today only - if you are one of the first 30 orders, we will include a 'hand-tied' (by myself) indicator leader which you can use to detect any subtle takes - I use these myself and they are easy to see & ultra sensitive!

 

 

Perdigon flies were developed in the early 2000's by Spanish fly anglers and are usually used in fast flowing rivers. These flies have tungsten bead heads and thin bodies, made of thread and tinsel. They have a very slim profile, allowing a very fast sink rate compared with classic beaded nymphs. The lighter coloured (sparkly) perdigons are ideal for both very clear or coloured water.

So what makes these patterns so special?

We posed that exact question to Nygren (the designer), and his reply was -

 "These are tied on strong Hanak wide-gape hooks, they sink quickly with very little disturbance and due to their bright bodies are perfect when fishing at less than 6ft deep - as the sunlight will 'activate' the coloured bodies. Their mass also allows you great feel through the line when fishing a single nymph - you should be able to feel the gravel on the river bed!"

That was us sold on them, and we're launching to you, our fantastic email community, today.

These flies have been specifically tied for fishing in the water levels and flows we experience through Autumn and Winter here in the UK and are ideal for both rivers and stillwaters.

As well as the ability to buy each of the flies individually, We have three distinct selections for you to also choose from, see below (each selection is available either with or without a Tacky Double-Sided silicone fly box):

 

Nygren's Metallic Perdigon Jig Selection

£32.00

Nygren's Grayling Perdigon Jig Selection

£33.00

 

Nygren's Ultimate Perdigon Jig Selection

Sale price£81.50

As you probably know by now, we're pretty geeky when it comes to nymphs!

Here's the specification for the size 14 & 16 Perdigons:

• Size 14:
• Weight: 0.35g
• Hook Length: 12.6mm
• Hook Gape: 5.3mm
• Tungsten Bead: 3.3mm
• Size 16:
• Weight: 0.22g
• Hook Length: 10.2mm
• Hook Gape: 4.5mm
• Tungsten Bead: 2.8mm

Each fly has a red hot-spot tied in just before the Coq de Leon tail and is tied on a Hanak H450BL Jig Superb barbless jig hook.

The colour variations we have available are:

• Black (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead)
• Copper (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead)
• Gold (with Gold Slotted Tungsten Bead)
• Light Pink (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead)
• Metallic Blue (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead)
• Metallic Green (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead)
• Metallic Orange (with Orange Slotted Tungsten Bead)
• Peacock (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead)
• Pearl (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead)
• Rainbow (with Silver Slotted Tungsten Bead)

These are not cheap flies, but we do have something to suit all budgets, how much I hear you ask - £2.25 for each individual fly (including packs of 3 for £6 or 6 for £11.25) or £32 for each selection of 18 (The Ultimate Perdigon Jig Selection including all 36 flies and a Tacky Double-Sided fly box is £81.50), but I think you will agree that the quality is outstanding.

We only have 38 of these selections for sale - they will never be produced in large numbers due to the time taken to tie/make each fly.

SPECIAL OFFER - for today only - if you are one of the first 30 orders, we will include a 'hand-tied' (by myself) indicator leader - made from bright-red 12lb Amnesia mono - which are great to detect any subtle takes, I use these myself and they are easy to see & ultra sensitive!

*** As always, all orders are shipped free of charge to any location within the UK ***

If you would like a set, you will need to be quick off the mark!

Here are a few more images to really tempt you:

 

Go on, you know you want to!

 Launched Today ... The Quill Perdigon kit

This eleventh in our series of kits celebrates the Perdigon - a pattern original concieved by the Spanish Fly Fishing team back in the early 2000's. Then, made popular by the French fly fishing team in competition use.

The word 'Perdigon' is Spanish for "pellet" or "shot" and is very apt! This style of fly sinks like a stone.

Our kit comprises of all the materials you need to tie 30 Quill Perdigons - 10 each of the most used sizes 12, 14 & 16:

Our 'Hot-Spot' Quill Perdigon kit includes:

• Hooks: AHREX FW541 hooks (10 each of sizes #12, #14 & #16)
• Beads: Tungsten (Black Nickel) 3.2mm, 2.8mm & 2.4mm
• Wire: Solder Wire 0.3mm diameter
• Thread: Semperfli Classic Waxed (Black)
• Tail: Strung Cock Hackle (Grizzly)
• Body: Full Peacock Eye (Natural)
• Hot-Spot: Glo-Brite No. 4 Scarlet
• Resin: Sally Hansen Hard As Nails
• Pre-Tied Sample 'Hot-Spot' Quill Perdigon

All of the above high-quality materials combined make a quality fly which is straightforward to tie, with full easy to follow step-by-step video instruction.

 

Contained inside each kit is also a leaflet which will direct you to a secret page on our website where all the videos (including all of Kenan's Fly tying tutorial series) can be accessed.

Our Feathersmith Quill Perdigon kit is now available for only £30. At less than £1/fly, that's great value for money.

The Perdigon nymph is designed to catch fish, at depth. Therefore it is important when fishing with Perdigon nymphs to follow these few tips to make sure the presentation of the nymph is as realistic as possible.

The key to fishing with any Perdigon style of fly is the make sure the fly is presented in the best way possible. Here are a few tip to allow you to get the most when fishing with this style of fly:

• Choose Your Water: This style of fly is particularly proficient when fishing small pocket water, i.e. lots of short runs where you need to get the fly down quickly.
• Fly Presentation Techniques - 1: To get the fly as deep as possible, as quickly as possible, you need to make sure the fly enters the water before your leader - to do this make sure to stop your rod tip much higher than usual. This will force the fly to enter the water first and also put the rod in the correct position to keep you in contact with the fly as soon as it enters the water.
• Fly Presentation Techniques - 2: For the fly to sink as quickly as possible, it needs to enter the water at its maximum velocity. To do this add a single haul to the final cast before presenting the fly - this will speed up your line and in-turn the flies entry to the water.
• Fly Presentation Techniques - 3: When fishing with a Perdigon, you need to present it on (or near to) the bottom,  when the fly enters the water it is usually better to lead the fly through the water - keeping in contact so you can detect any takes. The speed with which you lead the fly varies depending upon the speed of the water, but I usually lead it through just slightly slower than the water is flowing. Remember, that the water on the bottom will always flow slower than the water on the surface and you need the nymph to react as normally as possible.

Perdigon nymphs are generally used in the faster stretches of water, due to their slim, smooth profiles, they sink very quickly and can get to the river bed quickly. This allows you longer drifts each time you cast. However, using these flies will also allow you to fish those slower parts, which anglers usually pass by.

Tight lines & have fun in the sun.

P.S. Don't forget about our Special Offer - for today only:

SPECIAL OFFER - for today only - if you are one of the first 30 orders, we will include a 'hand-tied' (by myself) indicator leader - made from bright-red 12lb Amnesia mono - which are great to detect any subtle takes, I use these myself and they are easy to see & ultra sensitive!