Excellent tutorial!!!!! Watched this last night and picked up some tophats at the shop today, fished on medium reservoir in scotland tonight and took 6 browns off the surface, that's 6 times more productive than my previous method with a DHE or CDC, thanks!!!!!!!
Trying to get back into fly fishing after a 20 year break, I was only a novice then and Iam probably further away now, so been taking in as many video's as I can to give me plenty of idea's of how to go on, and I must admit this is the most enjoyable fly fishing video I have seen by far, its a fantastic video and very much appreciated, thank you.
Absolutely loved this video thank you for taking the time to produce it, the most informative video I've ever seen, and what a talented angler Peter is! 🎣 🎣 🎣
Alec thank you so much for another Simple Tie. As usual LESS is MORE!!!! I live here in Santa Barbara / Montecito ,USA and we have creeks and small little hidden streams 15 minutes from my beach home!!I caught small Trouts and baby Steele Head up here and the SH by accident and let them go as I do with all my fishing fresh water. Fished a number of times in the UK and had a jolly time!!
Brilliant, I'm generally a salmon fisher with a lazy attitude towards still water trout that I do fairly often with the preferred dry fly. This video has inspired me to be more successful with sipping trout, longer leader and the use of the suspended buzzers, great tips with the floatant
One of the best videos I have watched. Clearly explained and demonstrated. Fantastic to watch a master in action. Will tie a few of these and see if I can imitate your success.
Thank you Alec for sharing this fly , I watched the vidio on how well it works . And the application of gink is fantastic I’m going to tye some up and try them here in Ontario Canada keep up the great vidios Cheers
Brilliant..he's some angler that fella. Very good of him to share his knowledge..it's the little things that you don't think of..ginking up 10 foot and sinking the 5 foot..That's another thing to try. Thankyou Peter and Alec
Had a frustrating day today, fish rising everywhere, only managed to hook 3 on a cdc yellow owl but lots of fish coming and having a look and turning away, if I had tried something like the topper I probably would have had a better day. Be at the vice tomorrow.Thanks for another great video Alec. Regards Jimf
I kinda knew this intuitively, but didn't know HOW to put the fly in the film rather than on top or sinking. This pattern will definitely get a try from me, as I find it frustrating when there are sipping trout all around me and I can't get a bump let alone a take. I have a feeling that Colorado trout will like this "foreign cuisine" just fine! Thanks and cheers!
Tophat update. When asked what I'm using I show them the tophat and then give them a couple to try. There is now a dedicated group of folks regularly taking fish on this fly. Thanks again for sharing.
Excellent video. My local water usually has fish showing at the surface with nothing actually hatching. Now I know better! Will tie some Top Hat buzzers for my next visit. Many thanks.
Thank you, definitely get some tied up, great for sipping trout, they can be tied in different colours depending on the colour of the buzzers on your local water 👍🎣🐟
He is unbelievable using this method, if they had been rising better on the night it would have been amazing to watch, but in a way it shows how good the method is even with only a few sipping 👍🎣🐟
Hi Alec, just found your video found it very interesting and informative will tie some and give them a go,, could you tell me about your set up to fish it ,thanks Roland.
Cheers Roland, as Peter describes in the video , set up is a floating line , 15 to 20ft thin fluorocarbon tippet , gink up the first 10ft from your fly line so you can skim the top hat fly , gink the foam on the fly but do not get it on the fluorocarbon next to the fly . You can treat the leader next to the fly with mud to take the shine off . Give it a go , it is deadly when fished correctly. Tight lines 👍🎣🐟
Alex, yes, taking fish on the nothing, size 18, folks don't believe it when I show them. Have been hedging my best on a few occasions, tophat on point, nothing on dropper, works
So, basically, it’s just a foam suspender buzzer pattern. I remember these being popular on UK reservoirs in the 80s and 90s. I’ve used similar myself on UK and Japanese stocked ponds when fishing to sippers, buzzer feeders, with no real difference in fish catch rate compared with using a small brown or black nymph fished just below the surface or in the surface film. On Japanese fishing ponds I’ll catch about 20 or 30 per day. Not my preferred fly fishing compared with sight fishing (stalking) wild fish in Tasmania or NZ. I agree with the statement to look at the water, determine what the trout are doing and then fish accordingly. I see too many fishers head straight to the water and start flogging away with whatever fly they think might work, and then wonder why it isn’t. I also agree about using simple patterns. Simple is best. There’s not many flies in my box that take more than 2-3 minutes to tie. Some questions though - Is this really a dry fly method? It’s a nymph/buzzer pattern, which is a wet fly. If most of the fly is in the water, is it not a wet? Why use fluorocarbon leader/tippet, then grease it? Frankly, I consider fluorocarbon to be the biggest con job imposed on fly fishers by fishing gear manufacturers just to get more money out of us. Why put floatant on the foam? Considering the volume of foam to the weight of the fly, it should suspend in the film all day without the need for any treatment.
It is not a new method by any means but is deadly when used correctly, the leader is greased up leaving the last 6ft untreated because the method calls for the fly to be skimmed along the surface into the path of rising fish, the foam is 3mm and by ginking it on the top allows the fly to stay on the surface even after several times of skimming the fly into position and constant casting to rising fish. Peter Appleby is probably the best angler in England on this method. The night we did the video the evening rise was very poor but he still did manage to winkle fish out in hard conditions.When fish are rising freely in good conditions it is amazing to watch him use this method with devastating effect 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying Alec, thanks for your reply. I appreciate the need to grease the leader, I use the same method myself when skating small caddis or midges patterns (Griffith’s Gnat) on still warm summer’s evening. The question is why use fluorocarbon and then grease it to float? I use nylon. It floats better, is superior for stretch and recovery (elasticity), better knot strength, easier to knot, overall better strength per diameter and it’s a lot cheaper. Don’t believe everything you read about fluorocarbon, especially from the marketers, and I say that as a retired Principal Research Scientist. I was dubious about the need to apply floatant to the foam when foam should have much superior floatation capability. I did my own experiments today tying some top hat flies using Wapsi cylinder foam. The foam is a lot denser than I expected. The flies sunk soon enough once wet. If I applied a gel floatant, then the top of the foam stayed right in the surface film. However, when I used foam from a footballer’s shin pad, a less dense foam, the fly sat perfectly in the surface film without the need for floatant. The lesson, not all foams are the same. Use the right foam and you won’t need to apply floatant.
I don't know you from Adam mate but Alec Harvey And Peter Appleby are fantastic anglers and unbelievably knowledgeable on Al things fishing. Your taking them to task and being so contradictory. We'll out of order. The tips and information on this video alone will help so many anglers.
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying Great stuff, an exciting way of taking a trout for sure. My leaders weren't quite as long as yours but I'll follow your set up next time I'm out.
Great video again Alec I will tie some of these up. Regarding the hook should I buy the Kamasan buzzer hook size 16 or just wet hook size 16 ? Thank you Stephen
Peter, I"m going to tie a few Top Hat "Wicked White" buzzer flies and give 'em a go on my cast. For a sense of proportion, on that size 16 hook, the finished Top Hot seems to be about 1/4 long? Is that about right? Or, longer or shorter? I know it needs to be long enough to support the fly. Thank you. Cheers,
Alex, the long version. Fish just moving under surface, tried black top hat, no joy. Tried various things and took a couple. Had a break and then tried the top hat again, taking fish regularly. My partner using top hat, nothing. Checked the one I was using to check exact size of body, foam etc. Close up I could see that the thread Id used was brown although varnished in box it looked black like all the rest. Looked in the box and found another one, gave that to partner, immediately taking fish. cant recall using dark brown thread but obviously must have done. Out again yesterday and all fish taken on black (brown) top hat. Dont how in gods name the fish can tell the difference because they all look black to me.
That's great Robert, to be fair it's best to make them in different shades and styles, black, brown, and olive are the three main colours of our buzzers, I also have good results with slim hares ear top hats in the same colours, try them but keep them small, size 16s 👍🎣🐟
What G Loomis fly rod is Peter using here? I'm very intrigued by the rubber on the handle and what appears to be red/mahogany writhing on the rod. I'm not familiar with this model.
It's Loomis 8wt 2 piece distance , the rubber bit on the Cork handle is a thumb protector which Peter fitted himself as he wears away the Cork they was he casts 👍🎣🐟
Great video Alex. What a great angler Peter is. Quick question. I did ok an a CDC yellow owl recently with the CDC tied in above the eye like the foam. Although I could see the top of the CDC out of the water, I thought the rest of the fly was underneath similar to the top hat fly here. Am I missing something reference Peter's comments on the CDC flies?
Not really Mike, they both have there day but the foan top hat one has a better profile in the surface film as it sits low, the cdc one is a big profile as the fish see the cdc feathers sticking above the fly. As Peter says in the video the cdc ones are good when the flies are on the surface but the top hat is better when they are sipping buzzers in the surface film. 👍🎣🐟
You can buy them already pre cut. They are waspi high density foam cylinders 3mm I use foam cutters and cut my own out of waspi foam blocks, they come in all colours 👍🎣🐟
Ross any hih quality fluorocarbon leader will work as long as it is low diameter or you will firstly sink the fly and secondly get lots of fish refusals, Peter was using Revere but g3 is good just go low diameter 4-5lb👍🎣🐟
John, don't feel to bad, Peter is an expert fly angler and he makes it look ridiculously easy 🤣🤣 If you use this method in April and MY when te main buzzer hatchbis on you will definitely catch fish. 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying he is brilliant, just goes to show you don’t need all this fancy tackle , teams of flies etc Thanks for this video it has given me a massive lesson 🙏🏽
Dennis many different types work well, like Hares ear , olive, etc, match any buzzer that is on your local water and they will take it using the suspender buzzer method demonstrated
Gareth we are trying to do a video on how to fish the caenis hatch but sadly they are not hatching here at the minute, the weather is all over the place, soon we hope 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying thanks. They are in full force in our local lake. 7 fish on Sunday until the rise came on at caenis. Not one man caught fish. I must have covered (no exaggeration) 200 fish and I had one lost on a replica caenis I tied.
I wish it was like that here, we have been quite a few evenings lately thinking there will be a good hatch, none yet😭😭 It will make a good video when it eventually comes together, coming soon we hope 🤞🤞🤞
What a great video and can’t wait to put it into practice. You wouldn’t be able to make me, 5 size 16 and 5 size 14 and 5 size 12 and I'll pay you for tying them please?
@Robert Ward CDC is the feathers from the rear of a duck which are used to float flies , there are some great dry flies incorporating cdc feathers , if you check my channel I do an olive cdc buzzer 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying hi mate I know about applying gink from your little finger as you have shown me, but how do you apply it to say the first 10ft of leader ? You can’t just use your little finger can you?
Sorry Trevor , I misread your question, you can simply make a little tool for this , use a strip of leather or plastic with 2 small bits of foam or sponge on , you can put your floatation on the sponge and fold it over on to the leader so as to not touch it with your fingers 👍🎣🐟
Thank you Alec for another amazing video.Really loved this video of the Top Hat buzzer with Peter Appleby. Could you tell me how fine a leader of florocarbon does Peter fish the Top Hat buzzer? Cheers
Hi Alec. I don’t have Facebook unfortunately. But I would love to purchase some of those flies if possible? If you could contact me on 07772163775. Hopefully speak soon mate
Alex. I have really enjoyed your videos and would like some of the Nothing fly and this White top hat fly. I have pm'd you an iMessage but not had a response. Paul Hughes
I'm not impressed one bit. You would think you would respect the fishes life enough that you wouldn't touch them with dry hands and rub the protective slim.
![АЛАУДИНОВ у Скабеевой: эти их ВСУ нас НЕ ДОГОНЯТ 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/an0anqU4WGQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Started fly fishing again after a 32 year break. One of the most informative videos I’ve seen on you tube. Thank you
Many thanks,Anthony, we try to explain methods so it can help people just starting to fly fish and enjoy the sport we love 👍🎣🐟
Excellent tutorial!!!!! Watched this last night and picked up some tophats at the shop today, fished on medium reservoir in scotland tonight and took 6 browns off the surface, that's 6 times more productive than my previous method with a DHE or CDC, thanks!!!!!!!
Much appreciated 👍 pleased you had a great night and I am sure you will have many more using this deadly method 🎣🐟
No product endorsement, no agenda.....just a 'warts and all' masterclass.....brilliant, thanks for that.👍
Many thanks Chris, we just make the videos for fun 👍🎣🐟
Trying to get back into fly fishing after a 20 year break, I was only a novice then and Iam probably further away now, so been taking in as many video's as I can to give me plenty of idea's of how to go on, and I must admit this is the most enjoyable fly fishing video I have seen by far, its a fantastic video and very much appreciated, thank you.
Many thanks, we make the videos for fun but try and help anglers to catch fish by passing on tips and information that has helped us catch 👍🎣🐟
Absolutely loved this video thank you for taking the time to produce it, the most informative video I've ever seen, and what a talented angler Peter is! 🎣 🎣 🎣
Thanks Ross for your lovely message, pleased you enjoyed the video 👍🎣🐟
Thank's Alec and Peter, it doesn't matter how old or how long you have been fishing you learn something new every day.
William, that's the beauty of angling for us all, learning new thing's 👍🎣🐟
Thank you for sharing all best for 2023 tight lines
Much appreciated Kevin , have a great 2023 🎣🐟
Tied a few up and had fish every time ive been fishing. Great simple little pattern, many thanks Alec .
Thats good John, they are a great fly that can be tied in many colour variations to suit the buzzers hatching at the time 👍🎣🐟
Alec thank you so much for another Simple Tie. As usual LESS is MORE!!!! I live here in Santa Barbara / Montecito ,USA and we have creeks and small little hidden streams 15 minutes from my beach home!!I caught small Trouts and baby Steele Head up here and the SH by accident and let them go as I do with all my fishing fresh water. Fished a number of times in the UK and had a jolly time!!
Thank you Edward, hope you have great success using this method and fly type 👍🎣🐟
Brilliant, I'm generally a salmon fisher with a lazy attitude towards still water trout that I do fairly often with the preferred dry fly. This video has inspired me to be more successful with sipping trout, longer leader and the use of the suspended buzzers, great tips with the floatant
Thanks Boris, hope you do well, its a great method 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying Thank's
One of the best videos I have watched. Clearly explained and demonstrated. Fantastic to watch a master in action. Will tie a few of these and see if I can imitate your success.
Cheers Brendan, pleased you enjoyed it, Peter is a tremendous fly angler, its nice to stand back and watch him do his magic 👍🎣🐟
Thank you Alec for sharing this fly , I watched the vidio on how well it works . And the application of gink is fantastic I’m going to tye some up and try them here in Ontario Canada keep up the great vidios Cheers
Thank you, pleased you are enjoying the videos, we do them for fun but if it helps anglers that's great 👍🎣🐟
Brilliant..he's some angler that fella. Very good of him to share his knowledge..it's the little things that you don't think of..ginking up 10 foot and sinking the 5 foot..That's another thing to try. Thankyou Peter and Alec
Johnny its always he little things in angling that make a massive difference to your catches 👍🎣🐟
Fantastic video as are the others you’ve done Alec. All very entertaining and informative! Great to see Peter in action in this one. Thanks Alec
Ps where can I get a 3mm foam cutter from and what HD foam do you use/recommend - many thanks in advance
Thanks Mark, pleased you like them 👍 we have some good ideas for more just need to get the timing right and the fish to play ball 🤣🤣🎣🐟
Had a frustrating day today, fish rising everywhere, only managed to hook 3 on a cdc yellow owl but lots of fish coming and having a look and turning away, if I had tried something like the topper I probably would have had a better day. Be at the vice tomorrow.Thanks for another great video Alec. Regards Jimf
Cheers Jim, now you know exactly what to try 👍🎣🐟
Toppers all tied up,ready for tomorrow, can’t wait to give them a try. Cheers Jimf
A pleasure to watch and listen to, thank you very much, it’s very much appreciated.
Thanks Martyn 👍🎣🐟
I kinda knew this intuitively, but didn't know HOW to put the fly in the film rather than on top or sinking. This pattern will definitely get a try from me, as I find it frustrating when there are sipping trout all around me and I can't get a bump let alone a take. I have a feeling that Colorado trout will like this "foreign cuisine" just fine! Thanks and cheers!
Cheers, try it out, it's a productive method 👍🎣🐟
Tophat update. When asked what I'm using I show them the tophat and then give them a couple to try. There is now a dedicated group of folks regularly taking fish on this fly. Thanks again for sharing.
Yes Robert, it a deadly method, have you and your pals tried the NOTHING fly, we are catching tons of fish on it now 👍🎣🐟
Excellent video. My local water usually has fish showing at the surface with nothing actually hatching. Now I know better! Will tie some Top Hat buzzers for my next visit. Many thanks.
Thank you, definitely get some tied up, great for sipping trout, they can be tied in different colours depending on the colour of the buzzers on your local water 👍🎣🐟
Cheers for the knowledge. Could have used a tophat tonight up at the Wansbeck
No problem , give them a go and enjoy 👍🎣🐟
Hi Its Paul from Two Novice Anglers. Great video I learned a lot. Thanks again.
Cheers Paul 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying The flat calm poses a real challenge. Peter seemed to tempt them up despite this.
He is unbelievable using this method, if they had been rising better on the night it would have been amazing to watch, but in a way it shows how good the method is even with only a few sipping 👍🎣🐟
Done it again Alec,great,instructive & entertaining video matey.Keep them coming.
Many thanks, Peter makes it look so easy👍🎣🐟
As a beginner I have to say this was really helpful and interesting thanks 👍
Cheers Matt, that's much appreciated 👍🎣🐟
Thankyou and very informative. Will be trying this next time the conditions match. Usually go sinking when it's like this but always a school day :)
Cheers. Give it a go, it definitely puts fish in the net 🎣🐟🐟
Found ya bro👋
Nice video Alex 👍🎣. I will be tieing a dozen of them, 2morr. Ready for the wkend 👌😜
They catch fish everywhere, fine tippet is a must or the fish will just take a look and turn away, have fun 🎣🐟
Thanks for sharing a very cool way to fish buzzers. The proof is in the pudding. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers Stan 👍🎣🐟
another great video mate, looking forward to fish Sharpley springs when i come up to see me kids!
Cheers Alan 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying hi Alan do you sell these flies
Peter never misses on the strike🐟
He did miss 1 in the video Paula but it came up again and he got it second time🤣🤣🤣 they don't get a second chance 👍🎣🐟
Great video guys. Really good tips and much appreciated 👍
Thank you Keith 👍🎣🐟
A breath of fresh air.
Cheers, 👍🎣🐟
What pound line do you typically use when using the top hat
You need to use a good quality thin diameter fluorocarbon between 4- 6lb 👍🎣🐟
Would this fly work with different colour bodies or make it easier to see using different colour foam
Yes they do work with different colour bodies , olive is particularly good, and hares ear type are good 👍 🎣🐟
Hi Alec, just found your video found it very interesting and informative will tie some and give them a go,, could you tell me about your set up to fish it ,thanks Roland.
Cheers Roland, as Peter describes in the video , set up is a floating line , 15 to 20ft thin fluorocarbon tippet , gink up the first 10ft from your fly line so you can skim the top hat fly , gink the foam on the fly but do not get it on the fluorocarbon next to the fly . You can treat the leader next to the fly with mud to take the shine off .
Give it a go , it is deadly when fished correctly.
Tight lines 👍🎣🐟
Alex, yes, taking fish on the nothing, size 18, folks don't believe it when I show them. Have been hedging my best on a few occasions, tophat on point, nothing on dropper, works
Spot on Robert 👍🎣🐟
Brilliant video and great fly pattern 👏
Much appreciated Kevin 👍🎣🐟
A true north east legend in action on his local water great venue 👍
So, basically, it’s just a foam suspender buzzer pattern. I remember these being popular on UK reservoirs in the 80s and 90s. I’ve used similar myself on UK and Japanese stocked ponds when fishing to sippers, buzzer feeders, with no real difference in fish catch rate compared with using a small brown or black nymph fished just below the surface or in the surface film. On Japanese fishing ponds I’ll catch about 20 or 30 per day. Not my preferred fly fishing compared with sight fishing (stalking) wild fish in Tasmania or NZ.
I agree with the statement to look at the water, determine what the trout are doing and then fish accordingly. I see too many fishers head straight to the water and start flogging away with whatever fly they think might work, and then wonder why it isn’t. I also agree about using simple patterns. Simple is best. There’s not many flies in my box that take more than 2-3 minutes to tie.
Some questions though -
Is this really a dry fly method? It’s a nymph/buzzer pattern, which is a wet fly. If most of the fly is in the water, is it not a wet?
Why use fluorocarbon leader/tippet, then grease it? Frankly, I consider fluorocarbon to be the biggest con job imposed on fly fishers by fishing gear manufacturers just to get more money out of us.
Why put floatant on the foam? Considering the volume of foam to the weight of the fly, it should suspend in the film all day without the need for any treatment.
It is not a new method by any means but is deadly when used correctly, the leader is greased up leaving the last 6ft untreated because the method calls for the fly to be skimmed along the surface into the path of rising fish, the foam is 3mm and by ginking it on the top allows the fly to stay on the surface even after several times of skimming the fly into position and constant casting to rising fish.
Peter Appleby is probably the best angler in England on this method.
The night we did the video the evening rise was very poor but he still did manage to winkle fish out in hard conditions.When fish are rising freely in good conditions it is amazing to watch him use this method with devastating effect 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying Alec, thanks for your reply. I appreciate the need to grease the leader, I use the same method myself when skating small caddis or midges patterns (Griffith’s Gnat) on still warm summer’s evening. The question is why use fluorocarbon and then grease it to float? I use nylon. It floats better, is superior for stretch and recovery (elasticity), better knot strength, easier to knot, overall better strength per diameter and it’s a lot cheaper. Don’t believe everything you read about fluorocarbon, especially from the marketers, and I say that as a retired Principal Research Scientist. I was dubious about the need to apply floatant to the foam when foam should have much superior floatation capability. I did my own experiments today tying some top hat flies using Wapsi cylinder foam. The foam is a lot denser than I expected. The flies sunk soon enough once wet. If I applied a gel floatant, then the top of the foam stayed right in the surface film. However, when I used foam from a footballer’s shin pad, a less dense foam, the fly sat perfectly in the surface film without the need for floatant. The lesson, not all foams are the same. Use the right foam and you won’t need to apply floatant.
Thank you for the feed back, it's always nice to have different options, every day in angling is a learning day 👍🎣🐟
I don't know you from Adam mate but Alec Harvey And Peter Appleby are fantastic anglers and unbelievably knowledgeable on Al things fishing. Your taking them to task and being so contradictory. We'll out of order. The tips and information on this video alone will help so many anglers.
Nicely tied alex 👏
Thank you Donald 👍🎣🐟
Thanks for this. Tied some up for our BC lakes, works a treat!
Cheers Paulo. They are deadly for sipping trout, we are catching lots of fish here at the minute using exactly this method 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying Great stuff, an exciting way of taking a trout for sure. My leaders weren't quite as long as yours but I'll follow your set up next time I'm out.
Please let me know how you get on Paulo, I would use 15ft or longer leader and it must be low diameter or the trout will refuse it, tight lines 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying I will do, much appreciate your advice, thanks again
👍🎣🐟🐟🐟
Great stuff thanks for another informative video 👍
Cheers Mark 👍🎣🐟
Great video, thanks for the tips. much appreciated
Thanks Neil , we are catching lots of trout at the minute using that method 👍🎣🐟
Great video again Alec I will tie some of these up.
Regarding the hook should I buy the Kamasan buzzer hook size 16 or just wet hook size 16 ?
Thank you
Stephen
Steve you can tie them on size 16 wet / nymph hooks, I tied the one in the video on Bill Mcilroys wet hook but Hanak BL 200 hooks are good too 👍🎣🐟
Great video alec
Superb video and method. Well done and thank you.
Thanks Russell 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying Can you be persuaded to tie me some Top Hats? I don't see anywhere or anyone selling them on the internet.
Russell please send me a PM👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying Alec, I would, but I do not see an email address for you or another other way to send you a PM.
I am on Facebook Russel, send a message on that if possible??🎣🐟
Peter, I"m going to tie a few Top Hat "Wicked White" buzzer flies and give 'em a go on my cast. For a sense of proportion, on that size 16 hook, the finished Top Hot seems to be about 1/4 long? Is that about right? Or, longer or shorter? I know it needs to be long enough to support the fly. Thank you. Cheers,
Yes, Shannon 1/4 inch is the correct size for a size 16.
If in doubt leave it slightly longer then it can be easily trimmed down later 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying Alec, OK, thank you.
Well done! Thanks.
Cheers 👍🎣🐟
Alex, the long version. Fish just moving under surface, tried black top hat, no joy. Tried various things and took a couple. Had a break and then tried the top hat again, taking fish regularly. My partner using top hat, nothing. Checked the one I was using to check exact size of body, foam etc. Close up I could see that the thread Id used was brown although varnished in box it looked black like all the rest. Looked in the box and found another one, gave that to partner, immediately taking fish. cant recall using dark brown thread but obviously must have done. Out again yesterday and all fish taken on black (brown) top hat. Dont how in gods name the fish can tell the difference because they all look black to me.
That's great Robert, to be fair it's best to make them in different shades and styles, black, brown, and olive are the three main colours of our buzzers, I also have good results with slim hares ear top hats in the same colours, try them but keep them small, size 16s 👍🎣🐟
Very informative, excellent 👏
Thanks Shaun 👍🎣🐟
What G Loomis fly rod is Peter using here? I'm very intrigued by the rubber on the handle and what appears to be red/mahogany writhing on the rod. I'm not familiar with this model.
It's Loomis 8wt 2 piece distance , the rubber bit on the Cork handle is a thumb protector which Peter fitted himself as he wears away the Cork they was he casts 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying thanks for the information.
Great video Alex. What a great angler Peter is. Quick question. I did ok an a CDC yellow owl recently with the CDC tied in above the eye like the foam. Although I could see the top of the CDC out of the water, I thought the rest of the fly was underneath similar to the top hat fly here. Am I missing something reference Peter's comments on the CDC flies?
Not really Mike, they both have there day but the foan top hat one has a better profile in the surface film as it sits low, the cdc one is a big profile as the fish see the cdc feathers sticking above the fly.
As Peter says in the video the cdc ones are good when the flies are on the surface but the top hat is better when they are sipping buzzers in the surface film. 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying Thanks
Thank you both for sharing your knowledge 👍🏻 where is best to get the foam cylinders from please? TIA 🎣👍🏻
You can buy them already pre cut.
They are waspi high density foam cylinders 3mm
I use foam cutters and cut my own out of waspi foam blocks, they come in all colours 👍🎣🐟
Thanks for taking the time to comment Alec, will have a look online now 👍🏻🎣
Great video Alec do you tie this fly in any other colours?
Cheers, yes it's good on olive and brown 👍🎣🐟
Brilliant mate and I’ve not even watched it yet lol
Trevor, get it watched and shared, the man is a genius when it comes to trout fishing 🤣🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying done Alec.
What’s the brand of tippet he mentions? Cannot make it out fully… I’m using airflo sight free
Ross any hih quality fluorocarbon leader will work as long as it is low diameter or you will firstly sink the fly and secondly get lots of fish refusals, Peter was using Revere but g3 is good just go low diameter 4-5lb👍🎣🐟
Great Video - Peter certainly knows his stuff. where can I get some of those buzzers ?
Stephen, send me a pm on Facebook please 👍🎣🐟
Enjoyed that, subscribed.
Cheers Mike 👍🎣🐟
Hi, Alec . Does it matter what colour top you use as in black or white. Love the vids. Thanks Davy
I use both, I find black through the day but as the light fades in the evening I switch to white ones 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying thanks for that info.
I’m packing in fishing ive spent hrs days weeks trying catch one !!! That guy is ridiculous 🙏🏽😊
John, don't feel to bad, Peter is an expert fly angler and he makes it look ridiculously easy 🤣🤣
If you use this method in April and MY when te main buzzer hatchbis on you will definitely catch fish. 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying he is brilliant, just goes to show you don’t need all this fancy tackle , teams of flies etc
Thanks for this video it has given me a massive lesson 🙏🏽
Thanks for posting, have you used this pattern in a river? In New Zealand?
I haven't Declan, but any where there are midge it will work 👍🎣🐟
Need to tie some of these up. Been using CDC but I can see the benefit of the foam.
Craig as Peter said it fishes totally different 👍🎣🐟
Hi Alex would you tie any other colour or style of top hat fly,ie quilled or dubbed.
Dennis many different types work well, like Hares ear , olive, etc, match any buzzer that is on your local water and they will take it using the suspender buzzer method demonstrated
Thanks Alex going to be busy tying.
just to tie the best local buzzer with foam cap?
Can’t seem to find where to buy these
Send me a pm on Facebook 🎣🐟
Would this work if a caenis hatch is on. Thanks
Gareth we are trying to do a video on how to fish the caenis hatch but sadly they are not hatching here at the minute, the weather is all over the place, soon we hope 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying thanks. They are in full force in our local lake. 7 fish on Sunday until the rise came on at caenis. Not one man caught fish. I must have covered (no exaggeration) 200 fish and I had one lost on a replica caenis I tied.
I wish it was like that here, we have been quite a few evenings lately thinking there will be a good hatch, none yet😭😭
It will make a good video when it eventually comes together, coming soon we hope 🤞🤞🤞
Have the Caenis just started on your lake?? Where abouts is the lake??
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying no they’ve been on for almost 6 weeks. In County Armagh. Northern Ireland.
What a great video and can’t wait to put it into practice. You wouldn’t be able to make me, 5 size 16 and 5 size 14 and 5 size 12 and I'll pay you for tying them please?
I can do Shane 👍🎣🐟
Shane can you contact me via a Pm on Facebook??
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying hey yeah I sure can what’s your details on Facebook?
It's a picture of the England team fly fishing badge 👍🎣🐟
Hi Alex does Peter kink is leader after each fish he catches I am going to try this method out on the weekend cheers mate
No , the leader is ginked at the start when setting up and then only the fly ginked when needed after catching fish , good luck Rob 👍 🎣🐟
Hi I am news to fly fishing can you please tell me what is a CDC great channel very informative. Thanks for sharing your experience.
@Robert Ward CDC is the feathers from the rear of a duck which are used to float flies , there are some great dry flies incorporating cdc feathers , if you check my channel I do an olive cdc buzzer 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying Thanks for the reply Alec I have subscribed to your channel 👍
@@rogerward9492 thank you , much appreciated 👍🎣🐟
How do you apply the floatent to the leader without getting it over your fingers?
Trevor, check out my video Think before you gink tip.👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying hi mate I know about applying gink from your little finger as you have shown me, but how do you apply it to say the first 10ft of leader ? You can’t just use your little finger can you?
Sorry Trevor , I misread your question, you can simply make a little tool for this , use a strip of leather or plastic with 2 small bits of foam or sponge on , you can put your floatation on the sponge and fold it over on to the leader so as to not touch it with your fingers 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying thanks brilliant idea!
Fabulous! My kinda TV
Thank you, pleased you liked it 👍🎣🐟
Can I purchase the wicked white suspender buzzer please.
Send me a pm on Facebook Kevin please 👍🎣🐟
Thank you Alec for another amazing video.Really loved this video of the Top Hat buzzer with Peter Appleby.
Could you tell me how fine a leader of florocarbon does Peter fish the Top Hat buzzer?
Cheers
Thanks Emmett, you need to fish thin low diameter fluorocarbon leader, 6lb soft plus is a good option, thin and strong enough for the dries 👍🎣🐟
Thanks Alec appreciate it
Cheers 🎣🎣🎣
You learnt a lot thanks 😊 do you tie top hat for sale I have rheumatism in my hands now or let me know were I can buy them 😉
Send me a pm John 👍🎣🐟
Where can I buy these wicked white top hat buzzer?
Gary give me a pm on Facebook please 👍🎣🐟
Hi Alec. I don’t have Facebook unfortunately. But I would love to purchase some of those flies if possible? If you could contact me on 07772163775. Hopefully speak soon mate
What brand of fluorocarbon does he use the one I use just keeps snapping 😩
Fulling Mill or soft plus, any good quality fluorocarbon as long as its low diameter and strong 👍🎣🐟
Alex. I have really enjoyed your videos and would like some of the Nothing fly and this White top hat fly. I have pm'd you an iMessage but not had a response. Paul Hughes
Sorry Paul, I cannot see your message, send me a friend request on Facebook please 👍🎣🐟
Hi Alex I really enjoy the videos, keep them coming. Can you please tell me the brand and model of the size 16 hook. Thanks
Campbell Hanak 230 BL or 200bl are good, I also use wet hooks from Bill Mcilroy 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying thanks Alec, really enjoy your videos, keep em coming.
love this videost but please sort the audio to be stereo , its so bad with head phones on..
I didn't realise it wasn't Mark 🤣🤣
My age its a wonder it wasn't in black and white 🤣🤣👍🎣🐟
Can you not watch it on your TV??
Alec I've sent you message on facebook to buy some of these flies
No message received Keith?
You wouldn’t by any chance sell me some of them buzzers please ?
John, give me a pm on Facebook please 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying I can’t find you on Facebook Alec , could you try to find me please? Thanks 🙏🏽
What is your Facebook profile photo John, there is a lot of John Stewarts 🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying Alec, I found you and sent you a message pal
I sent you a message on messenger Fb
am i the only one who has no sound on this video ?
Think you are , I have just checked it on the TV and its fine 👍🎣🐟
Very tasty
Cheers Martin 👍🎣🐟
I'm not impressed one bit. You would think you would respect the fishes life enough that you wouldn't touch them with dry hands and rub the protective slim.
If you watch carefully, Peter has his hands in the water in the net before touching the fish. 🐟🐟
An 8 weight rod to fish dries on a flat calm pond? And this guy is an ' expert ' ?? 😅🤣🤣
He sure is 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying If he thinks an 8 weight is just as good as a 4 weight for fishing dries in a flat calm......no he isnt
Just use a CDC plume tip fly.......you don't need something with a hideous big lump of foam like this.
Use what works for you Johnathon 👍🎣🐟
@@alecharveyfishingandflytying Just cut CDC wing short to a stub if fish turn away.......no need for foam. You on the wind up??