North West Fly Dressers Guild

29/05/2026

Our next branch meeting on Tuesday 16 June is a presentation by Dr Andrea Drewitt Chief Executive of the Mersey Gateway Environmental Trust ‘The Mersey Estuary – a recovering ecosystem’. MGET offers a new approach to the Upper Mersey Estuary, with innovative ecological management for people and wildlife to enjoy this special landscape for generations to come. All members are welcome and guests pay £5 on the door.

02/05/2026

Our next branch meeting is on Tuesday 19th May and will be the next in our hands on fly tying series.

Objective - to tie a simple thread bodied spider with tail and rib
Tailing and ribbing techniques
A) Demonstrate tailing methods to include wool, floss, feather fibre, golden pheasant crest, golden pheasant tippet, marabou and c**k hackle fibres.
B) Demonstrate ribbing methods using wire, oval and flat tinsel. Use these techniques to produce a tailed, ribbed, thread bodied spider pattern with a black hen hackle

TOOLS REQUIRED FOR MAY MEETING – Novice Tables
Vice.
Bobbin Holder.
Scissors.
Hackle Pliers.
Whip Finishing Tool or Half Hitch tool.

MATERIALS FOR MAY MEETING – Novice Tables
Size 12 Wet Fly hooks, eg. Kamasan B170, B175 or similar.
Black thread, 8/0 or 70 Denier.
Red Wool.
Glo Brite Floss, Shade 12, fluorescent green.
Marabou, black or sunburst.
Black c**k cape or separate c**k hackles.
Black c**k pheasant centre tail.
Bronze Mallard feather.
Golden Pheasant crest and tippet feathers or complete head.
Silver wire, small.
Silver oval tinsel, small or medium.
Silver flat tinsel, small or medium.
Black hen cape or separate hen hackles.

NB. Materials will be available if you don’t have any of the above.

21/04/2026

A quick reminder that for the next North West Fly Dressers Guild meeting tonight TUESDAY 21st they will be welcoming the return of Bob Lomax.
Bob will be tying flies to cover both Rivers and Stillwaters, so it promises to be an interesting night for all. There will also be a raffle for club funds. Guest welcome and the meeting will start at 7.30 pm at Timperley Village Club, 268 Stockport Road, WA15 7UT
Look forward to seeing you there…

17/03/2026

15/02/2026

With the help of Les Lockey, we have been putting together a more focussed programme for fly tying tuition to hopefully meet the requirements of all levels from beginners and improvers to more advanced.
We will be starting this off at our next tying evening in March with two mentors covering the first basic skills session and all aspects involved with tying a wet spider pattern.
As the season progresses the flies and tying techniques will also move forward with the skills level tuition at each tying evening.
I am sending out a bit of a flyer showing the planned syllabus and what tools and materials you will need to bring with you on the first night.
We hope this meets with your approval and as things progress, would welcome your feedback as to how you are finding this new approach and any suggestions of any requests you have on fly tying.
Mike

13/02/2026

A reminder that it is our next branch meeting on Tuesday 17 February and it will be a demonstration by Barry Grantham. Barry is a renowned fisherman and toolmaker and has been making his own rods since his teenage years. We are delighted to have him join us! Guests are welcome at £5 on the door.

31/01/2026

Auction sale of items from the Estate of Michael Humphreys (former Life President of the FDG) and a few other sellers: fishing miscellanea, clothing, nets, bags, rods, reels, lines, fly boxes, flies, vices and other fly-tying tools, materials, books and magazines. Absentee bids welcome – see catal...

26/01/2026

Our next branch meeting is on Tuesday 17 February and is a demonstration by Barry Grantham. We are delighted to have Barry join us. He is a renowned fisherman and toolmaker and has been making his own rods since his teenage years. Guests are welcome at £5 on the door

17/12/2025

17/12/2025

Our first meeting of 2026 will be held on Tuesday 20th January and will be the AGM followed by the Bring and Buy Sale. All are welcome including guests at £5 on the door. Memberships can also be renewed on the night at £30 annually (more details to follow). Wishing all of our membership a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2026!