At Peaks Fly Fishing, we believe successful fly fishing starts with understanding what fish are feeding on, rather than simply choosing the newest or most fashionable fly pattern.
Every fly we recommend has earned its place by consistently catching fish under UK conditions. While new patterns appear every year, many of the most effective flies have been catching trout, grayling and other species for decades. Classics such as the Sawyer's Pheasant Tail, Hare's Ear, Griffiths Gnat and Elk Hair Caddis remain just as effective today because the insects they imitate have not changed.
Our approach is to build fly boxes around natural food sources rather than around individual fly patterns. Trout spend most of their lives feeding on nymphs, caddis larvae, freshwater shrimp, midges and common upwing flies such as Large Dark Olives and Blue-winged Olives. By understanding these food sources, anglers can cover the vast majority of fishing situations without carrying hundreds of different flies.
Seasonality is equally important. The flies we recommend in January are very different from those we recommend during the Mayfly hatch or in late September when trout behaviour begins to change ahead of spawning. Throughout our knowledge base, our recommendations are always based on what fish are most likely to be feeding on at that particular time of year.
We also recognise that confidence plays a significant role in fly fishing. Anglers who understand why they are fishing a particular fly tend to fish it more effectively and with greater patience. For this reason, we often recommend carrying a relatively small number of proven patterns in different sizes and weights, rather than trying to imitate every insect with a different fly.
Our own Peaks Fly Fishing fly range has been developed using exactly the same philosophy. Every pattern exists because it fills a genuine purpose, whether that's imitating a specific hatch, covering a particular technique or solving a common fishing situation. We don't introduce new flies simply for the sake of offering something different.
As the range grew, it evolved beyond Peaks Fly Fishing into Forgewater, our dedicated wholesale brand of premium barbless fishing flies. Today, Forgewater supplies carefully selected fly patterns to fly fishing retailers, all developed using the same principles that have guided Peaks Fly Fishing from the beginning - practical patterns, quality materials, consistent tying standards and flies designed to catch fish under real fishing conditions. The success of the Forgewater brand reflects the confidence that both anglers and retailers place in this straightforward, experience-led approach.
Ultimately, we believe the best fly is the one that matches the food available, is presented naturally and is fished with confidence. Fly selection is important, but understanding fish behaviour and presenting the fly correctly will almost always have a greater influence on success than constantly changing patterns.
Throughout this knowledge base, you'll notice that we explain not only which flies we recommend, but also why we recommend them. Our aim is to help anglers make informed decisions that improve their fishing long after they have left the tackle shop.
