Wales is blessed with many great anglers and fly dressers and, without doubt, Andrew fits that bill by the bucket load. He has represented his country at international level and is an avid sewin angler on the rivers of South Wales. Andrew is also a brilliant and innovative fly dresser and often comes up with a series of flies that are different from the norm.

This series of snake flies is an example of his skills as a fly dresser and the patterns are a credit to his fishing abilities as a sewin angler. As you will see with the flies below, he is able to utilise materials not always readily available to the regular fly dresser, and creates some fantastic and effective patterns.

If you are interested in obtaining any of Andrew’s patterns, simply email Andrew via snakefly.1@tiscali.co.uk.

AR01 Snake Fly

The AR01 combines those colours that the sea trout finds very attractive. The combination of black and red seems to catch more than its fair share of sea trout each year. The addition of orange gives the fly a hint of Dovey Black and Orange without making it a dark fly. One to use at the start of a night’s fishing to make the best of the light as the sun begins to set.

AR02 Snake Fly

The AR02 sports an uncommon colour scheme for seatrout and is probably more suited as a salmon pattern. However, that said, many rivers despite ‘looking’ crystal clear, are often peat stained. A snake to use for both salmon and sea trout during the day in water that’s fining down after a summer spate.

AR03 Snake Fly

The AR03 sports a colour that is considered essential when targeting fresh seatrout; blue. It also contains a very underrated and much-underused colour, purple. In differing light conditions, purple can be seen to change through the colour spectrum from black through to grey; something knowledgeable Steelhead anglers use to their advantage. A snake to use when targeting fresh Seatrout in the estuary or the salt. Don’t confine it’s use to rivers only though, this fly would make a very useful Bass fly too.

AR04 Snake Fly

A lighter pattern than the AR03. Once again based around the colour blue. Use this fly both day and night for fresh sea trout. A useful addition to any Saltwater Fly Fishers fly box

AR05 Snake Fly

The AR05 has another killer sea trout colour combination of Black and Blue; a favourite on many Seatrout Rivers throughout Wales. The addition of purple gives it the edge over standard black and blue flies and could prove to be a killer pattern when standard flies aren’t working. If blue black and silver is your standard point of attack, try this one to show the fish something different!

AR06 Snake Fly

Very similar to many North American Steelhead patterns and the Harry Potter tube fly, the AR06 nevertheless is a fly to use in any condition. Purple is a much-underrated colour in the UK but if you speak to some knowledgeable Scottish ghillies, it can be a cracking change colour when nothing else is working. Keep this one handy for when standard patterns aren’t working.

AR07 Snake Fly

Apparently, a sea trout’s eyesight is very similar to our own. At night, therefore, when there is little or no light, colours lose their hue and tone and just appear as shades of grey or black. Why do we use colours in our sea trout flies then? Well, it’s all a matter of confidence.

However, if you subscribe to the theory that sea trout can’t see colours at night, the AR07 is the snake for you. With its mixture of black and white, at night, this fly will give a contrasting silhouette that will make it appear and disappear as the reflected light levels change. It could prove irresistible.

AR08 Snake Fly

The colour combination of the AR08 needs no introduction! Very much along the lines of the stoat’s tail family, this fly, with the addition of the yellow underwing will be at home on any river.

Fish it anytime with confidence for both salmon and sea trout

AR09 Snake Fly

The AR09 sports a similar colour scheme to a very famous salmon fly, the Green Highlander. It’s well known that early in the season and when fresh, salmon respond better to yellow and green-based flies than other colour combinations.

Try this one in the tidal stretches for both salmon and sewin or even if you suspect there are some fresh fish in evidence.

AR10 Snake Fly

Using a colour scheme similar to that famous Scottish salmon fly, the Jock Scott, the AR10 is an extremely attractive fly. It was once said that the Jock Scott was ‘the best all-round fly, for all conditions and all seasons, in any river in Great Britain. It has the best blend of colour that has ever been invented for a Salmon Fly.’

Give it a go for both salmon and sea trout

AR11 Snake Fly

A striking fly, the AR11 can be used the season through. It combines yellow which is good in the early season with red and orange that combine well for the back end of the season. In addition, because of the striking colours, it would be at home in any clearing spate.

Fish this with confidence in falling water for both Salmon and Seatrout. Alternatively, use it in bright sunlight and the faster runs when Grilse are showing and prepared to chase the fly.

AR12 Snake Fly

Another striking fly, the AR12 can be used from mid-season onwards. With the incorporation of bright orange, this is a superb fly to use in heavily peat stained water and can be seen to ‘glow’.

Fish this with confidence in any clearing spate right up to the end of the season for both Salmon and Seatrout and especially in the fast runs when Grilse are showing and prepared to chase the fly.

AR13 Snake Fly

A more sombre pattern than the AR12, but nevertheless, the AR13 can be used with confidence in lightly peat stained waters.

Once again, if there are resident fish that aren’t prepared to chase, try hanging this fly over your favourite lies.

AR14 Snake Fly

A sombre pattern, the AR14 combines both brown and gold with just a hint of orange to good effect.

A pattern to use when either the fish are stale and not prepared to move to anything flashy, or when fishing the back end and you don’t want to attract those kype-jawed cock fish.

AR15 Snake Fly

The quintessential sea trout pattern; Black and Silver. This colour combination catches more sea trout annually than any other. With the addition of a little bit of flash in the wing, it also provides just that little bit extra.

One to fish for Seatrout at any time of the season!

AR16 Snake Fly

The pink and blue combination of the AR16 works really well. Similar to a Silver Wilkinson but a bit brighter, use this snake both early morning and late evening for both salmon and sewin. Can be extremely good when there is still a slight colour to the River.