Tying a March Brown Dry Fly with Davie McPhail

Davie ties a March Brown Dry Fly, a fantastic early season pattern for those wild river Brownies.

Hook: Partridge Surehold Upwing Dry Barbless Hook Size 12
Thread: Light Cahill or Orange Uni-8/0
Tail: Coq de Leon Fibres
Body: Wapsi Natural Fur Fox Squirrel
Wing: Hen Pheasant Wing Quill
Hackles: Brown Partridge and Ginger Cock Saddle

Davie's preferred type of whip finish tool can be found HERE!

All of the materials needed to tie this fly are available from Glasgow Angling Centre - if you need any help finding them or choosing substitutes we will be more than happy to help!

March Fish of the Month Entry - Last Cast Trout

Kevin Reid was fishing his local river and caught this Brown Trout on the second last cast.  The fish was quickly photographed and safely returned.

Local Water Brown Trout

You can vote for this picture to win on Facebook by selecting it in our March 2014 FOTM gallery HERE and hitting the 'Like' button!

If you would like to enter our FOTM competition and have the chance to win £100 simply send us a photograph of you and your catch, when and where you caught your fish, and what tackle and method you used through this page of our website. You can also enter instore - just ask any member of staff for assistance. The best entries will be featured on both our Blog and Facebook page!  

March Fish of the Month Competition - Squid Caught Thornback Ray

Gary Tatum with a very nice Thornback Ray caught while fishing the Jaywick Coast, Essex.  The fish fell to a mixed bait of Lugworm and Squid fished on a running leger and after a quick photo, was safely returned.

Thornback Ray

You can vote for this picture to win on Facebook by selecting it in our March 2014 FOTM gallery HERE and hitting the 'Like' button!

If you would like to enter our FOTM competition and have the chance to win £100 simply send us a photograph of you and your catch, when and where you caught your fish, and what tackle and method you used through this page of our website. You can also enter instore - just ask any member of staff for assistance. The best entries will be featured on both our Blog and Facebook page!  

March Fish of the Month Entry - Boilie Caught Common Carp

Kevin White with this impressive Common Carp caught on an Indian spice pop-up boilie, 12lb mainline and size 8 hook.

Boilie Caught Common Carp

You can vote for this picture to win on Facebook by selecting it in our March 2014 FOTM gallery HERE and hitting the 'Like' button!

If you would like to enter our FOTM competition and have the chance to win £100 simply send us a photograph of you and your catch, when and where you caught your fish, and what tackle and method you used through this page of our website. You can also enter instore - just ask any member of staff for assistance. The best entries will be featured on both our Blog and Facebook page!  

March Fish of the Month Entry - Rapala Caught Brown Trout

Christopher Smith with his first fish of the new season, a cracking Brown Trout caught using a Rapala.

Rapala Caught Brown Trout

You can vote for this picture to win on Facebook by selecting it in our March 2014 FOTM gallery HERE and hitting the 'Like' button!

If you would like to enter our FOTM competition and have the chance to win £100 simply send us a photograph of you and your catch, when and where you caught your fish, and what tackle and method you used through this page of our website. You can also enter instore - just ask any member of staff for assistance. The best entries will be featured on both our Blog and Facebook page!   

Deal of the Week - Ron Thompson Steelhead Pro Spinning Rods

Deal of the Week - Ron Thompson Steelhead Pro Spinning Rods - RRP up to £44.99, Now From £12.49!

Deal ends 03/04/2014

The Ron Thompson Steelhead Pro Spin series is a very versatile range of rods and great value for money.  With varying lengths and casting weights, they can be used for both light and heavy use therefore perfect for spinning with small mepps for Trout or larger lures for Perch, Salmon or Pike.

Click here to buy ...

March Fish of the Month Entry - River Moriston Salmon

Gary Hendry and friends with this Salmon he caught in the River Moriston.  After a quick picture the fish as safely returned.

River Moriston Salmon

You can vote for this picture to win on Facebook by selecting it in our March 2014 FOTM gallery HERE and hitting the 'Like' button!

If you would like to enter our FOTM competition and have the chance to win £100 simply send us a photograph of you and your catch, when and where you caught your fish, and what tackle and method you used through this page of our website. You can also enter instore - just ask any member of staff for assistance. The best entries will be featured on both our Blog and Facebook page!  

First Look - MacKenzie DTX Atlas Travel Salmon Fly Rods!

The stylish matt finish on the new Mackenzie DTX Atlas Spey rod

When we first saw the prototype Mackenzie DTX Atlas Salmon Rods in early March 2014 we instantly knew this six section Spey rod was going to be a big hit with the growing band of globetrotting game anglers who are travelling to Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Russia and even Argentina to sample the worlds finest Salmon and Sea Trout fishing.

You would never believe this was a 6 piece rod when you cast it!

There are already a number of travel rods on the market for Salmon anglers but many of these have a cumbersome feel and action that is a compromise between performance and practicality. Most of the guys we have let cast the DTX Atlas so far had no idea the rod was anything other than the run of the mill three or four piece models they were used to casting until the rod was taken apart before their very eyes!

Attention to detail on the Mackenzie atlas reel seat

We were very excited to get our hands on one of the first Mackenzie Atlas rods in the country and immediately took it out for a test cast. First up we tried it with the matching Mackenzie DTX Shooting Head, a floater in #9/10, which was soon zinging out to some impressive distances. The rod also handled full Spey lines very well too, including the #10/11 DTX G2 Spey with a 64ft head as well as lifting out a sunk Sink1/Sink2 shooting head, making it a very versatile tool for the travelling angler indeed.

The usual high end Mackenzie finish on the Atlas DTX

These rods have been created for Salmon anglers who like to travel far and wide in pursuit of the most prized of game fish, so the Mackenzie Atlas rods come in both 13ft7 #9 and 14ft9 #10 configurations which should cover almost all the fishing situations the travelling Salmon fisher might come across. And please don't be fooled into thinking because they are six piece that the rod's action is in any way compromised. Far from it! In fact, Scott and the rest of the Mackenzie team have worked very hard to ensure these rods perform and cast as well as a 4 piece.

The Atlas logo is laser etched into the cork composite button

Not only is the DTX Atlas practical and easy to transport, they are also stunning looking rods and packed with features including a very stealthy matt finish, a top grade, mid length cork handle with composite accents, genuine Fuji stripper guides, a smart gloss black double lock down reel seat and come in a protective cloth rod bag and triangular rod tube. On review we found the Atlas to have a very similar in action to the Mackenzie DTX G2 Spey Rods range but with a slightly faster recovery in the tip while loading a little deeper in the lower sections

We tested the 14'9'' #10 Mackenzie Atlas

Conveniently, the Mackenzie DTX-Atlas in its sturdy tube is ideal for shoving into a large suitcase and would be easy enough to carry as hand luggage where permitted too - when you've paid thousands of pounds for your Salmon trip of a lifetime you don't want to lose your rods! Alternatively, if you are looking for a more compact Salmon Rod that will easily fit in your car boot out of sight, then the Atlas is perfect for this too!.

The DTX Atlas come in a sturdy rod tube

Available to buy from the end of May 2014, you can pre-order your DTX-Atlas now by visiting us instore at Glasgow Angling Centre or online at our fishing tackle superstore.

March Fish of the Month Entry - Olive Caught Brown Trout

Reece Connor caught this lovely Brown Trout on a self-tied, size 16 olive nymph on a river in Northern Ireland.  The fish was quickly photographed and released safely.

Olive Caught Brown Trout

You can vote for this picture to win on Facebook by selecting it in our March 2014 FOTM gallery HERE and hitting the 'Like' button!

If you would like to enter our FOTM competition and have the chance to win £100 simply send us a photograph of you and your catch, when and where you caught your fish, and what tackle and method you used through this page of our website. You can also enter instore - just ask any member of staff for assistance. The best entries will be featured on both our Blog and Facebook page!