IMPORTANT NOTICES:
If you are not seeing the pictures on this page then you have probably arrived at the site via the OLD address: www.the-fdg.org. Please close out of your current active page - as accessed by the old web address and then retype the new address - www.flydressersguild.org - into the address bar of your browser. Once you are back at the site please save the new address to your Bookmarks or Favourites for future visits.
Please note the FDG website currently does not require you to log in. In the near future certain pages will become accessible only to members. At this time, all members will be contacted with details on how to to register and be able to access the members' only pages.
Fly Dressers' Guild Questionnaire (January 2012)
We have just received the first two responses to the questionnaire circulated to all members with the Winter edition of Flydresser: one arrived by post this morning, the other was delivered by hand this afternoon! Very impressive, given Flydresser was only picked up from the printers for posting on 23rd January. A BIG thank you to those two members and any others who have already sent their responses back.
To everyone else, the Executive Committee is keen to hear back from all members, so please do take this opportunity to share your views with us by completing the questionnaire and returning it to us by 10th February at the latest.
Annual Raffle (January 2012 - update!)
The Fly Dressers' Guild annual raffle has been launched and tickets are available for purchase, at £1 per ticket. We have loads of great prizes, including:
- 1st prize: HMH SX vice and tools, donated by Fly Tying Boutique
- 2nd prize: Purecast fly rod, donated by Sportfish
- 3rd prize: Vision fly rod donated by Fly Tying Shop
- 4th prize: Anvil apex vice, donated by Guide Fly Fishing
- Plus a fishing day and lots of flies
The raffle will be drawn by Malcolm Greenhalgh at the British Fly Fair International, at 11:00 am on 24 June 2012.
All members will get a book of tickets with the Spring issue of Flydresser - these are a key source of funds for the Guild, so please do make sure you buy some!
If you are running a stand at a local show and think you could sell tickets at it, please get in touch with Richard Ellis via
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.
One final point - please note that tickets are not for sale to or by persons under sixteen years old.
Winter Edition of Flydresser (January 2012 - update!)
The Winter issue of the magazine should be landing on your doormat - if it doesn't arrive soon, please make sure your membership is up to date! This will be the last Flydresser edited by Terry Griffiths - our thanks go to Terry who produced over 50 issues of the magazine and has taken it forward year after year. A new editorial team will take control for the Spring issue.
Fly Dressers' Guild forum (January 2012)
A new forum for the Guild has been set up on www.flyforums.co.uk. Follow the link to the Fly Forums website, then scroll down to the "Fly Tying" section, and then "Fly Dressers Guild".
The purpose is to give members a way to communicate with branches, each other and of course the Executive Committee of the main Guild. Please note - this is not meant to be a vehicle for attacking individuals or committee decisions; that said we welcome constructive ideas and genuine offers of help. Please remember that your committee are all volunteers, running the Guild for your benefit.
Branches are welcome to publish their programmes or details of events here.
It may not be appropriate to answer some questions via the forum, e.g. individual membership issues, other other issues which would be best dealt with via an email to the relevant officer of the Guild. We also reserve the right to refer questions to the EC and reply to individuals rather than through the forum.
We welcome non-members to the forum and hope that maybe they will join the Guild in time.
2011/2012 Fly Tying Competition
Patterns are available here
Fly Dressers’ Guild 44th AGM
11.00am Sunday 27th November 2011Blithfield Boat House, Waters Road, Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire, WS15 3DU
We're endeavouring to upload the updated constitution onto the website - in the meantime, if you would like a copy, please email Caroline Emmet on
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. If you need any other information, please contact a member of the Executive Committee.
Special Offer - Hosted Pike Fishing Trips to Ireland with David Wolsoncroft-Dodds
David W-D is offering a special deal to Fly Dressers' Guild members on his forthcoming Pike fishing trips to Ireland.
Please click here to dowload a pdf with all the information
Special Offer - Irish Fly Tying DVDs
One of our trade members, Angling Classics, has a special offer on Fly Fishing and Fly Tying DVDs only for Fly Dressers' Guild members, offering·individual DVD's for £15 each (instead of £24) or all 3 titles for £30 (instead of £70).
Please contact Stevie Munn at
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to purchase the DVDs at the discount price.
SGM and Eyebrook Fishing & Tying Fun Day
A HUGE SUCCESS!!!
At Eyebrook Reservoir on Saturday 16th April, a resoundingly clear mandate was given to the Executive Committee who stood down as a body and were promptly re-elected unanimously en bloc by 35 votes from the floor and 75 proxy votes – a record in the FDG’s history and a landslide victory! Onwards and upwards.
The event was in itself a first for the FDG, brokered under the influence of Chairman Charles Jardine, with the generous support of Andy Miller and his team at Eyebrook and the willing co-operation of Stuart Ilsley of Eyebrook Tackle. Over 70 fly-fishermen came to Eyebrook that day - most were FDG members and a significant number of those who weren’t had signed up by the end of the day. Our indefatigable secretary, Paul Davis, was also able to attract Hardy Greys, Rio & Guideline, Mike Marshall and his team from the British Fly Casting Club, Invicta Fly Fishers (John Caldwell & Kieran Caulfield), Rutland Water FF (Jeremy Ball), to whom we are extremely grateful. In addition to members of the EC, the event was also invaluably supported by FDG members Caroline Emmett and Geoff Ray, all of whose combined demonstrations were an obvious crowd-puller (see photo).
Charles outlined his vision for the future which included a regional committee structure to ensure that the views of all members are heard, the need to attract young fly-tiers into the Guild, the desirability of holding key meetings outside London where possible and of building a series of events to re-establish a feeling of belonging amongst the membership.
After the formal business of the day had been concluded, an informal discussion took place about concerns from the floor. There was no doubt about the general view that the current subscription system, implemented a few years ago, is confusing and causes problems for branches, has a number of inconsistencies and is a headache for our Treasurer’s financial predictions. It will have to change. The old chestnut of membership of the Guild and membership of branches was also raised and the view from the floor was overwhelming – there can be no pussy-footing over this issue in future, especially when branches sign up to the FDG’s insurance scheme (to cover branch meetings), which will make membership of the Guild a condition of insurance. Although these were only informal soundings and the meeting had no power to make formal recommendations, they echo the views already expressed to the EC by others. If you have opinions on any matter relevant to the Guild, we want to hear from you!
The Eyebrook event showed beyond doubt that a new spirit is abroad in the FDG and that the future, though not without its problems, is in very good hands. Freed from the shackles of the past, the EC can now go boldly forward to shape the FDG of the future - with the full backing of the membership.
Donald Downs - Obituary
It is with great sadness that I inform you that Donald Downs passed away on the 10th February 2011. Donald, a former president and founder member of the Guild. At the various event attended over the years he would keep us entertained with tales of his life and could always draw a crowd with his unique tying methods.
Donald was infamous for getting involved with "interesting projects"; and here is photographic evidence of one such project, modeling for a local photographic club!
You will be sadly missed by the many of us that knew you.
Alan Middleton
FDG Past Chairman
