Videos by Nick Thomas

The Taff was once a dead river, seen only as a convenient way to dispose of industrial waste.

A year on an urban river. Fly fishing the river Taff for trout and grayling from January to December 2022.

A short October morning session on the Taff below the cathedral at Llandaff.

This is a great generic imitation for searching the water when the fish aren’t rising. The small jig-off bead adds a little weight and flips the nymph to fish with the point up.

Fly tying and fishing a simple but effective pattern.

Using a tungsten bead for the head and weight allows the pattern to be tied on small hooks making it an ideal pattern for fishing on a dropper or in a duo.

Tying a simple and effective pattern with a hidden tungsten bead.

Fishing from January to December on my local river as it winds its way through the northern suburbs of Cardiff.

Tying and fishing a great grayling bug. DMC metallic embroidery thread and organza fibres are a great combination for tying perdition patterns.

A simple but very effective grayling bug that comes to life when wet.

A simple but versatile stone clinger pattern.

Tying and fishing a useful small bug using old fly line and elastic bead cord. If you've got some old used fly line here's a way to make it catch fish again.

Tying a caddis/sedge dry fly with just one material.

Tying a useful grayling and trout fly - it's easier than it looks. Wrapping and folding nymph skin and organza ribbon together makes a very nice pupa imitation.

Tying a great caddis/sedge pattern with just poly yarn and ribbon. This is a great fly for fishing on its own as a dry fly or in a duo with a nymph tied to the eye of the caddis.

Fly tying and fishing a cased caddis imitation. Glass embroidery beads make an easy neat head and silicone legs add a bit of movement on this one.

A great trout nymph for March and April. A quick easy Large Dark Olive or March Brown imitation for the beginning of the trout season.

Tying a grayling grub from a rubber glove in 3 minutes. A quick easy tie using the rolled edge of an old pink washing up glove and a bit of dubbing.

A great looking shrimp that looks complicated but is really easy. With lots of internal structure, just like a natural shrimp, this one looks complicated to tie. It’s not.

Recycling an old fly line to catch fish again.

A generic nymph imitation tied with just 10cm/4in of organza ribbon.

Fly tying a simple extended body emerger using hollow braid fly line backing, A very simple to tie emerger.

Tying a cased caddis imitation without burning your fingers. A small black glass embroidery bead on a furled loop of floss makes a neat and easy to make head for this cased caddis imitation.

Fly fishing my local river in a strange year. I'm lucky to have the river Taff only a mile away from home. The river became a place of escape for many people in 2020.