This is part three of a three-part review, this one covering "Essential Patterns".

The dvd's I got through Essential Skills/DGP Productions, who also happens to have a Directory-listing with us.

The series fall in 3 natural categories - "The Original Set", "The New Series" and "Essential Patterns".

"Essentials Patterns" consists of
- "Quick Ties and Favourite Flies".
- ."Woven Flies".

Quick Flies and Favourite Flies".

The first in the series is "Quick Flies and Favourite Flies", and common for both DVD's in this series is that they are both flytying videos - you won't find any fishing instruction on them. "Quick Flies ....." is a great DVD that really shows Oliver on his home court - behind the vice giving instruction (apart from the fact that the DVD's seem to be recorded in his own home). Not all these flies are literally "quick flies", but as always, they are not hard to tie if you follow Oliver's fantastic and clear, simple instructions. In this DVD Oliver ties the follwing patterns (if you click the thumbnail, a larger picture will open in a new window):

1. Ephemeroptera (Mayfly Group)
CDC Dun and Semi Circle Spinner

2. Trichoptera (Caddisfly Group)
Bubble Wing Caddis

3. Plecoptera (Stonefly Group)
Veli's Fluttering Willow Fly

4. Diptera (True Fly Group)
Griffith's Gnat and See Thro' Buzzer

5. Odonata (Dragonfly / Damselfly Group)
Plaited Abdomen Damsel

6. General Patterns
'F' Fly, Foam Ant and Bibio Hopper

These are all proven fishcatchers - some of them Oliver's oen patterns, some are attributed to other great tiers around the world - something that Oliver makes a point of letting is know! This list reveals something interesting - that Oliver seems to fish stillwater as well as rivers. There are several interesting pure-bred stillwater patterns in this DVD. The Plaited Abdomen Damsel has become a personal favourite of my own - it fishes really well. Of course, there are several interesting river-flies as well - this CDC-Dun is one of my favourites that really seems to pick up extremely fuzzy fish refusing standard parachutes.

Woven Flies

Parallel or Shuttle weave on the Poish Woven Nymph.

Pott Weave on the Oliver Edwards Hoglouse.

Overhand or Knot Weave on the Oliver Edwards Knotted Emerginf Caddis.


Chequer Weave on the Oliver Edwards Chequered Stone Fly Nymph.

As "Quick Flies .....", this is a flytying DVD, and this time dedicated to different flies with the common denominator that more or less of the fly is made with a weaving-technique. You'll see all the major weaving-techniques presented on different patterns. The weaves are demonstrated by Oliver doing the weave on a large hook using thick chenille, making it very easy to see and learn the technique. It's tricks like this one that makes these DVD's so great - that it shines through that Oliver is a great teacher with years and years of experience teaching difficult techniques to his classes.

Seen as a whole, and as individual DVD's, any of these 8 DVD's are probably the best I've ever seen, and that includes the whole package - technical quality, manuscript, instruction, locations etc. - in a few words, they are just plain awesome. And Oliver does extremly well on the screen - almost as being there, and I can tell, because I have attended several of his classes. If you are interested in semi-realistic tying, great fishing instruction, and tons of good advice on trout- and grayling fishing, these DVD's are just the best around!

I feel like congratulating Oliver Edwards and DGP Productions on a incredible series of DVDs! Well done, chaps :-).

There's more about the Essential Skills dvds on the Essential Skills website, and their Directory Listing is found here.

I included this in the review of "The New Series", and I think it's worth having it here too: From "Big Dry Flies for Fast Water", I'll leave you with the best piece of advice I've ever had in flyfishing:

"Up came a fish and I bloody well missed it.... Well, missing the odd fish is path of course in flyfishing, but if you keep missing them then you've gotta do something about it - that's apart from giving yourself a good talking to."

"The Original Set":
- Fishing Dry Fly on a Chalk Stream and Mayfly Time on a Chalk Stream.
- Search and Sight Fishing and The Deep Diving Shrimp and Chalk Stream Entomology.
- Czech Nymphing and Upstream Nymphing and North Country Spiders.

"The New Series" consists of
- Streamerfishing on Rivers.
- Wetfly Fishing on Rivers.
- Big Dry Flies for Fast Water.