The Fly-Tying Class was given a real treat for the final class of the 2017/18 Fly Tying Programme on Thursday 15 March 2018. Local fly tyer Joe Curran demonstrated the tying of his now famous ‘World Cup’ winning Claret Dabbler and the Green Daddy. Geoff Hylands was also on hand to gave an account of how he fished the flies in the World Cup final at Lough Mask in August 2017. Joe talked the audience through the tying of the ‘World Cup’ Dabbler, explaining how he endeavours to use only the best materials and that he gives his fly a substantial cloaking to give it a stand out profile which he feels can give it an advantage over the other Dabblers. Geoff told the audience that during the final he had great confidence in the fly. He felt that if the fish were feeding that there was a great chance that the Dabbler would take a fish or two. On the final day there was a corduroy ripple on Lough Mask. Geoff fished an intermediate sink tip line, a mono leader and a 3-fly cast with each fly about 3-4 feet apart. He had the Claret Dabbler on his top dropper and the Green Daddy on the point. He concentrated on fishing the deep shallows, that is drifting out from the shallows over the drop offs and the deep water. He fished with a nice steady retrieve adding a bit of variation every now and again. He reckoned that his flies were fishing at about 6 inches or so under the surface. This worked a treat with the Dabbler taking six fish and the Green Daddy accounting for another two fish in the final. When four of Geoff’s fish made the size he thought that, based on the results during the previous four days of heats, he was in with a great chance of success. Needless to say the four fish were enough and Geoff deservedly took the accolade of ‘World Cup’ winner 2017.