Sunburst Biot Spider

Another spider for the box:



Hook: Grip 14723BL #12
Thread: 14/0 Sheer, tan
Thorax: Hare, dyed olive
Andomen: Turkey biot
Hackle: Sunburst grizzle hen saddle

Cheers,
Dave.

Greenwells Hen

The other night I found myself tying some CDC emergers to re-stock the boxes for next season. I enjoy it when I get into that rhythm of tying where you tie very efficiently. Sometimes you can get there - other times you an't, no matter how hard you try.

Anyway, I finished tying them and started to put them into the boxes when I noticed a couple of hen capes I had not put away. So I thought I'd tie some spiders as well. I thought I'd post a couple:

CDC Softy


Hook: B174 #14
Thread: Powersilk 10/0 olive
Tail: Greenwells hackle fibres
Dubbing: CDC fibres. Finely chopped (touch dubbed)
Collar: CDC in split thread
Hackle: Greenwells hen

Greenwells & Hare


Hook: B174 #14
Thread: Powersilk 10/0 olive
Tail: Greenwells hackle fibres
Abdomen: Hare
Hackle: Greenwells hen

Greenwell's Stem


Hook: B174 #14
Thread: Powersilk 10/0 olive
Abdomen: Tying thread, flattened
Thorax: Hare
Hackle: Greenwells hen
Rib: hackle stem

Cheers,
Dave.

Muddled Up - The Final Curtain

So the past few posts have been of muddler patterns I've been designing, tying and preparing for the new season. There are obviously many, many variants. I worked on black, reds and various shades of green as my focus for these flies - colours that always seem to draw the fish. Some have involved fluorescent floss, other more sombre, natural colours. A few I have added JC eyes too (though these haven't been posted. Just to give some variation and allow a little experimenting when the season starts. Can't wait.

So here's the final selection (well at least for now):

Muddled Grizzly Pennell


Hook: B175 #10
Thread: 8/0 Lt Cahill
Tail: Golden Pheasant
Rib: Fine silver
Body: Black floss
Collar: Rusty Awesome Possum
Hackle: Grizzly hen
Head: Spun deer hair

Muddled Olive


Hook: B175 #10
Thread: 8/0 Lt Cahill
Tail: Green rooster hackle
Rib: Copper wire
Body: Olive blend
Head: Spun deer hair


Muddled Teal & Olive


Hook: B175 #10
Thread: 8/0 Lt Cahill
Rib: Silver oval
Body: Olive blend (picked out)
Wing: Teal
Head: Spun deer hair (dyed olive)

Muddled Tag (Green)


Hook: B175 #10
Thread: 8/0 Lt Cahill
Tail: Fluo green floss
Rib: Fine silver
Body: Natural possum / rabbit
Collar: Orange Awesome Possum
Head: Spun deer hair

Muddled Teal & Green


Hook: B175 #10
Thread: 8/0 Lt Cahill
Tail: Black rooster fibres
Rib: Fine silver
Body: Fluo green floss
Wing: Teal
Head: Spun deer hair


Dave.

Muddled Up - part 2

As promised, here's the second installment of muddlers. This time we're 'in the red'.

Ember's Muddler


Hook: B175 #10
Thread: 8/0 Lt. Cahill
Body: Hot Orange Floss
Rib: Fine silver wire
Tail: Hot orange rooster fibres
Head: Spun natural deer hair

Bloody Muddler:


Hook: B175 #10
Thread: 8/0 Lt. Cahill
Body: Red holo tinsel
Rib: Red wire
Tail: Red rooster hackle fibres
Collar: Orange Awesome Possum
Head: Spun natural deer hair


Crimson Guard Muddler


Hook: B175 #10
Thread: 8/0 Lt. Cahill
Body: Ginger / beige Awesome possum
Rib: Tying Thread
Tail: Crimson / pink rooster hackle fibres
Collar: Crimson hen (or rooster for a stiffer hackle)
Head: Spun natural deer hair

Tagged Muddler (orange & red))


Hook: B175 #10
Thread: 8/0 Lt. Cahill
Body: Silver tinsel
Rib: Red wire
Tail: Hot Orange floss as tag
Head: Spun natural deer hair

More to come soon. Thanks, as ever, for taking the time to look.
Dave.

Muddled up...

Over the next few days I plan to post some new muddlers that I have been tying - in preparation for the new season. These are part of the reservoir arsenal and can be fished in many different ways. The start of the season will see them on intermediate lines on the top dropper - probably leading a team of Diawl Bachs or buzzers.

I spend such little time fishing reservoirs. I find it difficult to persuade myself away from the river during - but when I do, I always enjoy the change.

Here are a couple to get us started:

Muddled Kate:


Hook: B175 #10
Thread: 8/0 beige
Hackle: black rooster
Tail: GP crest (topping)
Rib: silver oval
Dubbing: Black Awesome Possum (and burnt-orange behind the deer hair)
Head: Spun deer hair

Muddled Damsel


Hook: B175 #10
Thread: 8/0 beige
Tail: GP
Rib: silver wire, fine
Dubbing: Ginger Awesome Possum
Wing: Olive Marabou
Head: Spun deer hair

Proportions

I posted the HPT Emerger on the UKFD forum and it was met with discussion about proportion if hook to dressing. So here are some alternatives to consider:

Grip 14273BL #16:


Grip 14273BL #14:


Grip 14273Bl #12 but with a 'fuller' dressing than before:


Moving away from the Grip hook, here it is tied on a #12 B175:


Dave.

HPT Emerger

HPT Emerger = 'Hairy Pheasant Tail'

Just sent this fly to Hans for Flytyer's page. I like hair hackles when fishing nymphs just below the surface. You can even add a little floatant to the fly so it sits right in the surface film. This allows you to fish a well-degreased leader to avoid drag whilst keeping the nymph riding nice and high.



Hook: Grip 14723BL #12
Thread: 10/0 Olive Powersilk
Rib: as thread
Abdomen: Pheasant Tail
Thorax: Rabbit, spun in split thread. Yellow Awesome Possum behind (thanks Fran...)
(HPT = Hairy Pheasant Tail)
Change the density of hackle (spun in a split thread) to suit.

Cheers,
Dave.

Woodcock & Hare' Lug

Yesterday I finished my 26 flies for the most recent IBF swap. The order was for 'North Country Spiders'. These simple flies are excellent fish takers: be it on rivers, streams, stillwaters or reservoirs. They can be fished in many different ways. Perhaps my favourite method is with a greased leader in the first couple of inches of water - here you see a satisfying bulge as a fish takes the fly - more satisfying than a rise to a dry fly?






I put a SBS together on the UKFD here:
http://ukflydressing.proboards47.com/index.cgi?board=sbs&action=display&thread=2812

Cheers,
D.

Heilen Laddie

In May 2007, Stan Headley wrote an article about fishing Loch Heilen - a loch that he describes as 'A classic trophy fish loch'.

Whilst I have never fished there, the article was an interesting read and Stan described the birth of a new, before-unnamed fly which had been tied for use at Leven. The fly was christened the 'Heilen Laddie Muddler'.

So here is my interpretation of the fly that, this year, I have high hopes for when I tackle the fish of Chew Valley. Whilst many of you will know, it is river fishing that predominates my season, but those big shiny rainbows and possible big dog browns that inhabit Chew Valley, enthuse me hugely.

Heilen Laddie:

Hook: Wet fly #10
Thread: 14/0 sheer, grey
Body: silver tinsel
Rib: fine sliver wire
Tail: Red rooster fibres
Wing: Teal flank with 4 strands of sparkle
Head: Spun deer hair (the original fly used black deer hair)


My variant of this great looking pattern:
Heilen Laddie Gold & Green Variant



Hook: Wet fly #10
Thread: 14/0 sheer, grey
Body: gold tinsel
Rib: fine gold oval
Tail: Green rooster fibres
Wing: Teal flank with 4 strands of sparkle
Head: Spun deer hair

In the surface film - Clippered Emergers

Here's a variation of the 'Clippered' theme. This is one to imitate small hatching olives. Again, the hackle is palmered, the wing (in this case Zelon) ispulled over to separate the hackle and then the underside hackle is clipped. The remaining hackle is then curled with scissor blades:


Angled in the vice so that you can see the hackle:

The underside:


Where it should be - in the surface film:


I love this refracted shot:


Here's another variant, but with a dubbed body. The thread is wound back through the dubbing to form the rib:


Dave.

Clippered Emergers

I have been bitten (not literally) by the emerger bug since the end of last season. Such is the vulnerability of this stage, it plays such a huge role in my catches.If fish are rising, I find a well fished emerger pattern will more successful than a 'fully-dry' dun pattern. I grant you that the emerger gives me more confidence - therefore I fish it more - therefore it brings me continued results... and on, and on...

This is a pattern I have started to trust. I like the profile (being so thin) and the footprint is very soft in the surface film. This ine has been sent to Hans for photography and hopefullty the addition to the flytier's page:

Clippered Buzzer


Hook: Partridge 15BN #18
Thread: Powersilk 10/0 olive
Rib: Waxed thread dubbed with mole
Hackle: Dark blue dun, rooster
Wing: TMC Aerowing, tan

Hackle is palmered along the thorax and then the wing buds pulled forwards and tied behind the eye. The under hackle is then clipped and the remaining fibres curled / coaxed upwards with scissor blades.

Classic wets

For all the playing around with materials , there is always a place for the traditional patterns:

Winged March Brown



Hook: Wet-fly #14 - #10
Thread: Bennechi 12/0 Olive
Rib: Fine silver or copper
Tail: English Partridge
Body: Hare’s Ear
Hackle: English Partridge
Wing: English Partridge

Experimenting with the options

I agree that a well presented fly outweighs the importance of pattern, but I like to try out new ideas and experiment with materials a little - some which stick and other that get left behind. There are so many options. Here are a few more soft hackled flies:

Quill Rib Drowned Dun

Hook: Grip 14723BL #12
Thread: Powersilk 10/0 olive
Body: Flttened powersilk
Thorax: Wapsi Superfine, pale evening dun
Hackle: Whiting hen, dun


Pale Baetis:


Hook: Grip 14723BL #16
Thread: Benecchi 12/0 yellow
Tail: Coq de Leon
Body: Natural Stone Awesome Possum
Rib: Fine silver wire
Hackle: Ewing hen, grizzly olive

Orange Peel:


Hook: Grip 14723BL #14
Thread: Sheer, tan 14/0
Tail: Coq de Leon
Body: Golden Stone Awesome Possum
Thorax: Orange Awesome Possum
Hackle: Coq de Leon hen, dyed light olive.

Baetis spinner soft hackles

The beauty of the forums is that you have ongoing conversations about some fascinating subjects. However, people take the time to pitch in their ideas, go away and think more, and add further their thoughts and findings. One such conversation has led from the baetis nymphs and spiders I last posted here. Ulf suggested that egg-laying spinners will crawl down vegetation through the water - surely rendering them very, very vulnerable. Here are some soft-hackles that mimic these stages:

Baeties spider with TMC spent wings:


Hook: B175 #14
Thread: Powersilk 10/0 orange
Dubbing: Awesome Possum, various blends
Rib: waxed thread
Tail: Coq de Leon
Hackle: Greenwells, Hen
Wing: Few strands of TMC either side tied spent

Baetis soft-hackle, silver rib


Hook: B175 #14
Thread: Powersilk 10/0 orange
Dubbing: Awesome Possum, various blends
Rib: fine silver wire
Tail: Coq de Leon
Hackle: Greenwells, Hen

Baetis soft hackle, copper thorax:


Hook: B175 #14
Thread: Powersilk 10/0 orange
Ballast: layer of copper wire under thorax
Dubbing: Awesome Possum, various blends
Rib: Waxed thread
Tail: Coq de Leon
Hackle: Greenwells, Hen - longer fibres chosen

Cheers,
Dave.

Baetis Triplet

As reading some forum posts by Niklas Dahlin (Sweden) has recently pointed out, the Baetis nymph is an important pattern to the river angler. If you have ever kick sampled and studied these insects, you will see they are deserving of their 'Agile Darter' name. They can move really fast.

Obviously at their most vulnerable when hatching, the nymph still is a Go-To pattern. Here is a trio of variations on the theme that are making their way to Hans for photographing and hopefully adding to Flytiers' page:

Baetis Nymph:


Baetis Spider:


Baetis (sparse hair) soft-hackle:


Cheers,
Dave.