Norski Lad

                                                                Norski Lad

Started tying up my stock of Norski Lads. I am begining to prepare my competition flies. The fly was invented by Steven Breivik and is known throughout Scotland as an excellent fish catcher.
Tail: Black marabou and couple of strands of Pearl Krystal Flash.
Body: Medium Opal Mirage Tinsel.
Rib: Silver Wire.
Wing: Black Marabou with a couple of strands of Pearl Krystal Flash.
Wing flashes: Silver holographic tinsel.
Head: Roe deer (Natural).

Top dropper contenders.

Orange Hedgehog
The original Hedgehog was invented by Sandy Nicolson and used by the Orkney anglers in an inter county match on Vaara to devastating effect.  I have found an orange version to be paricularly useful. Normally I fish it with a floating line but it can make an interesting addition to a sunk line cast.
Hook: B170 or B175 when after the big boys.
Body: Fluo Orange Blaze.
Wing: Deer hair.
                                                                  Orange Hedgehog

Claret Bumble

Claret Bumble

If you have not already done so, do yourself a favour and read A Man May Fish by Kingsmill Moore. In his book he describes his Bumble series designed primarily to capture sea trout. The Claret Bumble is one of my favourite flies that has served me well for brown trout. When asked by the museum to send in an exhibition to encapsulate what living here means to me I had no hesitation in choosing a Claret Bumble for their display.

Hook: B170

Body: Claret seal's fur.

Butt: Flat gold tinsel.

Tail: Golden pheasant tippets.

Rib: Gold wire.

Body Hackles: Black and Claret cock hackles wound together.

Shoulder hackle: Blue Jay. 

Cased Caddis

                                                  Filoplume Cased Caddis

                                                    Cormorant Cased Caddis

Hook: Kamasan B170
Body: Hare's mask dubbed on black thread. The Cormorant has the addition of a touch of pearl green Lite Brite.
Hackle: Black filoplume. (small fluffy feather that pulls away from cape along with the hackle you select for other flies).
Wing: Fluff from the bottom of black hacle you select for other flies.

As mentioned in previous post, early season trout have a penchant for cased caddis. The beasts in question make their houses from particles of sand. Previously I have used Simple Palmers with a gold bead on the point to entice these trout. This year I hope more fish will  be encouraged to munch down on these imitations.

Simple Palmers

                                                         Original Simple Palmer
Hook: Kamasan B160
Body: Hare's mask dubbed on yellow thread.
Rib: Silver wire.
Tail: Original tail of Glow Brite 10. Low light conditions Glow Brite 2. Also Glow BriteFlou. Multiyarn 11.

I kept a fishing diary for more than ten years until my children were born. Now they are old enough for me to start again, using this modern technology. Looking through my old diary I noticed how many early season trout had a fondness for cased caddis. This may explain the success of the Palmers illustrated here.

Colour

Orange Palmer
Hook: Kamasan B160
Thread: Uni Fire Orange.
Body: Orange wool.
Rib: Oval silver tinsel.
Hackle: Furnace hen.
This fly will liven up any cast and is especially useful once the daphnia are on the go. It is straight forward to tie and is one of a series of simple palmers I intend to introduce on this site. A longshank size 8 version has been the downfall of above average size trout.

Point fly

Saw this one in the Trout and Salmon magazine a few years ago. I have forgotten the author and name of fly but the colour scheme is similar to the other flies I have shown here.

Hook: Kamasan B175.
Tail: GP Tippets.
Rib: Silver wire and pearly tinsel.
Body: Seals fur, black, red, black.
Hackle: Black hen.

All these flies are suggestive as opposed to imitative. I would like to believe that trout accept most of my offerings as food but some of the flies you see here, especially my competition flies, may stretch that point.

I have to credit the excellent http://www.flyforums.co.uk/ for advice and entertainment.

Cock v hen hackle

                                                                 

Muddler head

 Cock hackle

Hen hackle

I have been admiring the quality of some of the other blogs and aspire to improve the quality of this one. All criticism will be appreciated because then at least there will be dialogue.
 Meanwhile a nagging question about what hackle to use for perhaps my most successful fly has come to the surface. The fly in question is the Bibio. One dressing is attributed to Charles Roberts in E. J. Malone's Irish Trout and Salmon Flies but Tom Stewart accredits the fly to William Hewetson. Beyond doubt is the Bibio's Irish origins and its efficiency is attested by the several variations listed in Stan Headley's Flies of Scotland. I developed my own muddler headed version until I discovered other anglers had arrived there before me. Is there anything new in fly tying? There is something about a deerhair head that gives a fly an extra attraction. But the question of what kind of palmered hackle, cock or hen has vexed me for some time.

Bibio
Hook: Kamasan B170, B175 or B160
Body: Seal fur in three parts, rear third black, middle red, front black.
Rib: Silver wire or tinsel.
Palmered hackle: Black cock or hen.
Shoulder hackle: Black hen.

I use a variety of tyings for different occasions but my favourite is begining to evolve. Both hackles are of hen for movement instead of the shine of cock, and I prefer the broader tinsel rib as opposed to the strength of wire. An added dimension that should not be ignored is the muddler head.