We enjoyed a presentation and fly tying demonstration last night from Dave Collins of Moccas. This proved a very enlightening evening with bags of information on natural flies, as found in our region, and how to represent them artificially. Dave has kindly given me the dressings which are now shown here. Do give these a try next Spring onwards and your success rate may improve as Dave’s did. A super evening which as usual flew by. Thanks to Dave.
Dressings:
1. Various Duck’s Duns
1.1. Duck’s Dun and F Fly based on HvK’s “Universal Baetis” body
The tying details for Hans van Klinken’s Universal Baetis parachute pattern have been on the web for some years – just type in “Universal Baetis”. On the web, the body dubbing recommended is Flyrite 44 which is Ecru, a beige colour, whereas the photograph on the web appears to be of Flyrite 42, which is Dark Olive Brown.
The original HvK parachute pattern should therefore read:
Hook: Partridge E1A 14-16
Thread: black
Tail: dark grey microfibetts
Tag: Flyrite 17 Golden Brown
Body: Flyrite 42 Dark Olive Brown
Rib: Pearsall’s silk 6a; orange gold
Thorax hackle: Dark Dun
Wing: Dark Dun siliconised yarn (Niche)
Using tan or olive treads instead of black, and the tag, body and rib materials above, F Fly variants have been tied in a range of sizes using Fulling Mill All Purpose Lightweight hooks size 20-14.
The materials for the Duck’s Dun version are listed below:
Hook: Fulling Mill All Purpose Lightweight, typically size16
Thread: Uni 8/0 Tan
Tail: Dark basal fibres from large red game or badger cock hackles
Body: Butt: Flyrite 17 Golden Brown
Rest of body: Flyrite 42 Dark Olive Brown
Rib: Pearsall’s silk 6a; orange gold
Wing: 4-5 CdC plumes
Thorax hackle: Medium dun, medium brown dun or honey dun cock hackle, trimmed to
a “V” underneath
1.2. Olive Upright Duck’s Dun
Hook: Fulling Mill All Purpose Lightweight size 12
Thread and rib: Bennechi Cinammon
Tail: Two brown microfibetts or light brown red game cock approximately the
length of the body
Body: Butt: Flyrite 43 Camel
Rest of body: Flyrite 32 Rusty Olive
Wing: Five CdC plumes
Thorax hackle: Dark dun cock hackle, trimmed as above
1.3. Duck’s Dun for Large Brook Dun and others
Hook: Fulling Mill All Purpose Lightweight Size 10-12
Thread: Uni 8/0 Tan
Tail: Two brown microfibbets or brown cock hackle fibres
Body: 1:2 mix of Superfine March Brown: Sulphur Orange
Rib: 2.5lb Maxima Chameleon
Wing: Five or six CdC plumes
Thorax hackle: Dun / brown or red game cock hackle, trimmed as above
2. Tying materials for Yellow May shuttlecock emerger
Yellow May emergers are about 11mm long and about 2mm wide at the widest part of the abdomen and at the thorax.
Hook Size 12 Oliver Edwards Nymph Emerger K14ST
Thread Uni 8/0 Light Cahill
Rib Uni 8/0 Tan
Tail Two yellow microfibbets
Body Flyrite 38 Pale Watery Yellow
Thorax Masterclass 24 Amber Caddis
Shuttlecock CDC – natural grey
Legs Mallard flank feathers dyed yellow
Wing buds Black goose biots
3. Tying materials for Grannom pupa emergers
A Grannom pupae is about 9 mm long and, at its widest, the body is about 1.5 mm with the typical “dumpy” Trichoptera pupa shape.
3.1. Grannom pupa parachute emerger
Hook Size 14 Kamasan B100
Thread Uni 8/0 Tan
Rib Uni Big Fly Black
Body Masterclass 14 Gammarus Watery Olive
Thorax Superfine Amber
Legs (optional) Black dubbing e.g. dyed rabbit picked out
Wing post Medium dun floating yarn (can use other post materials for improved visibility but use the dull dun as standard)
Hackle Black
3.2. Grannom pupa shuttlecock emerger
Hook Size 14 Kamasan B100
Thread Uni 8/0 Tan
Rib Uni Big Fly Black
Body Masterclass 14 Gammarus Watery Olive
Thorax Superfine Amber
Thorax back Black Raffene
Wing buds Natural grey CdC tips pre-treated with brushed-on Floo Gloo (then
allowed to dry) to stop the CdC floating.
Legs Black dubbing (e.g. dyed rabbit) picked out
Wing Five natural grey CdC plumes
3.3. Cul de Grannom
Hook Size 14 Kamasan B100
Thread Uni 8/0 Tan
Rib Uni Big Fly Black
Body Masterclass 14 Gammarus Watery Olive
Thorax Superfine Amber
Legs Black dubbing (e.g. dyed rabbit) picked out
Wing Deer hair under-wing of 8-12 hairs
CdC over-wing of 4-5 plumes
4. “WIP” Agapetus mini-caddis pupa CdC shuttlecock (“work in progress”)
Size of natural 5mm long and 1mm wide; wing buds 2-3mm.
Hook Kamasan B410 midge hook size 16
Thread Ultra 70 Olive
Body Guttermans CA 02776 colour 528
Rib Uni Tan 6/0, twisted tight
Wing buds Black Flexifloss
Legs Brown olive Hare Dub
Shuttlecock wing 4-5 CdC plumes
Worcester Fly Dressers 