A few posts ago contributor Joe C sent me a photo of a handsome Swift rainbow and told me to pay special attention to the fly that was hanging from it's jaw. "looks like a dark fly with black hackle" was my response and Joe said that that's exactly what it was: black dubbing and black hackle. And it didn't appear to be that small either. It got me thinking and then tying. It also brought me back to one of my favorite books: What Trout Want, The Educated Trout and Other Myths by Bob Wyatt. Wyatt wrote about the Black & Peacock which is exactly what it is: peacock and black hackle from sizes 10-20. Wyatt ties his with stiff hackle. Mine uses dark starling which is almost black but has that "glow" to it. It represents nothing and everything. A size 16 nailed bows and brookies on a recent trip to the swift. Wyatt called it the "little Black Dress" of trout flies. Maybe that makes it an attractor.
We should be taking advantage of the great selection of very thin and very strong threads out there. I use 12/0 thread for all flies from size 14 through 20 and then drop down to 17/0 for the rest of the sizes. The reason is simple. The less bulk the better.
Veevus makes an array of colors down to 16/0 which isn't necessary. Uni-Thread goes to 17/0 but comes in only white but the white is changed to any color with a chisel point sharpie. I use black and brown exclusively and color the white thread by unwinding a foot of it on top of a paper towel and then running the sharpie over it. Works like a charm.
It has just occurred to me that this may be the first product endorsement in the history of this blog. That gets me thinking of doing some reviews of products that I consider worthless, of bad design or a waste of money. Maybe in 2016......
Ken
9 comments:
Happy holidays Merry Christmas Ken were do you buy your supplies I have only got en down to 8/0. A good winter blog would be just that places for supplies. Dose the evening fly shop have it Also your pkg will ship after Xmas its drying...
Tincup
No way am I telling you how to conduct your forum you do a great job at it just a suggestion. Because I been looking for pintail flank feathers for years to make a trolling streamer Joe Smelt should have bought all I could when they were available
Tincup,
The really fine tying thread is out there. Google it up and you will find the sources. I don't know about Evening Sun but Charlie can get it for you if he doesn't have it.
Pintail - becoming a rare commodity. I had a supply of it back in the mid 80's to tie this landlocked streamer pattern called the Moose Burger. That supply is long gone. I don't look for it any more because I don't tie streamers much but there has to be an online source.
Ken
Gadwall flank is very close substitute for Pintail flank. The only supplier I have ever seen was at the old Classic and Custom fly shop (closed). Dave tied the Joe's smelt among others. It is still used for steel head type flies so you may want to look at a west coast supplier. I haven't seen any in any shop for years but I think it is still supplied by Hareline dubbing distribution-so whomever buys from Hareline can get it.
after a little more research Nature's Spirit also supplies pintail (dyed colors too). I love the quality of Nature's Spirit above most other's so if your local shop buys from them you can have them order pintail too.
I caught a nice one today, Ken, once again on the orange thread body, and grizzly hackle. My only one though, along with a long distance release on same fly. Regards, Sam
I got a question that maybe someone can answer, If someone get a kayak to the lower swift(below cady lane from the section where is almost impossible to fish all the way to the dam) and fish big articulated streamers is there any possibility that there is any trophy browns in there?
thanks
Rui Machado
Rui,
The answer is yes. Also above the boat launch.
Ken
Bob T.
Thank You!
Ken
thanks Ken, it may be my next trip this year before the snow and cold hit us, it's a little drive for me so if I know the fish are there, it will not be only a ghost chase.
Thank you and Happy Holidays
Rui Machado
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