Connemara Variations!

The Connemara Black fly pattern maybe of Irish origins but it is well known and used here in Scotland too.

Its known as a great trout, Seatrout and Salmon pattern. 
It's a pattern Ive used many times at Hillend and up North too in pursuit of Brown Trout.
I suppose I could say that its one of my favourites.
Whenever I'm by the loch side or when out afloat on the boat and I'm a bit stuck for inspiration and I'm wondering what pattern to try next!
There is always a Connemara Black or a few of its variants to choose from among the contents of my fly box!
I will often choose a Connemara Black when I'm undecided what to try next! However its not that it's a pattern guaranteed to catch you trout, no fly pattern can give you that assurance but it is a fly that gives me confidence! And that is a very important factor in flyfishing for trout!
A flyfisherman has got to feel confident in the fly pattern he is fishing, not to mention his rod reel line and leader too.
So what is it in this pattern which gives me such confidence? Perhaps its the profile, the combination of colours, the materials,  the way it moves in the water? All of these I suppose but its the knowledge that I'm fishing a style of fly I believe compliments my surroundings and that I'm following a fishing tradition as many have done before me by fishing a loch style wet fly pattern and of course it is a fly that does catch trout now and again!
From what I can gathered the original dressing.
Had an orange tag!
To be honest Ive fished many variations and thought the original didnt have an orange tag! I thought it was red. Pictured here are two variations of the pattern one close to the original the other is a claret version
It doesn't matter what variation I use whether it be these two or any other I have in my box. I've got a lot of faith in them!
I've never been to Connemara. I've heard it's beautiful maybe one day I will get to visit there and fish for trout with the  Connemara Black on one of its Loughs or Lakes. 

The North Calder Water

The true source of the North Calder is the Black Loch just south of the village of High Limerigg which is approximately 700ft above sea level on the Slamannan Plateau, at the centre of the Forth/Clyde isthmus and on the watershed between the east and west coasts of Scotland. 

It is a very short river, a distance of approximately 12 miles from source to the River Clyde. This gives an average drop of over 50ft for each mile of its length which is considerable for a lowland river. 

All water courses in this area flow eastwards towards the Forth with the exception of the North Calder which takes that direction too but for a short distance before defying nature and turning south west.

Like all rivers she starts as but a wee burn as she meanders through the peat of the plateau and it takes her many twisted and contorted miles before she resembles what we know to be a proper river.

The North Calder enters the east end of the 345 acre Hillend Reservoir at Forestfield which stretches to Caldercruix. 

The reservoir is also fed by a supply from the higher elevated reservoir known locally as The Lily Loch.

 

The construction of both these reservoirs were financed by the Forth & Clyde Canal Company to create a reliable and constant water supply for the Forth and Clyde Canal. The supply of course flowed along the North Calder and thence into the Monkland Canal. 

As all canals loose water through evaporation and seepage, this must be replaced to maintain the correct depth and therefore the North Calder Water became a vital source of supply.   

The real benefit for the Monkland Canal Company who engineered the North Calder Water flow was that they got their water supply for free from the North Calder Water.

 

Hillend Reservoir was constructed in 1799 and is now owned by British Waterways, the eventual successors to the Forth & Clyde Canal Company. 

This was the first industrial use made of the North Calder Water. The North Calder flows out of Hillend Reservoir east of Caldercruix by way of a sluice under the dam and it is here that the river enters what the geologists call an 'incised river valley' which it remains in for the rest of its journey to the River Clyde.

There is a noticeable increase and strength of flow as she leaves Hillend Reservoir but it’s still no more than a strong burn as it loops its way west below Caldercruix  “crooks of the Calder” to Plains where the Browns Burns enters and then onto Moffat Mills, Petersburn and through the heavily wooded Monkland Glen. 

It is just below Gartness that it gains more volume when the Shotts burn which collects water from the Clattering Burn which flows out from Roughrigg reservoir and then enters the North Calder Water. 

Roughrigg was another of the Forth and Clyde Canal Company’s Reservoirs.

Through the outskirts of Chapelhall it cuts its way through ravines towards Calderbank where it takes a sharp turn to the west and it is here that this river first made a significant contribution to the Industrial Revolution when it was used as a source for the large Ironworks on its northern bank. 

A short distance downstream it is dammed (1792) and it is at this point that the water flows from it into the eastern terminus of the Monkland canal at Woodhall. 

For a half a mile or so the canal has a current due to the inflow, this isn't a common sight on a canal.

 

Further evidence of the river's use by industry is more often noticed downstream of these points. 

In 1801 a hugely important discovery was made in the riverbed of the North Calder Water near the Cairnhill estate in the south of Airdrie, when local businessman and steel making pioneer, David Mushet found Blackband Ironstone. This find was an important landmark in the resulting iron & steel industries which appeared in the area and which developed Monklands into one of Scotland's most important industrial areas.

Throughout its course as it twists through the Monklands towards the River Clyde near Daldowie the river has been used by many and varied  industries over the past three centuries , and most likely long before that. 

Corn mills, flax mills, Paper mills, Coal mines, Iron foundries and a host of others made use of the river's water and power. 

The downside of all this was that the river became heavily polluted and as a result all aquatic life totally vanished.

Its only is only in the last fifty or so years as these industries declined and closed down, that wildlife and fish have returned to the river.

It is very pleasing to know that fish can now be found along its entire course, these include perch, tench, trout and eels. 

All manner of birdlife can be found along the course of the North Calder Water as well as Wildlife such as Deer, Red foxes, Badgers, American mink amd Grey & Red squirrels 

Sadly, unlike other tributaries of the Clyde no Atlantic Salmon are yet to be found in the North Calder, this it seems is due to a lack of clean headwater  streams with suitable grades of gravel beds, which are required for successful spawning. It’s likely that the construction of Hillend Reservoir is the cause of this.

However, these days the North Calder Water is under threat once again, this time from modern day pollution and neglect.  Now that the heavy industry has gone the river is now blighted by the manifestation of the throw away and selfish culture and society that we live into today.

Walk along any stretch of North Calder Water from its source to its confluence with the River Clyde and you are undoubtedly bound to come across dumped household waste and even discarded household items such as sofas, beds, fridges, washing machines and tvs to name but just a few.

The lack of interest by the local council and the countryside preservation groups in this natural asset is scandalous.

The disgraceful state of this Clyde tributary especially in the Monklands area needs addressed with urgent action by local Government before this burn escalates into a forgotten rancid dumping ground. Politicians need to put their self-interests to one side and deal with real issues affecting the recreational greenbelt of our region!

Eleven years of the Hillend Dabbler

Today my Hillend Dabbler flyfishing & Flytying Blog is eleven years old! 

I never thought when I created this blog spot that all these years later I would still be sharing my observations, fishing reports and flytying!
Back in 2009 Gordon Brown was the British Prime Minister and Barac Obama was the President of the United States.
We even endured a pandemic back then too when Swine flu spread all over the world!.
It's been a real joy to look back over the past eleven years at my fishing trips and days out and remember them as if it was only recently.
It's also very pleasing to notice that my flytying skills have Improved and developed over the years too.
This year the emphasis on my my blog has been mostly flytying due of course to travel restrictions and various forms of lockdown.
Any fishing I have managed to do has only been to local venues. Ive really missed getting away to the highlands but hopefully if the covid situation improves I will get up North and over to the Hebrides next year!
You may have noticed #Lockdownflytying has been prevelant on all social media outlets with flytyers all over the country filling their boxes with copious amounts of flies hoping for better days when we can all get out and about and enjoy or passion for flyfishing!
Recently I've been tying a fair amount of cruncher variations for my box as I intend using this versatile pattern more often especially at Hillend.
In closing I would just like to thank all the people from all over the world who have taken the time to read my blog! I hope you have found some interest and inspiration in my reports,  flytying and photographs.
So here I will finish and raise a glass in celebration of eleven years of The Hillend Dabbler Blogspot! It's been such a pleasure and something I will endeavour to continue with.

The Kinship of the Vice!

 As I've often said and many others have stated, trying to devise something new and original in flytying is a very difficult task indeed.

However every now and again something will fire a flytyer's imagination and get him reaching for his vice!

Recently I've been researching  fly patterns and the history behind them.

Whilst looking through my bookcase of flytying books and fly boxes  a few names that sparked my imagination were the Soldier Palmer, Clan Chief, The Brigadeer,  Zulus in all their guises, The Bloody Butcher, The Watten Warrior, The Jacobite, The Culloden,.The Marauder, The Pretender, The Heillan Man, Harray Horror, The Cutthroat, Imposters, Extractors and many more.

For me these flies conjure up images of famous and infamous battles and Clan Warfare! Therefore as I sat at my vice wondering what to tie next I was inspired to tie some Highland Clan related trout patterns and came up with idea of tying some flies in the colours of Scottish family Clan tartans

The possibilities are endless however there are some difficulties as quite a number of tartans incorporate the same colours!

Nonetheless there are enough tartans and Clans to keep me busy through the winter.

Here are two examples! The Clan McLaren and the Clan McLeod.

Possibly best fished in tbe Balqhuidder area and Western Isles respectively! 

The Jacobite

I was recently made aware of an interesting looking flee that I had never heard of or seen before, called "The Jacobite."

I know of a water out on the Outer Hebrides which is known as Flora's Loch and was thinking that this pattern may be useful on a cast along with The Pretender! 

However history tells us this combination  may prove futile! 

Seriously though I do like the look of this pattern and look forward to giving it a cast on the Machar Lochs of South Uist.

Heres my variation of The Jacobite! 

Size 10 barbless hook.
Claret  14/0 sheer thread.
Red holo butt (varnished)
Rear body dark claret seals fur.
Oval silver rib.
Front body sunburst fritz.
Rear red cock hackle.
Claret hen head hackle.

Hebridean Flytying Nights!

Its official I'm heading to the Outer Hebrides in August.

This last week or so it's been a real pleasure pouring over the maps, books and guides of this far north west archipelago.

Most of all however it's been a joy to sit at my vice and tie fly patterns for the numerous lochs I have on my "to fish" list. Some I've fished and some I havent.

I've already filled one box with Loch style wets and a few hogs, and will probably fill more!

There is something aesthetically pleasing about tying Loch style patterns especially for the outer Hebrides. I wish I could explain what it was in words but I find that very difficult. 

They just seem to suit and fit in with the wild remote beauty of the lochs and waters on these Islands.

Here are just a few of the patterns I've tied recently.