The Blae & Black

Recently Ive been filling a row in my fly box with these wee fellas! The Blae & Black.

Trout flees dont come more traditional than this.

A Scottish wet fly pattern of great repute for early season brown trout!

Its origins are hard to track down as they appear to have been lost in the midst of time.

It is however believed to be centuries old and used extensively not only in Scotland but South of the border and across the Irish sea too.

Its famous on the Clyde with the wing in the usual  Clyde style upright position and as the season progresses a lighter shade of blae is preferred.

It is a recommended pattern for the top dropper on lochs when midge pupa are hatching!

The Old Timers at Hillend swear by it early in the season. However this probably dates back to the time before our club water introduced rainbow trout.

A fly worth having where ever wild brown trout exist!

It's a very simple dressing that is basically a black pennel with a wing and is the third fly in a trio of patterns that the novice flytyer is advised to start with when tying for the first time. The first two patterns being a black spider and the black pennel. Learn the tying methods entailed in all three patterns and you will almost certainly be able to tie most other wet fly patterns! 

Get tying and get fishing! 

Heres to the start of the 2021 season! 

Lockdown Flytying Day!

On Sunday I popped in and and out of the virtual flytying day  that was organised by Lindsay Simpson  and other fantastic flytyers on you tube. It was a really great event and much food for thought from the fantastic patterns and styles that were on display. 

A couple that caught my eye were Davie McPhail's detached Green Peter and Stevie O'Neills Claret Georgeous George!

Suitably inspired I had a go at Stevie's pattern this morning.

I didnt have a claret grizzle cape for the body hackle so substituted that with a fiery brown grizzle!

This pattern will be a welcome addition to my box!

Big Wave! Big Flee!

If you're experienced enough, brave enough or daft enough. Fishing in a big wave on a boat on a wild highland loch can be extremely rewarding! 

I recall one such night a good number of years ago on Loch Watten with my fishing buddies, Scott the Toonheed Tiddler and Tam the Clarkston Tangler. 

Yes the three of us were on a boat each taking turns on the oars. 

To be honest we really shouldnt have been out for that last hour that night as the wind was really high and the waves, rather scary at times. But it was the last night of our fishing holiday and we didnt want to leave.

Sitting getting rocked back and forth in the boat in the lashing rain, pulling our big bushy flees through the waves was an exhilarating experience  as the trout were leaping through the waves and aggresively taking our flees.

It was a fantastic sight to see so many eager trout take our patterns in such wild conditions.

I recall we were using big leggy trout patterns that night.

Never has that old flyfishing cliche "Big Wave, Big Flee" been found to be so true! 

To be honest we were really stupid to be out in such dangerous conditions and wouldnt really recommend it. We got away with it that night, on another night it could have been so different! So it was a lesson learned.

The other lesson learned that night was that wild brown trout absolutely love bushy leggy flies.

Since that night I always make sure I have that style of pattern on my cast whenever im fishinig in a strong breeze all be it  not as wild as that night.

With this in mind and hoping to get to the Outer Hebrides later this year where the wind is a constant feature in the weather  I tied these patterns, which I'm sure will be a good addition to my box! 

Books & Flies.

One of the benefits of Lockdown restrictions if such a thing can be said is that I've spent more time at the vice than ever before!
It's no exaggeration to say that I've been tying flies every day and as a result I've filled quite a few fly boxes.
I also believe that my flytying has improved considerably!
Due to having plenty time on my hands these days,  I've also been delving into my sizeable collection of Angling literature and refreshing my mind with the influential sage advice and over looked fly patterns to tie and try contained within my books!
In my last blog I focused on a fly pattern from the Excellent "Fisher in the West" by Eddie Young. It really has some great patterns in it which are well worth tying.
Today I received another excellent new addition for my bookshelf.
Emyrs Evan's " Plu Stiniog."
This regional book is a wealth of Information and a great source of inspiration on which to base further work at the vice.
It's a book Ive been meaning get hold of for a few years now after reading an article  about it in a flyfishing magazine!
Although this book deals with fly fishing and
flytying in North Wales
It has to be said that I've no great desire at all to fish among the Hills of Wales. Theres far too many places here in Scotland I've yet to visit and fish.
However I do enjoy reading about the social history contained in books like this as well as learning of the tradition and history of regional fly patterns!
Im really looking forward reading this book and picking out a few more patterns from it to tie and add to my box.
With the new trout fishing season soon to be upon us It'll be interesting to see how these patterns fair here in the Lochs and Hill Lochs of Scotland and elsewhere for that matter!
The first pattern I chose is a simple one.
The Petrisen Corff Coch (Partridge & Red)
According to the author this is a great pattern for the summer months of June and July and should be fished on the top dropper!
Until I make that first cast of the season in March I'm looking forward to reading this book in more depth and tying more flies from it.
I will also be on the lookout for more regional flytying books to add to my shelf.
I'd be grateful of any recommendations!