Sedge Emerger
Hook: Partridge Grub/Shrimp Straighter Eye K4A/S #12
Thread: Semperfli Nano Silk 12/0 Brown
Abdomen: Orange/Amber mixed Dubbing Shuck
Loop: Sparkle Emerger Yarn Amber
Wing: Snowshoe Rabbit Foot Tan
Thorax: Pine Squirrel
I often fish this pattern late in the evening and on into near darkness, to help see the fly I often use it tied with a black wing which shows up really well against silvery water. The tan and black winged versions have been enough for me so far but in the future I’ll probably get round to trying out a flouro pink or green winged version though Snowshoe dyed in those colours won’t be easy to find.
To read a little more on the thought behind this flies design more information can be found on the Partridge blog
Fox ‘n’ a Box
The Fox ‘n’ a Box has been tied more for a private joke than to fish with but I have fished with one similar, but made entirely with Fox, which was a fly a friend of mine picked up from Branco Gasparin when on holiday in Slovenia. That fly worked very well as I remember and floated like a cork, I should really tie more.
This fly should be fished dry as an emerger or egg laying Caddis and the fox fur used for the wing will float well for a while even without adding floatant, but as it eventually becomes waterlogged it actually works equally well as a drowned or post ovi-positing adult.
Recipe
Hook: Partridge of Redditch K4AY #12.
Thread: Semperfli Nano Silk 12/0 Brown.
Abdomen: Underfur from a Boxer Dog named Milla.
Wing, Head & Antennae: Slovenian Fox.
Super Pupa
Hook: Partridge Dry Fly Supreme L5A #10
Thread: Semperfli Nanosilk 12/0 Olive
Body Hackle: Lt Dun trimmed top & bottom
Abdomen: Olive Camel Dubbing
Thorax: Dk Brown Camel Dubbing
Peacock Klink
Hook: Partridge Patriot Grub & Buzzer K4AY #12
Thread: Semperfli Nanosilk 50D Black
Tail: 2-3 strands of Pearl Mylar cut short
Rib: Small Pearl Mylar
Abdomen: Peacock herl single layer
Thorax: Peacock herl double layer
Hackle: Ginger Cock
Mayfly Shuttlecock
Hook: Partridge Klinkhamer 15BN #14
Thread: Semperfli Nanosilk 50D White
Rib: Hends Body Quills BQ-12 March Brown
Body: Mix Cream/Tan/Yellow Camel Dubbing
Gills: CDC Oiler Puff Cream
Wing: CDC Cream
Abdomen: Mix Cream/Tan/Yellow Camel Dubbing
Legs: Carabou fibres in split thread palmered over the abdomen then clipped underneath
BWO Shuttlecock
Hook: Partridge Patriot Fine Dry SLD #18
Underbody: Yellow UTC 70D thread
Rib: Yellow UTC 70D thread tag coloured olive
Overbody: Hends Body Quills BQ-34 Lt Olive
Thread: Semperfli Nanosilk 30D Yellow
Wing: Natural CDC
Abdomen: Kapok Dubbing coloured yellow olive
My preferred way of tying Sparkle Gnats and Griffiths Gnats has long been to wrap the body herl and hackle around the thread before winding the whole lot up the shank to form the body. There are a few advantages to doing it this way 1. It makes a stronger body. 2. If you use a good genetic hackle and just palmer it up the body it can act like a propeller and impart a lot of spin to the fly…. not good…. wrapping the hackle around the thread prevents this. and 3. The hackle footprint is a good bit more messy, like the fly in general, I like the slightly more chaotic look of the fly.
Continue reading Sparkle Gnat Step by Step →
Probably my all time favourite fly, since it first found its way into my fly box well over 20 years ago it’s caught me more fish than any other fly I tie. If I was allowed one fly and one fly only I would take this one. Created by Craig Mathews it’s an evolution of Caucci & Nastasi’s Comparadun which in turn is an evolution of Fran Betters’ Haystack, in terms of translucency of the shuck though it’s very similar to Fran Betters’ Usual. Not a bad heritage all in.
Continue reading Sparkle Dun Step by Step →
Fly Tying & Fly Fishing by Jim Lees
