A Tale of Two Flies

For my birthday this year, I got a set of Letraset fly tying pens. The big plan was to cut down on other materials thus reducing the amount of materials I have to buy when tying a new pattern. So, what was the first thing I did when I got the pens?Simples, I toddled down to the G.A.C. and bought two white deer hair patches. I now have three. The mind boggles ???

So, what to tie. Well I've had my eye on deer hair fry for a while so set to doing a copy of one from the fly tying bible by Peter Gathercole. On the blurb it says "Although not an easy pattern to tie, if the correct materials are mastered first, the deer-hair fry is well within the skill level of most tyers."

Well Peter, you weren't far wrong, I set about my version of your fry fly and it didn't quite turn out like the one in the picture. Having said that I think I quite like it. I should probably have used a slightly longer hook but reckonned a size 8 longshank would be ok. Maybe the addition of the four rubber legs didn't make things any easier but I think the added action these will impart when the fly floats on the surface should provide for interesting results. I particularly like the Mirage eyes but had to use epoxy in addition to the self adhesive backing. The fly is supposed to float on it's side with the hook point down in the water and I'm not sure whether thiswill be the case but I can't wait for a nice trout to try nailing it when I can see what happens. The tying of this fly took me about an hour but if it proves succesful then I guess the effort will be worth it.



AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

Well, I'm not a diehard flyfisher and like to try other methods so got to thinking about Rapala's and devon minnows. In fact the natural minnow was in the forefront of my mind when I came up with this little fellow.

I think that traditionally fry patterns are supposed to be floating or at least fish in the top layers of the water. Who knows I might be wrong ?

Anyway with this in mind I decided to think outside the box a bit. I took a number six low water double Salmon hook from my box and straightened out the eye to stop it lifting on the retrieve. Tied in some white Marabou with a bit of flashabou. And, wait for it, because this is the good part, I leaded the hook. As if this wasn't enough, I then added a set of dumbell eyes.

My thinking behind this ( and it will no doubt have some more traditional fly fishers phoning me with claims of heresy, but hey, I can handle it )is unless you hadn't guessed that the fly will sink as soon as it hits the water and can then be fished at pretty much any depth accurately.

One of the most effective techniques when fishing diving minnows, spinners, flies or whatever is to search the depths and cover the water by casting in a fan pattern while constantly being on the move. I reckon that a fly of this type on a line with maybe a ten foot sinking tip might do a bit of damage. I can only wait and see I suppose but I know what kind of damage an Abu Krill can do in a stock pond.

I suppose there's nothing particularly ground breaking in what I've done here but I'll let you know how DON'S DEEP DIVER does the next time I'm out.

I'm now thinking red head with a black body for the next one.

It's amazing what you can turn out with some white deer hair and a pack of letraset pens these days.