What the heck is a "Watchet"...well this is my attempt at tying this old English pattern. I have the basic ingredients only the necessary hackle is one that was not available to me. It's color pattern and sparse dubbed body make this spider quite an attractive morsel to trout. I have not tried this fly here on my local waters though I have plans to.
In my last post I made mention of an insect that was all over the stream where I was fishing. I photographed it and tried to recreate it as close to the natural. The Pearsall's silk is very close to the insects natural body color and has a partridge hackle for leg representation.
This is a variation of that fly. Here I use a dark colored partridge feather which is close to the natural coloring of the the insects legs. While this difference is subtle it could make for a more decisive strike.
In this variation I have put a few wraps of dry fly hackle and then the dark partridge feather in front of it. This makes the fly float on the surface, similar to the natural.
Here is a side by side comparison of all of the flies. The bottom one is tied on a size 18 hook. Other than the color difference in the hackle all three contain a silk body and light olive dubbing.
Very nice ties!
ReplyDeleteChris "Kiwi" Kuhlow
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Chris I do appreciate the comment.
AL
ReplyDeleteThose flies are works of art, things of beauty! I like that Watchet, what a gorgeous tie!!! When you give it a test run it will probably knock em dead!!!!!
TROUT1
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Pete The beauty comes from their simplicity. I hope to test them soon.
Alan, I don't know how you tie those small flies, but they are awesome. You must have above excellent eyesight and small fingers.
ReplyDeleteMark Kautz
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Mark I had cataracts removed several years ago, my vision is 20-20. A bright light and some magnifiers help.
"Neat but not gaudy"
ReplyDeleteJohn Dornik
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John well said buddy.
Nice ties Alan, love the simplicity and effectiveness of these patterns. Nope your summer is going well.
ReplyDeleteChris MaineFly207
Anonymous
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Chris the summer has been super. I hope all's is good with you.
Beautiful as always, Alan. I'm really looking forward to your report on how the third fly, the one with dry fly hackle, fared.
ReplyDeletemike
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Mike as soon as I test it I'll let you know how it did. Hopefully the trout will be in a feeding mood.
Beautiful soft hackles as always Alan. I had a good night dry fly action on my zone of the Swift, which I would call a small stream, most especially when compared to the Farmington. Tail water though, not the same as the blue lines that you fish which are the true small streams.
ReplyDeleteBrookies were hitting plenty on most any dry fly pattern drifted in their zone. Barbless hooks came out easily, sometimes by themselves in the net, or long distance wise which I am good with. The best hit of the night was a soft hackle meant to be sub surface, but wasn't wet enough to sink yet and a nice one attacked it. Great fun tonight!
Parachute Adams
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Sam that's terrific. Sometimes I'll put floatant on the tippet near the fly just to keep it very close to the surface, that method will draw strikes.
Dry flies, brookies my friend you had a great outing..
Thanks for the tip, Alan, putting floatant on the tippet. I will definitely utilize that one. Nothing like catching trout on dry flies. It drifts right along and then boom! Never gets old.
DeleteOutstanding ties, Alan! So simple clean and fresh looking.
ReplyDeleteJustin Carf
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Justin you have a keen eye.
Alan
ReplyDeleteWhat is the most common size hackle you use fishing those small streams. Do you used the size 18 when fishing the Farmington? The reason I am asking is the size 18 hackle is the most commonly used on the Caney and Sipsey that I fish. I assume you use a tiny drop of floatant to keep the fly afloat? Nice work with all the patterns---thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
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Bill I primarily use a size 14, and once in a while a 16. The Farmington is pretty much the same. Sometimes I'll put a bit of floatant to keep the fly nearer the surface.