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Those who checked out the October Flame caddis pattern of my last
post probably noted that it is constructed as a traditional hairwing wetfly, a
type most often reserved for salmon & seatrout, yet in my own experience,
also effective in sizes suitable for trouting. Here’s one of the
attractor-style hairwings I like for fishing the water on freestone streams. This
type works well swung & can be effective on water where larger streamers won’t
produce. Depending on color choices, the basic pattern lends itself to two
distinct modes: creating fanciful lures; & simulating winged emergers or
drowned adults of specific insects. I like this style & give it a lot of
play. Hairwings are built on the solid principles of the soft-hackle approach:
natural materials, movement, enticing ambiguity (obfuscation) as prescribed by
James Leisenring, who, incidentally, in addition to the flymphs, packed a few
hairwing wets himself. Though synthetic
material might be used or incorporated as a topping, I still prefer natural fur
for its taper, spine & action when wet, as well as the nuanced coloration
it affords. Nature still does it better. Bucktail, squirrel tail & calf
tail are indispensable basics, natural & dyed. Rabbit, skunk, raccoon, fox,
mink, bear, angora & long, coarse underfur are also useful. A clipping from
the kitty’s tail?… Well. Be gentle.
Over the next few posts I’ll
run a series, of sorts, of hairwing wetflies tied for trout.
Curly’s Envy
Hook: #8-#12 TMC 200R
Thread: Yellow UNI 8/0
Tail: Golden pheasant crest
feather
Butt: Yellow floss
Body: Green tinsel - wind a short thorax or ball of yellow dubbing before tying in the wing
Wing: Yellow calf tail topped
with olive bucktail
Hackle: Olive grizzly hen
Flyfish NE Washington with Steven Bird: http://ucflyfishing.blogspot.com
