Articles

Jan's Flies - Fly Tying

by Jan Spencer

Even though we are only into early Autumn the weather has been just lovely. At this settled time of the year the nights are cooler and the days are just beautiful. There is some superb fishing to be had both on the lakes and the lowland rivers.

The lakes are starting to wind down insect wise, but the wind lane fishing on the lakes at this time of the year is just magic. The Great Lake is a classic example of this, so if you have an opportunity to try some of this fishing grasp it. When wind lane fishing it is always handy to have a boat and two anglers one as a driver and the other fishing. I must admit I do have a top rate driver - my husband Bill. We like to get the boat off to one side of the land as not to disturb the smooth water too much, it is also advisable to keep a cast away from the fish.

With this sort of fishing I like to use a small dry fly although there are time when only a nymph or small black beetle (wet) pattern cast some distance in front of the fish and drawn upwards at the appropriate time will do.

My little midge pattern is tied a little larger than the natural, this is so that the fish will probably pick the larger insect and so I can also see it a little easier. A good wind lane feeding trout will normally feed in a fairly straight line so it is not too difficult to place the fly a meter in front of the feeding fish. Equally size 14 and 16 in this fly has a place in my box. The following pattern is tied with a small hi-vis post which makes the fly much easier to use.

Midge

Hook - Kamasan B410 size 14 -16: This is a lovely fine gauged hook with a straight eye ideal for tying small flies.

Thread - Black

Post - white Hi-Viz

Tail - 4-5 Black microfibetts

Rib - Very fine silver wire

Body - 1 black cock feather for palmered body

Hackle - 1 fine grizzle cock feather

1. Tie thread around one third the length of the hook shank, tie in hi-viz post.

2. Take thread to the end of the hook shank and tie in tail and rib.

3. Bring thread forward to the post and tie in palmer feather, wind this feather back down the shank and tie down with silver rib, in doing this bring the rib forward to the post and tie off, nip the palmer feather tip off.

4. Tie in the grizzle feather and make a turn behind the post, now make 3 to 4 turns in front, whip finish the head and varnish.

5. Shape the post to desired shape.

I consider myself very lucky in that I really do live in the "River Runs Through It" country and at this time of the year there is some magic river fishing. Grasshopper, Caddis and Mayflies to name just a few.

The red spinner takes most of my attention at the moment especially on the Macquarie River system. I like to find a fish which is working a beat, most river fish when taking regularly will do this.

Although there is more than one way to fish for these fish I like to position myself to take in just what area the fish is covering. I like to have the fish facing upstream away from me so I can drop the fly ahead so that the fish and the fly come together naturally.

Spencer Biot Spinner

Hook - Kamasan 401 - size 12 - 14

Tail - 3 black microfibetts

Body - 1 goose biot, dyed dull orange

Head - 1 fine peacock herl (from near the eye)

Hackle - Ginger cock

Place hook in vice and tie thread the length of the shank, tie in 3 microfibetts spreading them equally. Tie the pointed end of the biot and wind forward two thirds length of shank and tie off.