[Allan Liddle]

Playing about with a wee idea i've had on an adaptation of Hugh Falkus's Medicine Fly.
Aiming to get a slim, sparse mobile pattern utilising the Partridge Patriot Up Eyed Double hook.

Ok it's not got a teal wing (hence the black and silver flash over wing) and already thought of a few alterations. Substitute the head hackle for that blue guinea, arctic fox wing, and hopefully when i get my hands on some altering the gun grey hook for one of the silver versions and leave off the holographic body (gold and silver Partridge Patriot Up Eye Doubles available soon btw).

Plenty options, all part of the fun.



First Attempt



Long Slim and Sparse

[Allan Liddle]

Wee variation of the variation using the bits of Rabbit fur left over from a Snake Sandeel thing i was trying.
Anyway used the Partridge Patriot Up Eyed Salmon Double size 14 in silver which meant i didn't need a body on the fly simply using the hook itself.
Rabbit fur a nice shade of blue over white with black tips.
Looks ok to me, hope the fish like it









And the Sandeel Snake thing, not the tidiest fly i've tied and very much a work in progress.  Looking to try it for silvers in the salt, hook Partridge Intruder on 49 strand coated stainless wire.




Suppose i'd be as well trying things like this seeing as how i'm so bad with dries.......

[Ben Dixon]

Suppose i'd be as well trying things like this seeing as how i'm so bad with dries.......

  

I'd fish 2 & 4 Allan, a silver Fish skull / fish head (can't remember exactly what they're called) would finish #4 off really nicely.  I like tying stuff like that but unfortunately, I need to tie a box of spiders & nymphs up before Saturday as I appear to have lost one of my river boxes over the winter.

As far as the coloured hooks go, I'd settle for a full size run of any Partridge salmon hook in any colour right now.  Availability of the BN hooks is still a real issue unfortunately.  Have you seen or do you have any of the up eyed singles in small sizes, if so are the small ones small (B180 size 12 small)?

Cheers

Ben

[Allan Liddle]

Hmmm good idea re the skull head, will need to look out for some of these Ben.

Regarding the hooks, message sent to Darryl re up eye patriot availability.  Haven't seen the singles yet so sorry dunno about the hook size.

PM to follow once i get a reply.

Cheers

Allan

[Ben Dixon]

Cheers Allan, really struggling to get a full run of any salmon hooks in any colour right now.  The things are called Fish Skulls, just dug some out.  Avoid the tungsten ones, proper 10wt jobs those, Aluminium ones are fine.

Ben

[Allan Liddle]

Cheers Ben
I'll give 'em a wee look.  Any good on a DHE?   

[Iain Cameron]

...didn't need a body on the fly simply using the hook itself.

i like this, cool letting the hook be a feature too
cheers
i

[Rob Brownfield]

Dont forget the new "soft heads" as well. Same idea as Skulls but made from a soft plastic. Also come in tungstadust verstions for a little more weight but still soft. Really really nice.

http://www.prosportfisher.com/index.php/flytying-materials/heads-attractors/pro-softheads

[Hamish Young]

They look quite funky Rob - you used any

H

[Rob Brownfield]

They look quite funky Rob - you used any

I got sent some of the Pike sized clear ones to try out. I tied a few different styles, bucktail, marabou, EP/Gliss n Glow and finally ostrich herl.

I will see if the chap I tied them for will send some photos.

What I really liked was that they were flexible, so no more trying to get the eye through a hole in a metal head thats too small! The also offer protection of the material without adding weight in the way epoxy does.

Not sure where in the UK you can get them though, I have emailed to ask them.

Also, did you see the "Trout system" nymph and shrimp skins...now they really do look good.

[Rob Brownfield]

They look quite funky Rob - you used any

This is the SBS I started with, really nice pattern to play around with.

http://theonefly.com/?tag=pro-softhead

[Allan Liddle]

Hmmmm creative juices starting to flow.........

[Rob Brownfield]

Just remembered, Orvis have the Fish Skull Mask on the website...same idea but a hard plastic...I am sure Ben would give you a discount Hamish

[Ben Dixon]

Just remembered, Orvis have the Fish Skull Mask on the website...same idea but a hard plastic...I am sure Ben would give you a discount Hamish

I keep the Aluminium Skulls in stock, will look at taking in the plastics too.

Ben

[danbruce]

Fish skulls look not bad on the front of a salmon fly, I tied a few up towards the end of last season.



I like the way they cover the mess I am usually left with at the front of my flies.

Dan