Fishing The Fly Scotland Forum

Magnus Angus

Black Pennell
« on: 29/12/2022 at 22:18 »
Black Pennell
Hook: Wet fly hook size 8 to 14
Thread: Black.
Rib: Fine silver oval tinsel or wire.
Tail: Golden Pheasant (GP) tippets.
Body: Black floss.
Hackle: Black cock or hen. (Natural or dyed)

A great old wet fly, still useful when fish are feeding on hatching buzzers. Tying the Pennell is quite straightforward so this makes a great beginners fly.
For a change try the same fly tied claret or green. Or tie with a slim dubbed body rather than floss.


Wet fly hook in the vice, thread attached just behind the eye. Silver oval tinsel tied in under the shank


Choose a GP tippet feather for size. (This is a medium sized GP feather.)


Tippet tail tied in at the second bar.


The butts are tied down on top of the hook all the way to the front of the fly.


Tie in a slim strand of black floss.


Flatten the floss and wrap back to the tail.


Wrap the floss forwards to the thread and tie down with 2 or 3 wraps.


Floss can be burnished smooth by gently rubbing with a smooth tool. The tube of a ceramic bobbin holder works fine.


Wrap the rib forwards to the tying thread in even turns and catch in.


Trim the loose ends, rib and floss, and tidy everything with a couple of turns of thread.


Tie in a black hackle by the tip of the feather. Good side facing up. (This is dyed black Indian hen.)


Fold the hackle barbs back and wrap the hackle forwards in butting turns and tie down the bare stem.


Trim away the stem and form a neat small head. Whip finish and varnish the head.

Mike Barrio

Re: Black Pennell
« Reply #1 on: 29/12/2022 at 22:35 »
Nice one Magnus, one of my favourite flies!

Rivers, lochs, stillwaters, it catches fish everywhere  :)

Kav Ring

Re: Black Pennell
« Reply #2 on: 04/01/2023 at 22:35 »
Likewise great fly, definitely a confidence fly for me.

I'm pretty new to tying, is hen hackle the better option for a wet or doesn't it matter too much?

Sandy Nelson

Re: Black Pennell
« Reply #3 on: 05/01/2023 at 09:43 »
Kav

If you have low quality Chinese or Indian black cock hackles then they would be soft enough, but if you have good quality black cock then it will be too stiff a fibre to act the way it’s meant too. The fly however will still catch fish.
I usually tie them with starling back feathers as I like the extra bit of iridescence.
So yes a Hen hackle is a better option, but if you don’t have them don’t worry about it. The fly will work fine with any black hackle feather, it’s just swims better with a softer hackle.

Kav Ring

Re: Black Pennell
« Reply #4 on: 08/01/2023 at 21:00 »
Great stuff thanks Sandy! Just moving house and workshop-once I've sorted stuff I'll get tying

Kav

If you have low quality Chinese or Indian black cock hackles then they would be soft enough, but if you have good quality black cock then it will be too stiff a fibre to act the way it’s meant too. The fly however will still catch fish.
I usually tie them with starling back feathers as I like the extra bit of iridescence.
So yes a Hen hackle is a better option, but if you don’t have them don’t worry about it. The fly will work fine with any black hackle feather, it’s just swims better with a softer hackle.

Steven Kidd

Re: Black Pennell
« Reply #5 on: 29/01/2023 at 20:47 »
I just love a Black Pennell

My go to point fly anywhere and everywhere big lochs and fisheries, :-).......and the river too!

Steven

Allan Liddle

Re: Black Pennell
« Reply #6 on: 11/07/2024 at 14:32 »
Perfect.

 




Barrio Fly Lines - designed in Scotland - Cast with confidence all over the world

Barrio Fly Lines

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Manufactured in the UK

Cast with confidence all over the world

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