Winging your way to success
by Hans van Klinken
It's no secret that a small fluorescent butt can greatly
affect the effectiveness of a wet fly.
Neither is it any secret that the overall dimensions of a fly
can be essential to success.
And in recent years I have discovered the beard or throat
material to be important to the effectiveness of a pattern...
but nothing has had such a dramatic impact on my own success
as the length and mobility of the wing. The particular flies
we are discussing here are actually best suited to casting
into big and high rivers, deep water and cold air and/or water
temperatures. They are also suitable for trolling behind a
boat early in the year as I have seen do many fishers in
Atlantic Canada. It's not my way of fishing but its effective
for those who want a fish desperately.
The idea of playing around with extreme-long winged salmon flies
was born during a long and intensive chat with fellow anglers
one day at the riverbank. Immediately following that exchange
of opinions and ideas, I took a few of my most successful
salmon patterns and tied three identical flies, all on the
same size hook, the only difference being the length of the
wing.
The first was tied with a wing as long as the hook shank
(small). The second fly I tied with a wing twice as long as
the hook shank (medium); and the last one was tied with a wing
three times as long as the hook shank (large).
We should also acknowledge here that the Scots have been using
very long, very slim streamer flies for a very long time for a
very good reason -they work.
In order to assure a good and objective test, three of us, all
friends, fished with exactly the same size rods, fly lines,
tippets and flies. We tested only on waters where catches had
been good for several days previously and where water levels
remained good to high - but one friend used the "large"
version: another chose the "medium" size - and I tied on the
"small".
Even our fishing technique had to be consistent. We agreed to
start by fishing in four-hour stints using an upstream
dead-drift presentation, then fishing it back with a slow
retrieve. We changed places, but not flies.
That first test was amazing. The angler with the long-winged
version of the pattern was the absolute master -the only one
to hook any fish.
And so we began to experiment in earnest. This time we fished
again in sessions of four hours, but now we exchanged the
flies among us. We also now applied our own techniques. We
also compared the results from different times of the day. So,
now we all caught fish - but it was the long-winged version of
any pattern that was consistently the most effective,
regardless of who was using it, and how it was fished.
After many of those tests in several rivers and after long
discussions and evaluations we arrived at the following
conclusions:
When the fish took the long-wing version we experienced the
most aggressive takes, and lost the fewest fish in spite of
the extra length of the wing.
The long-wing version produced the best results after rain on
rising and discolouring water.
The long-wing version proved more effective by far under
extreme low light conditions.
The long-wing version also produced best in deep lies and in
the coldest water temperatures.
The long-wing version did extremely well in a strong current.
The long-wing version was the most productive by far in the
lower pools of the rivers.
The normal and small versions gave the best results in the
upper pools, under low or warmer water conditions and with
dead-drifting techniques without retrieving the fly back
upstream.
Now, we all know that fish don't read, and that it is
pointless therefore to make rules on their behalf. I have,
however, developed the following general tactic based upon the
results of our quasi-scientific experimentation. I start with
a short-winged version of an appropriate fly. If that produces
no result, I'll go to a medium-length wing. If I'm still
ineffective (and sure that fish are present and just not
cooperating), then I'll tie on a long-winged version.
During the last few years, my experience has been that
changing the style of the fly is more effective than changing
patterns all the time.
In the past, I have lugged far too many fly boxes and spent as
much time searching out and changing flies as fishing. By
reducing my patterns to just old and reliable favourites, each
with three different wing designs, I find myself less burdened
with heavy fly boxes - and more effective as an angler. In
fact, the last time I was skunked was in 1988.
My most successful hair wings include only a few series of
about 10 different patterns each that fill just three fly
boxes. Some patterns you will find in back on this site. A few
of the most reliable long-winged patterns are listed below,
but updated with my own preferences for tying materials.
Please note:
For heavy water, you may wish to use stiffer wing materials
like buck tail and polar bear hair substitutes. To prevent the
extra-long wing from annoyingly fouling around the hook bend,
tie on a bigger tail than normal. My personal preference is to
tie extra long-winged flies on a double hook to give the fly
the best action. Bodies on these patterns are generally kept
to about three quarters the hook shank in length. To find the
best quality and length for the extra long hair is not easy.
Black bear or a good substitute is fine but my preference is
just dog hair works well too. For water that is slightly
coloured I add some flashabou or kristalflash in the centre of
the wing.
THE DRESSINGS OF THE TWO MOST SUCCESSFUL:
No 1: The Nipeha
Hook: Partridge double Wilson sizes 8-4
Tag: Round silver tinsel
Tail: Squirrel tail dyed blue
Butt: Red fluorescent nylon wool 1/3rd of hook shank
Ribbing: Oval silver tinsel
Body: Black angora wool or peacock herl (2/3rd of hook shank)
Throat: Blue rabbit fur
Wing: Black soft hair over deep blue (3x-size hook shank)
Head: Black
The name of this fly was easy because we just put the two
first letters of our names together. (Nilo, Per and Hans) This
fly is excellent in rising water or during night fishing.
No 2: Purple magic
Hook: Partridge double Wilson sizes 8-4
Tag: Round gold tinsel
Tail: Squirrel dyed yellow
Butt: Yellow fluorescent nylon wool 1/3 rd of hook shank
Ribbing: Oval gold tinsel
Body: Purple dubbing or furs 2/3-rd hook shank
Throat: Purple rabbit fur
Wing: Fitch tail or black bear fibres over purple (3x-size
hook shank)
Head: Black
Other flies we tested:
Marcella
Hook: Partridge double Wilson sizes 8-4
Tag: Fine silver tinsel
Butt: Yellow floss or nylon wool 1/4 rd of body length
Ribbing: Oval silver tinsel
Body: Black angora wool or peacock herl.
Throat: Greyish white/blue coloured rabbit fur
Cheeks: Jungle cock eyes (original only)
Wing: Soft black fibres over purple (3x long) with some purple
flashabou in between
Head: Black
Danish gift
Hook: Partridge double Wilson sizes 8-4
Tail: Golden pheasant crest feather tied downwards (original
no tail)
Body: Black angora wool (original one no body)
Throat: Dark brown rabbit fur (original one crest feather over
black squirrel)
Wing: Fitch tail fibres (original black squirrel)
Topping: Two golden pheasant crest feathers
Head: Black
One of the flies I got from my friend Per which I improved my
selves. I also tied the tail down. If this really gives this
fly more success is still a mystery to me. What I know for
sure is that those colour combination is perfect for changing
light conditions during sunset or sunrise. The amounts of
black materials probably give this fly a more clear or bigger
shadow to the fish.
The Norseman
Hook: Partridge double Wilson sizes 8-4
Tag: Fine gold tinsel
Tip: Golden yellow wool 1/4 rd body length
Tail: Long teal fibres
Ribbing: Oval gold tinsel
Body: Black angora wool
Wing: Fitch tail fibres with peacock herls over them
Topping: Teal fibres
Collard hackle: Teal hackle wind very sparsely
Head: Black
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