Fly tying: predominantly dark water for trout

Dark walleyes are essential for finding grayling and trout in France and abroad
Dark walleyes are essential for finding grayling and trout in France and abroad © Enjoy Fishing / Jean-Baptiste Vidal

After a look at the predominantly light core lines in a previous article, this time I'd like to introduce a darker core line to complete your box. Simple and effective, it's an absolute must-have when you're trout fishing, whether in France or elsewhere.

Brownish drowned flies represent the vast majority of mayflies present in our waterways and hatching all year round. By simply adjusting the size of the hook, it will be able to imitate March Browns, as well as other heptagenids and large flies. In smaller sizes, it will also be very catchy.

You must always have them in your boxes and very often mounted on your sinker leaders. This simple model is very effective on trout and grayling.

Une noyée efficace aussi bien en France qu'à l'étranger car elle représente une grande variété d'éphémères
A drowning that's as effective in France as it is abroad, as it represents a wide variety of ephemera.

Installation sheets

Kamazan B170 hook size 8.

Mounting wire UTC 70 Black.

Come to the bend, then attach a few pardo Flor de escoba rooster fibers.

Attach fine copper wire, then brown Uni Yarn. Wrap the brown Uni Yarn over 2/3 mm and secure. Then attach a red rooster hackle feather (length 3 to 4 mm). Make a body/thorax out of brown SLF spikey dubbing and wrap to within 2 mm of the eyelet.

Circle the dubbing body with the red hackle then block. Form a small tag with the copper wire (2 turns) then hoop the fly body, taking care not to trap most of the hackle fibers, then block. Attach a woodcock breast feather by the end, choosing a feather with short fibers (5 mm), then wind it up to the eyelet. Form a head from black mounting silk, then add a micro-drop of UV resin and set.

Une variante avec une bille avant le hackle de tête. On peut aussi varier les cerclages, la couleur du corps pour se constituer toute une boite en différente taille
A variation with a ball before the head hackle. You can also vary the strapping and body color to create a whole box of different sizes.

Tips and tricks

This fly can be made with a variety of weights. Lead wire underbody, brass ball behind the hackle (in this case, choose a larger feather) will enable you to fish at the right depth. I personally also use polyleaders to fish at different water heights depending on the position, depth, current speed and fish activity.

By choosing different head feathers (partridge, woodcock, rooster, etc.), you can play on the vibrations and fish the calmer or faster parts. So there are plenty of options for building up a varied box by changing small details.

By adding an orange, red, green or yellow tag, this fly can be produced in many different models and sizes.

More articles on the theme