Woodcock & Orange (Valsesiana style)

[davidriley]

I hope this tying is OK for this forum. I have been tying up a few spider flies recently and thought I might try a few with a reversed hackle. Well I sort of got sidetracked and finished up learning about the Italian Valsesiana style and came across some dressings. So here I am.
I rather like it but there is room for improvement in my technique.

D46B021E-CE0B-434D-A933-E20144DAD053.jpeg (297.57 KiB) Viewed 2128 times

It is tied on a Hends BL550 size 14 hook. The body has been tied using sewing machine orange silk thread and a Woodcock hackle.
Hope you like it

David

[Roadkill]

Beautiful fly and clearly a Wingless Wet!

[Ron Eagle Elk]

That's an interesting style of fly. Reminds me of the Japanese style fly, but with a European twist. Nicely dressed. What is that hook, if I may ask?

Had to go look up an article I read some time ago. https://www.tenkarabum.com/pesca-mosca-valsesiana.html

[Fishnkilts]

That thread sure is bright and the hackle looks very spidery. That should surely catch a fish.

[davidriley]

That's an interesting style of fly. Reminds me of the Japanese style fly, but with a European twist. Nicely dressed. What is that hook, if I may ask?

Had to go look up an article I read some time ago. https://www.tenkarabum.com/pesca-mosca-valsesiana.html

Ron

The hook used is a Hends BL550 size 14 (one I quite often use if I am tying a Sakasa Kebari style fly)
However since tying the fly I have discovered that a scud/shrimp style is more the style of hook used so I am now tying all with a Hends BL510 hook, which I think is much better and fits the simplicity of the fly too.
See attached photo

FD53BCBB-62B2-4834-B8C0-7973989573CA.jpeg (326.95 KiB) Viewed 2013 times

David

[letumgo]

David - Have you downloaded Donald Nicholson’s compendium on various wingless wet fly patterns? I think you would find it very interesting. Your fly is very similar to ones Donald shared on his old website.

https://flymphforum.com/viewtopic.php?f ... son#p64008

[davidriley]

David - Have you downloaded Donald Nicholson’s compendium on various wingless wet fly patterns? I think you would find it very interesting. Your fly is very similar to ones Donald shared on his old website.

https://flymphforum.com/viewtopic.php?f ... son#p64008

Thank you Ray.
Wow! That is some document. That will keep me busy for a very long time. I will enjoy reading it.

David

[letumgo]

All thanks go to our old friend Donald. He poured a lot of effort into gathering various sources together and sharing.

When I saw your post about Valsesiana style, I was immediately reminded of his references. Wingless wets are effective worldwide, in their many forms. That is one of the aspects that has made them so fascinating to me over the years.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

David, There was a discussion about this style fly on FB yesterday. Several patterns were listed and illustrated from a book called Fly Patterns: An International Guide by Taff Price, 1986 edition. It's available on Amazon for about $35, I got a copy on Abebooks for $8 and change including shipping. My copy is used of course.

I also ran across this blog in the FB discussion of this style of fly tying and fishing. https://fishingdiscoveries.com/valsesiana-fly-fishing/...

[davidriley]

David, There was a discussion about this style fly on FB yesterday. Several patterns were listed and illustrated from a book called Fly Patterns: An International Guide by Taff Price, 1986 edition. It's available on Amazon for about $35, I got a copy on Abebooks for $8 and change including shipping. My copy is used of course.

I also ran across this blog in the FB discussion of this style of fly tying and fishing. https://fishingdiscoveries.com/valsesiana-fly-fishing/...

Thank you Ron. I already have Taff Price’s book. I am afraid that I have that many books on fly tying I quite often forget to have a look at them. I think my age has a lot to do with it, although it is so easy to check stuff on the iPad you forget you have books!! The link you have given is the one that started off my search into Valsesiana flies. A fascinating subject especially with its similarity with the North Country spiders that I am familiar with. Basically it is a spider with a reversed hackle - I have started tying a few up in spider reversed hackle format to try in the Spring.
Thanks for your help.
David