The Snowy Mountains Location:
The Lakes:
Early in the season and right into the summer, the staple diet of trout is Chironomid, or buzzers as some people call them. These were so thick at times that it was like a dark fog had descended on the water just at disk. You could hear the fish slurping them right into the night as they 'balled up' in a mating frenzy.
It was during that time that I was shown the 'Ricketts Gnat'. Bill Ricketts was getting on when I first met him. He was a past international casting competitor and had taught casting in various places around the world. He was also a specialist at catching trout on his chironomid pattern. He would cast right to the edge of any ripple and very slowly 'tweak' it back a few feet before recasting. He could do it easily at 60 feet but it was a long cast for me.
Sadly Bill has passed on, he was a sufferer of Parkinson's Desease, but we spent many hours together trying to out fox the trout of Lake Eucumbene.
I still use his pattern today. The original was a size 16 but on the rivers here in Yorkshire I have bought it down to a size 20 and it sits in among my 'micro-spider' patterns with pride. I have taken lot's of trout and grayling on it over the past 20 years and everytime I tie one onto my leader I think fondly of old Bill and his quirks. A gentleman and superb fisherman.
It is a simple pattern, much like a North Country pattern. I would like to share his legacy with you.
Ricketts Gnat
Hook: Size 20 (Original was 16 and that may be more appropriate if you are fishing stillwaters)
Thread: Brown (Bill tied his in Green, Black and Brown with the latter his preference)
Body: Lightly dubbed grey wool or fur (Bill used either the wool from a grey college jumper or possum under fur. The photo uses possum)
Wing: 3-5 whisks of grizzle hen hackle
Hackle: 2 turns of grizzle hen hackle (Short fibres)
I hope you try it. It works very well everywhere I have fished it.
I said I was tying Micro-spiders, here are a couple.
Orange & Partridge - Size 20
Stewarts Black Spider - Size 20
