FLYMPH FORUM

Winter brown


Hook: #14, Silk: Pearsall's orange, and I think a little bit of wax may have found its way on there... hackle: woodcock. Head: peacock herl

Andrew

Winter Brown short shank


This time tied on a short shank hook. Both #14 hooks, but two very different flies.

I just tend to choose the hackles with the criteria being: what looks right to my eye (and no doubt factoring in those proportions I have seen by tyers who seem to know what they are doing).

But I chose a much shorter hackle for the short shank. Thinking about it, I think I probably chose the hackle length with the rule of thumb that it should be long enough to brush the back of the hook bend, which of course produces two very different hackle lengths, on the short and normal length hook. But doesn't that imply that the hook is actually a part of the fly design, as far as the fish is concerned? That make any sense?

Aesthetically, I think the shorter hackle looks better on the short shank, but is there any justification for it, from the fishes point of view?

Any thoughts?

Andrew.

Hi Andrew,

About hackle length: I am not so exact with my hacklelength, but there is a relation between hackle and hook. For spiders I much prefer the shorterhooks: Daiichi 1640 or Drennan Super Specialist.

See also on my site the second article of David Westwood under menu-item spiders.

Greeting

Ruard wrote: See also on my site the second article of David Westwood under menu-item spiders.

Greeting

Ruard, thanks very much for the article link on your site, that was great!

Andrew

Very classic looking flies, Andrew. Like stepping back in time, and that is very appealing to me.

Mark

Courtney William's dictionary tells me that the Winter Brown works when there are needle fly on the water. The pattern at the top of this thread is for earlier in the season, then later, when the fly are lighter in colour, tie with a lighter woodcock hackle, and lightly dub with hare's ear, to make the Little Winter Brown. And lose the head!

Little Winter Brown


Short shank version


I'm looking forward to testing these two versions, the short shank tyings against the other, to see which the fish prefer. If either!

Andrew.

Andrew are your Winter Brown tied on the same size wire with one just shorter than the other? Earlier I was going to reply suggesting that the smaller hook might fish deeper as it appeared to be on a heavier wire hook. Finally I reviewed again to see that the shorter hook was also photographed closer. I'm told we also have a Winter Brown here but have yet to see a Early Stone this light of color. No matter, you have some nice ties here.

Regards, Jerry

I wonder if insects are as varied in size, shape and color as people. Hell, just look at your own family and note the different proportions of each member. I'm more like my father than I care to admit, but we are an odd mix. My mom would be more likely to have a shorter hackle. That's just a guess of course.

w

Jerry G wrote:Andrew are your Winter Brown tied on the same size wire with one just shorter than the other? Jerry

Hi Jerry,
They are both tied on Kamasan, both #14, a B405 trout sub surface and a B160 Trout medium short shank respectively.

Just had a look at them side by side, and there seems negligable difference in the wire. Surprisingly, (to me!) I would have said that the gape on the short shank was wider, but not so. The short shank must just produce an optical illusion to that effect, to me anyway.

Aesthetically I personally prefer the short shank, but what interests me is that it does produce two different flies, as the choice of hook influences choice of hackle length and to an extent body length. Presumably, one must suggest the natural better than the other? Dunno - need to start fishin' 'em now!

Regarding colour, that is my interpretation from what was written in the book, not observation of flies on the water. So I may well have tied it too light, is what I am saying, I did go for a very light hare's ear dubbing.

Andrew.