Not a favourite pattern of mine this, though I fish William's Favourite quite a lot to good effect, which is essentially the same but without the tail?
This pattern has a certain sentimental value for me though, as it is the first pattern I tied myself on which I caught a fish - which is a moment I will never forget! I am self taught as a fly-tier - well until recently anyway - and the book I started with used the Black Pennell as the first pattern.
With the benefit of hindsight, this is a perverse pattern to start someone off on, and probably did me permanent psychological damage!
It is not exactly the easiest tie, having a bit of everything as it does (floss body, rib, tail etc.) This is the first time I've tied it since I have been half-competent - and I still find it flippin' difficult! Oh well, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And however bad and clumsily executed it must have looked back then, it still caught me that little brown trout and managed to fill me full of wonder... which should probably tell us all something....
Andrew.
If you think you had difficulty,