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Starling and Primrose
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:13 pm
by Otter
As with the light snipe I believe that this is also a useful pattern for pale waterys.
Hook: Kamasan B980 Size 16
Silk: Pearsalls Primrose
Hackle: Starling Undercovert.
If anyone has any experience using this or the previously posted light snipe I would be interested to hear your experiences.
Re: Starling and Primrose
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 10:54 pm
by letumgo
I missed this earlier. Beautiful fly, Norman.
Re: Starling and Primrose
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 1:16 pm
by William Anderson
Me too, were we on holiday? Wonderfully North Country.
w
Re: Starling and Primrose
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 1:50 pm
by Otter
William Anderson wrote:Me too, were we on holiday? Wonderfully North Country.
w
17 month holiday, wanna swap jobs ?
It is a dainty little spider and its not a major leap of faith to see that it would work for the lighter smaller olives.
This MC soft wing variation took a few fish a week or so ago during some wateries and BWO activity - size 18 I think.
Wing is from lighest coloured waterhen coverts, body is lightly waxed primrose and gold rib, thorax well picked out hares ear mix + few ahre body guards, light tone

Re: Starling and Primrose
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 2:19 pm
by hankaye
Otter, Howdy;
Both flys are truly 'sparse' yet beautifuly done.
My newest book Fogg's "Handbook..." stresses the sparce characteristic as important and
looks like you paid attention to that lesson.
hank
Re: Starling and Primrose
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 2:21 pm
by letumgo
How do you go about tying in the wing? Gorgeous fly, btw.
Re: Starling and Primrose
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 2:43 pm
by Otter
Just take a bunch of waterhen covert fibres, align as best as possible. Tie in about 5 thread wraps and tie in wing pointing back over eye. Run down tie in wire and run thread down body and back up, dub a small ball of hare front back of wing raising wing to vertical. Velcroe dubbing downwards, under side and sides. Very easy fly to tie and surprisingly durable.
here is an experimental watchet version tied soft wing style - wing is jackdaw throat, not likely to be very durable
march brown version

Re: Starling and Primrose
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 2:51 pm
by letumgo
Thank Norman. Those are awesome!
Re: Starling and Primrose
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 6:08 pm
by tie2fish
Beautiful in all respects, and deadly I'm sure.
Re: Starling and Primrose
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 6:26 pm
by Otter
I have had some success with them, more so than on NC style, then again my river ain't flowing at high speed. They are one of the few templates that once you tie your first one in the greenwell colours, you are immediately struck by the overall appearance and it simply screams fish catcher. Were that all one needed to catch trout it would be a simple sport, thankfully I must develop the skills to use them effectively. Are they any better than other sparse wing wet styles - I cannot say. MC rates them extremely highly but then again he has the skills to present them as required.