Mozzies

[skunkaroo]

I often tie up a pattern as an experiment and it usually ends up sitting in a box for a while before getting a real test. Such was the case with the Mozzie I tied some time ago. This is what I began with:

• Hook: Knapek Dry #14
• Thread: White Pearsall's gossamer silk
• Rib: Black Pearsall's gossamer silk
• Hackle: Whiting American Hen grizzly

And after a while it morphed into this (here shown in the field).

• Hook: Mustad R50 #14
• Thread: White Pearsall's gossamer silk
• Tail: Dun paintbrush bristles
• Rib: Black Pearsall's gossamer silk
• Thorax: Grey squirrel
• Hackle: Hungarian partridge
• Head: Black 12/0

I don't know what inspired the choice on the river. Perhaps it was the lack of a defined hatch. Maybe it was the water slowing imperceptibly as it turned a quick jog. Whatever the case, it turned out to be just the ticket.



I like the way it looks dressed and wet, the rib seems to float above the hook as the white all but disappears. I'm definitely going to press on and keep experimenting.

Aaron

[DOUGSDEN]

AARON,
I REALLY LIKE THIS PATTERN ESPECIALLY WITH THE HUNGARIAN PARTRIDGE HACKLE (MY FAVORITE FOR ALOT OF REASONS NOT JUST LOOKS) AND ALSO THE PIC.'S WHEN THE PATTERN IS WET OR DAMP. IT REALLY CHANGES THE LOOK OF THINGS. BY ALL MEANS, KEEP EXPERIMENTING. I'M LIKING WHAT'S COMING OUT OF THE TEST TUBE!
DEN BOUND BECAUSE OF RAIN,
DOUGSDEN

[skunkaroo]

I'll keep you informed, DD.

The rain (much needed here) is coming down to. It should push more salmon into the river, so it's not all bad LOL!

Aaron

[Ruard]

Beautiful flies Aaron, and a nice fish! Looks if the last fly has a body of a quill(?)

Greeting

[skunkaroo]

Looks if the last fly has a body of a quill(?)

No Ruard, that's the beauty of it--it's just white silk ribbed with black. When wet, the white almost disappears.

Aaron

[letumgo]

Wonderful post, Aaron. I really enjoy seeing the progression (evolution?) of the pattern. There is no doubt about it effectiveness. I will add some of these to my tying list for my own testing.

[RnF]

Good looking pattern Aaron. What kind of fish is that?

[skunkaroo]

Good looking pattern Aaron. What kind of fish is that?

Pretty odd looking, eh?

The reason I snapped the picture was the fish first and the fly second. I talked it over with a friend of mine (whose opinion and knowledge I respect) and we agree that this is a very rare Rainbow/Westslope Cutthroat hybrid. Westslopes are neither native nor introduced in the system I was fishing, but the lake into which this stream flows has other streams emptying into it and at least one had Westslopes introduced about 30-40 years ago. You're looking at a fish which by rights shouldn't exist in the system I was in (The Skagit River).

Aaron

[RnF]

I thought it might be a cutt/bow hybrid of some sort, I just didn't recognize that particular spot pattern so I wasn't sure. Pretty cool fish and a lucky catch! Nice work. Glad you took it's picture, it looks like a decently sized fish too. Thanks for the back story, it makes this post that much cooler.

[skunkaroo]

Thanks for the back story, it makes this post that much cooler.

As I usually fish solo, I've got albums full of fish-in-the-net shots. I'm starting to only take a picture of the fish if it's unusual, attractive, or large for the system...




BTW For reference, here's a wild Westslope from the Elk river system here in BC (that's a ginger and cream softhackle in its mouth):