CDC 'n Quill Spent

The tie:
#14 Hanák 103BL hook
tan UNI 8/0 thread
Coq de León tail
Peacock quill with a drop of tying lacquer for durability
One CDC feather for thorax cover / wing splitting
Two CDC feathers spun in loop and cut to shape

Fish on rivers that I frequent are seldom too selective, so I could get good results with a general suggestive pattern, like a Hare's Mask Emerger with gold rib; on the other hand I truly like the delicacy and fragility of the spinners. Tying them brings up fond memories of warm summer evenings...

Eagle Owl Mayfly

The tie:
#16 Hanák 103BL hook
tan UNI 8/0 thread
Coq de León tail
Eagle Owl feather
very thin copper wire ribbing
two CDC feathers spun in dubbing loop and cut to shape

I truly enjoy tying with Owl feathers (too bad the whole order is on CITES list). The soft and fluffy fibers make an excellent body material, full of life and strangely attractive to fish. As it is very soft it is a good idea to counter rib it with a very thin metal wire.

Color enhancement - Orange

The color orange works very well on one of my favorite rivers, so I decided to stock up on patterns using it. To this purpose I created an Orange Enhanced Caddis and Orange Enhanced PTN.


The tie:
#14 Hanák 103BL hook
tan UNI 8/0 thread
UNI Burnt Orange floss for tip
natural Hare dubbing (body dubbed from hand, legs in loop)
UNI #16 gold tinsel
three smallish CDC feathers for wing


The tie:
#12 Hanák 260BL hook (shortened shank, has length of a #14 hook)
tan UNI 8/0 thread
a couple Pheasant tail fibers
UNI Neon Burnt Orange thread for thorax

The joys of close season

An interesting winter - Prague is gripping with the biggest snowfall since 1993, snow is piled deep everywhere and nobody seems to know how to cope with such a situation.
I took the opportunity to do some cross country skiing in the parks of our beloved capital, which in ordinary winters gets just a sprinkle of snow for a couple of days.
I also took my skis to a prospecting trip to some small streams that I plan to visit in the next season. The last time I visited this stream was in June, and a big fat Brown was very active in the head of this pool. Now it seems devoid of life and one has just to wonder where the fish went and whether it will be there waiting for me in the spring.
For now the fish is safe as the snow and cold (and very unwelcoming legislation :) have me tied up at my tying station till March or so...

Project BWO - part III. (Dun & Spinner)

The tie:
#14 Hanák 103BL hook
tan UNI 8/0 thread
Coq de León tails
Hare dubbing dyed olive
pearl UNI #16 tinsel
Two CDC feathers spun in loop

The tie:
#14 Hanák 103BL hook
tan UNI 8/0 thread
Coq de León tails
Thin red wire, wound tight
Fiery brown seals fur
Tiemco Aero Dry Wing

Last two instars of Baetis sp. mayfly and last two parts of my project BWO :)

Project BWO - part II. (Crippled Emerger)

The tie:
#14 Hanák 103BL hook
tan UNI 8/0 thread
Hare dubbing dyed olive
pearl UNI #16 tinsel
Black polyceton foam

CDC

Failed emerger / stillborn is my second installment in the BWO hatch series.

Pink CZ Nymph (růžový blešoun)

The tie:
#8 Skalka type G hook
pink rabbit & fluo pink SLF dubbing
flashy pink body cover
0,16 mm spinning mono rib

It is said that the Gammarus shrimp turn pink when molting (changing skin), so fish are used to such finding such a color in their favorite food item. When molting the shrimp also become temporarily blind (they shed skin on their eyes as well) and thus vulnerable and a easy source of protein to hungry fish.
On the other hand it is well known that grayling have soft spot for the color pink in general.

No matter whether you subscribe to the imitative or attractor explanation of this phenomena it is very important to have a few CZ nymphs in pink in your fly box when setting out on a grayling trip.

Project BWO - part I. (Hatching Nymph)

The tie:
#14 Hanák 103BL hook
tan UNI 8/0 thread
olive UNI stretch
Opossum dubbing dyed olive
pearl UNI #16 tinsel
rooster tail, hen legs

My new project for the month of January is preparing life cycle imitation of the #16 Blue winged olive (Baetis sp.). It is the first major hatch of Spring and I feel obligation to welcome it in style.
Nymph is the first, with emerger, dun and spinner still to come.

Чистка - out with the Old, in with the New!

Start of a new year, with months to come till the trout season opens again - what a perfect time for a little reflection and quiet contemplation. And some blood letting in fly boxes!
This sorry lot no longer meets my quality standards and deserves no mercy. In the name of progress, these flies must be purged immediately - lest they infect others with their inferiority!
Iosif Vissarionovich would be proud of me :)