The Black Doctor is next in my classic salmon box: here I’ve done them on Partridge M2 #2/0, #1/0 and #4.
Salmon
Autumn Creeper Grub – Kelson
Hook: Partridge M2 #1/0
Thread: Semperfli 18/0
Tag: Gold tinsel and yellow silk
Rear hackle: Red, cheeked with kingfisher
Body: Black chenille
Center hackle: Yellow, cheeked with kingfisher
Front hackle: Black and black heron, cheeked with kingfisher
2017 starts out with another Grub: the “Autumn Creeper” from Kelson (1895). The original have red macaw, yellow macaw and vulturine hackle with chatterer cheeks: here I have substituted with standard hackle to get the same colour scheme in the fly.
Black Creeper Grub
Hook: Mustad 80500-npbl #1/0
Thread: Semperfli 18/0
Tag: Silver and light blue silk
Tail: swan & macaw
Rear hackle: Black, cheeked with kingfisher
Body: Black chenille with a black hackle in the center, cheeked with kingfisher
Front hackle: Black, cheeked with kingfisher
Continuing the grub series, here a pattern from George Kelson “The salmon fly” from 1895. I substituted ibis with swan, powdered blue macaw with blue/yellow macaw and chatterer with kingfisher. The look and feel is the what is important here (plus the fact that I don’t have 6 chatterer feathers around for testing out new patterns). Will try to tie this one up with light blue hackle tips to see how that can work: the kingfisher is not maintaining that clear colour once it is in water, so for fishing purposes it would be good to have something that will last a bit longer.
A pattern that can be tied up with both shorter (and more sparse) hackle and one with longer hackle, depending on the movement you want in the water. A heron hackle in front of either the rear or front hackle could also be something to explore.
Mar Lodge Grub
Hook: Partridge M2 #1/0
Thread: Semperfli 18/0
Tag: Veevus Small
Tail: JC back to back
Rear hackle: Grey
Body: Silver with black band
Rib: Veevus Medium
Wing: JC back to back
Front hackle: Grey
Continuing my research on the grub patterns I came across a low-water Mar Lodge Grub version on a picture over at feathersfliesandphantoms.co.uk that had a interesting look: the minimalist flow, the grey hackle that will flow over the silver body and the JC that pops out. Would like to see this with the orange-colored JC that I have, but I’ll leave that for another time. The pattern should work for sea-trout as well, so I might tie up a version on a saltwater hook later on.
A friend of mine had a good input for this pattern: put a heron hackle over the rear hackle. I tied it in sparsely to follow the general feel of the pattern, this is one to bring for the sea-trout and salmon on those late summer days.
Blue Doctor set
Always good to finish a set of a pattern: some Blue Doctors tied for fishing next season. This is a set I had 2 flies finished from earlier, but got some hours during christmas to finish the last 3: a good christmas session.
Tied on Partridge M2 & Mustad 80500-npbl
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