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As I have often remarked, fly-tiers everywhere cannot resist attempts to improve on the near-perfect, often with disastrous results, for a so-called logical improvement usually cuts no ice with our illogical fish.
The most recent, but most convincing variation is in the wonderful Camasunary Killer whose original version I have used with steadily growing conviction for sea trout and salmon over the past quarter of a century and have recommended to readers before.
Originally Stephen Johnston of Jedburgh's Blue Fly, for use at Camasunary on Skye, it was further developed into its present form then popularised by Peter Deane, the professional fly dresser, in John Veniard's "A Further Guide to Fly Dressing" (A & C Black, 1964), who stated: "It is without any doubt the most successful wet fly I've ever come across. Salmon take it as freely as sea trout, and in small sizes it is an excellent lake pattern, as good in Scotland and Ireland as in the south and west country." (Surely these locations should be the other way round?)
In the September 1996 issue of Trout & Salmon (page 126) it appeared in a simple (why didn't I think of it before) variation Ñ one that will be immediately attractive to fishers in the Western Isles and one conveniently following on the last two of these articles. Yes, it has been Zulued, or Palmerised. (I make no apology for these neologisms, agreeing firmly with the American grammarian's confident claim: "There aint no noun that can't be verbed".) And so a palmered black cock hackle has been added, thereby in theory at least increasing its effectiveness as a bob fly. The illustration in T & S suggests a few extra turns of hackle at the head to increase the fly's disturbance qualities, though the tying instructions don't mention this. Following Charles McLaren's advice, I have always added a soft hen hackle at the head of all my palmered bob flies, as in the Kate McLaren, to suggest life by adding movement, and leaving the stiffer cock hackles over the body to give the disturbance, or "buzz" effect. So I have wound a soft black hen hackle on my tyings of this variation. It tends to dull the brightness of the fly a little, but this may be an advantage in some cases, and it certainly should make the fly more effective in a decent breeze, which is when we usually fish for salmon anyway.
The T & S version gives fluorescent blue wool for the rear half of the body. Since long ago I was presented with a huge hank of wool of the perfect royal blue colour by a lady fly-tying beginner (thank you Mrs Ferguson) I don't see the point of overdoing the brightness Ñ not so much gilding the lily as over-egging the pudding Ñ but you could try it. I have always used fluorescent red seal's fur for the front half of the body instead of the prescribed wool, for seal's fur is the ultimate dubbing material, giving sparkle and life where floss and wool seem a bit dead, and here it avoids an all-wool body. I have tied up plenty for the new season and some in smaller sizes for brown trout, following the example of Donnie Maciver in Sportsworld who has successfully used the original version as a bob fly for trout over many years. Good seal's fur, especially fluorescent, is not easy to obtain, but Ellis Slater is an excellent source (catalogue 60p) and for many other materials as well.
My first trout of the season (third cast!) confirmed both my praise of the March Brown in the Hebridean Diary in the March issue of T & S and the account I gave of my long- ago humiliation on a loch in Barra when for the last time I posed as a lochside entomological pundit, claiming that a small black fly, a representation of the hatching black chironomids would catch the fish, only to find the March Brown (no possible resemblance) took the remaining ones! It was with a sense of nightmarish foreboding that I spooned this season's first Ñ it was, of course, stuffed with black chironomid pupae, and the fish had ignored the wee Black Pennell on the bob! So much for the doctrines and dogmas of representation, simulation and exact imitation, but three cheers for one of the truly great old flies, a true classic in its long-established deadliness Ñ and not a touch of fluorescence about it!
The angling clubs have had their AGMs. Stornoway AA have kept their subscriptions at the same level as last season. These must be paid at Sportsworld by Friday, 16 May at the very latest. Malcolm Crate is the new secretary.
Soval AA's new treasurer is Norman Mackenzie, John M having decided that 38 years (not his age, you understand, but length of service) is quite long enough. There are still some catch returns from 1996 to come in. Phone me at 703248.
Fly casting beginners should ring me at the above number for the free ten-minute lesson now that the front-lawn grass has been cut.
Finally, advance notice of the Western Isles Fisheries Trust open meetings in the Caberfeidh Hotel, Stornoway, on 7 May and Lionacleit School on 8 May, both beginning at 7.30pm. Dr Andy Walker, Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory, Pitlochry, George Mackenzie, Gillie, Gruinard, and Mark Bilsby, the Trust's Biologist, will give a presentation outlining the Trust's objectives and will answer questions. Anyone remotely interested in the future health and well-being of our brown trout, sea trout and salmon fishing should make a point of attending this very important meeting.
Original article Stornoway Gazette May 11 1997.
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