 |
 |
Highlanders and Howlers – favourite flies from the Gaula
In just the same way that the alchemists were obsessed with the ultimately impossible task of turning base metal into gold, fly fishermen are obsessed with finding the perfect fly.
Text & Photo: Matt Hayes.
Of course, were we to stop and think about it rationally, we would immediately point out that there is no such thing as the
perfect fly – only a fly or flies that are right for certain occasions -yet still we dabble in the black art of fly tying
in the hope that one day, our vices will forge a design that no fish can resist. Even when we get pretty close, producing
a winning fly, we are soon tinkering with the dressing, adding an extra hackle here, exchanging a gold for a silver rib or
a splash of red at the throat and so it goes on. Within a season or two the perfect fly, though still perfectly effective
will have given way to the hope and ambition for new creations. As fly tiers that is how we behave and ever thus will it be...
Every season I spend on the Gaula river I tie and try out new flies. Some of them are fun to tie but quickly get consigned to the ‘experimental failure’ category, others show some promise and are tinkered with while others still emerge as winners. With each season I like to discover at least one consistent fish catcher and as a result I now have a repertoire of fly patterns, all of which have caught fish consistently for either me or friends and clients at the fishing lodge. These are my ‘go to’ flies and they cover all times of the season and different water conditions.
In this collection you will find flies large and small. The biggest are the tube flies that we Gaula fishers use at the beginning
of the season when the water is high: flies between 10 and 20 cm are the most frequently used. At the opposite extreme, in
low water conditions during August, we will often turn to flies tied on wee doubles down to size 12.
Whilst many of the flies here are tube flies, you will also find a traditional hairwing design (the Martinsson) and my version of a shrimp fly (Joshua). Colours vary greatly too, from flies that display the typical early season hues of green and yellow to favourite late season shades of red, brown, claret and orange.
Like many tiers of Scandinavian flies, soft furs feature in almost all my flies. It is worth seeking out the best quality arctic and blue fox that you can and also some of the rarer stuff such as templedog and polar bear. Whilst the latter is becoming increasingly hard to obtain, there is a new substitute in the form of Nayat hair.
Good Fox fur is the match of anything when it comes to mobility but there is fox and fox. For winging, I am constantly looking for fur that is long, not curved and with a moderate crinkle. It should not be a coarse mixture of guard hair and under fur: the worst stuff is full of thick, sticky underfur with wiry stiff guard hairs while the good stuff is soft to the touch. That is not to say, however that all Fox fur should be long. For shorter wings it is useful to use arctic Fox while for the longer wings top notch blue Fox is better.
When it comes to tying templedog style flies there are a few important lessons I have learned along the way. Indeed, there is more than one way to tie these flies and it is worth experimenting. I would advise anyone to look at some of the videos and DVD’s made by people like Mikael Frodin on the subject and to watch the excellent movie clips made by Davie Mcphail on Youtube.
The obsessions of the templedog fly tier are wing shape and preventing the wing from tangling up. The classic teardrop shape that is designed to give maximum mobility to the fur in the water is a achieved by layering the wing. There are two schools of thought here: those whom prefer to build a wing that goes short, longer, longest, shorter and those, myself included that prefer to go short, longer, longer and longer still. I much prefer a willow leaf shape or elongated teardrop to my templedog wings but occasionally I will us the classic teardrop shape.
Common to both schools of wing building is the need to build the wing patiently in layers and to handle the fur correctly. Varying amounts of underfur should be removed from each wing layer. As a rule, I tend to remove the underfur with my fingers and then align the tips but when I am on the upper layers of the wing, I often comb the fur to remove any bulk. Using this system of laying the wing materials with the most underfur still attached at the bottom also helps to produce a fly that has the willow leaf or teardrop shape when seen from above and below as well as from the side.
The classic way of building up the wing, taught by templedog architect, Hakan Norling, is to use the ‘fatback’ style of laying down the first to layers and tying them facing away from the head of the fly. The layers are then folded back and secured by making several turns of thread in front. Ultimately, as further layers are added, the lower wing folds back parallel to the tube and yet retains a ‘stand-off’ effect. I often use this effect myself but I also use two other techniques to prevent the wing from tangling. The first is to tie in a fully wound ‘stiffish’ hackle before building the wing. The cock hackle fibres hold the fibres of the lower wing up. Another favourite alternative is to use a small underwing of polar bear. This unique fur is quite stiff, preventing the wing from tangling and at the same time improving the look of the fly with its subtle and pleasing translucence. The technique I use is determined by the individual fly and which construction technique will suit it best.
Using a comb and a roughening-up tool is very, very important. The comb is used to blend flash into the fur in the wing and
to ensure that the differing colours in the wing can fuse neatly while the roughening tool (often a piece of velcro) is used
to brush out bodies and hackles. You will be amazed what a difference it will make to hackles if you roughen them – cock hackle
can be quite springy, yet when roughed up it can be stroked back – all hackles will be softened by this technique and they
can be encouraged to lie along the body improving the appearance of the fly.
Fly Dressings – Salmon Flies
|
||
Joshua ShrimpHook: Size 7 or 9 Salar Silver |
|
|
| I named this fly after my young son – he was sitting on my knee when I tied it. It’s a clear water, late season special that caught several salmon at the back end of last season, ranging from grilse to fish to just under twenty pounds. Because of the bristles, it fishes very well in fast water. | ||
Martinsson FlyHook: Salar gold, size 7 or 9 |
|
|
|
|
||
Gaula HowlerTube: silver balance typeUnderwing: white polar bearCentre Wing: chartreuse arctic fox or templedog with chartreuse ice angel hair combed in. |
|
|
|
I designed this fly four years ago for fishing on Gaula and it has been my best performer ever since. Friends and guests at the fishing lodge have also caught fish on it and I know that it has been introduced into the range of at least one leading fly supplier and as a consequence has caught fish all over the UK too. Flies with yellow and green are very popular on the Gaula river, especially early season when the water is fed by snow melt. At this time of the year, it has a yellow/green tinge. Despite this phenomenon, it struck me that the most successful worldwide green shade for predatory fish has to be chartreuse and yet I had not seen any flies incorporating it. The Gaula Howler is tied with a white polar bear underwing, a factor that I think is critical to its success. The translucence of the polar fibre combined with the electric chartreuse colour is a real winner. This fly has caught me lots of salmon from grisle to fish over thirty pounds and I would not be without it early season. In reality, it is quite a simple temple dog style fly to tie because there is no dressing on the body. Seeking out the correct shades of chartreuse and dirty yellow for the throat hackle is important. |
||
Howler MonkeyTube: silver/aluminium balance type Wing: white and chartreuse fox tied ‘fatback style with chartreuse ice angel hair combed in followed by dirty yellow fox and long black fox overwing Flash: pearl krystal flash Cheeks: jungle cock dyed green Throat: lime arctic fox |
|
|
|
This is a variant of the Gowler Howler, tied ‘monkey’ style with a long flowing wing and a fox fur throat ‘hackle.’ It has great mobility in the water and it worked early in the season last year, tied big. Once again it is a simple fly with little in the way of fly ‘bling’ such as body hackles, tags or flourishes. |
||
Banana FlyTube: guideline FITS large with extra small liner tube (wing and throat are tied on the liner tube). A cone or weighted bead can be placed under the wing if weight is required Butt: oval gold tinsel |
|
|
|
This fly has been very popular on Gaula for the last couple of seasons, especially early season. The key is to get the right colour for the main wing of the fly, a dirty yellow. This shade is now available from fur suppliers Foxy Tails in the UK and is sold, I believe, as ‘banana fly’ colour. This fly really stands out and yet its yellow/green shade is a perfect match for the colour of the Gaula water in the early season and as such probably blends in nicely giving that classic ‘illusionary’ effect that catches so many salmon. |
||
Banana MonkeyTube: aluminium or Guideline Fits, large Thread: chartreuse Under wing: dirty yellow temple dog or long fox with banana fly fox tied fatback style, chartreuse ice combed in Middle wing: chartreuse fox (soft and fine) with a few gold strands of angel hair combed in Over wing: Banana fly fox Throat: banana fly fox Cheeks: jungle cock dyed green |
|
|
|
Monkey flies, with their long flowing wing and fur throat hackle are very effective on the Scottish rivers and I have begun to use them over in Norway. This is a very large version of the Banana monkey, designed for fishing very early season on a sinking line. |
||
Black/Green HighlanderTube: Guideline FITS medium with XS as an insert (tie wing and throat on the liner tube), small balance tube on junction between tubes to provide weight that sits under the wing in the throat area Thread: Yellow for body, black for head Tag: Yellow and green fluoro fibre Butt: oval gold tinsel Body (tied on large tube): rear half highlander green floss, front half chartreuse flash dubbing (this covers the balance tube) Body hackle: highlander green Rib: oval gold tinsel Wing: orange polar bear followed by orange fox with orange angel hair combed in, followed by yellow fox with yellow angel hair combed in followed by highlander green fox with angel hair combed in with the addition of a long black overwing of either templedog or long, soft fox First Hackle (tied in after the underwing): highlander green guinea fowl hackle tied in by tip Second hackle (tied in just before final overwing): yellow schlappen or cock Cheeks: jungle cock |
|
|
|
The green highlander has a long association with Norwegian rivers, having been brought to the country by the English ‘salmon lords’ in the nineteenth century. The modern green highlander is most often tied as a tube fly with a long flowing wing in the templedog style. The black-green highlander sees the replacement of the brown part of the wing in the original fly with black. This is a tricky fly to tie with many components including a body hackle, head hackles and a four part wing. |
||
Electric RayTube: yellow Guideline FITS, no dressing Thread: black Wing: yellow fox followed by yellow goat with long black goat over and a shorter piece of soft black fox Flash: four strands of hot yellow krystal flash Topping: peacock herls |
|
|
|
|
||
Ace of SpadesTube: either aluminium balance tube or Guideline FITS Large Thread: black Body: none on aluminium tube, silver tinsel on FITS Tag (FITS version only): blue fluoro fibre Underwing: white polar bear or fox Flash: silver angel hair combed into wing with pearl Krystal flash or Opal Mirage(one strand each side), peacock angel flash combed into overwing Overwing: long black fox or templedog Throat: Guinea fowl, natural or variant Cheeks: jungle cock |
|
|
|
I think that this fly was first tied by Ulf Sill, a very fine fly tier and fisherman. It was shown to me by Walther Deus, a Gaula regular and it has since caught me several fish. The fly could not be simpler – black and white are the only colours, creating a simple tonal contrast that the fish really latch on to. A blue tag can be added as a splash of colour but it is the stark contrast of the fly that is the key to its success, so don’t be tempted to add too much colour. |
||
JonasTube: Medium Guideline FITS with XS fits liner tube inserted (wing and hackle are tied on liner tube) Thread: fire orange Butt: oval gold tinsel Rib: silver tinsel Tag: orange fluoro fibre Body: front two-thirds copper Largurton tinsel, front third is copper flash dubbing First Hackle (tied in before wing): soft arrange cock Wing: fiery brown fox or templedog tied in layers with longest on top with copper angel hair combed in Front hackle (tied in before overwing): blue guinea fowl Cheeks: jungle cock |
|
|
|
I fish the Jonas (I named it after Gaula guide Jonas Hammerstedt) from the middle of the season onward. It is tied on a small to medium size tube and I like the overall fly length to be between 4 and 7.5cm. The unusual combination of copper, brown and a blue throat hackle looks eccentric but believe me, this is a very, very good fly. In August it is one of my ‘go to’ salmon flies having caught salmon every season since I first created it. Keep the wing slim and willow shaped. |
||
PhatagorvaTube: large orange Guideline FITS Thread: orange for body, black for head Butt: red tinsel Tag: orange fluoro fibre Body hackle: orange grizzly cock palmered Rib: oval silver tinsel Body: rear half is silver tinsel, front half is midnight black dubbing combed out Underwing: ginger fox Middle wing: fiery brown fox with copper angel hair and red angel hair combed in Top wing: darker brown fox or templedog Front hackle: black cock Cheeks: jungle cock |
|
|
|
This is a superb fly in Scandinavia and well-suited to the templedog style of tying. It works best in the middle to latter part of the season and should be tied on both tubes and wee doubles. A tricky one to tie with body hackling, dubbing, wing building etc., it is well worth the effort. The combination of a silver body with a brown wing is unusual – a black hackle seems to be needed to set it off – but this has deservedly become a classic. |
||
Night FlyTube: Guideline FITS Large Clear Thread: black Butt: silver tinsel Tag: red fluoro fibre Body: rear two thirds is silver tinsel, front third in silver flash combed out Body Hackle: black or grizzly cock palmered Wing: red fox or templedog tied in ‘fatback’ style with red and silver angel hair combed in Over wing: long, soft black fox or templedog Front hackle: either red and black (three turns) or red followed by black cock (two turns of each) Side flash (optional): red flashabou or mirage Cheeks: natural or red dyed jungle cock |
|
|
|
For night fishing, flies with red and black or black and blue are hard to beat. This is my night fly, combining strongly contrasting scarlet red and jet black. I tie it on a plastic tube because at night I like to fish high in the water so that the fish see the silhouette of the fly. It is tied templedog ‘fatback’ style with just a hint of flash to light the fly up slightly. |
||
Heart of the SunriseTube: Guideline FITS large Thread: hot orange Butt: oval gold tinsel Tag: red fluoro fibre Body: rear half is gold tinsel, front half is hot orange flash dubbing combed out Rib: oval gold tinsel Wing: sunburst yellow fox with gold angel hair combed in, orange fox with orange angel hair combed in with long fox or templedog in scarlet red over Side Flash: opal mirage Hackles (two turns of each): sunburst yellow followed by hot orange followed by red Cheeks: jungle cock |
|
|
|
When Norwegian rivers go into flood, they often turn black, like Guinness. Though dark, they are also opaque and capable of producing fish in even the highest water conditions. When the water goes very dark, the angler has a choice between using an all black fly or something like this one – a tutti-frutti combination of sunburst yellow, orange and red. The Scandinavians call flies like this ‘flood flies’ and almost all of them incorporate a lot of orange. A key part of this pattern, however, is sunburst yellow in throat and wing: sunburst is a very bright, warm yellow colour with just a hint of peachy orange about it. I tie the Heart of the Sunrise on plastic FITS tubes – this means that if I am fishing a fast sinking line in a big flood, just to slow the fly down, I don’t foul the bottom as much as I would with a weighted fly. On a sinking line, use the fly with a short leader. |
||
In just the same way that the alchemists were obsessed with the ultimately impossible task of turning base metal into gold, fly fishermen are obsessed with finding the perfect fly. Of course, were we to stop and think about it rationally, we would immediately point out that there is no such thing as the perfect fly – only a fly or flies that are right for certain occasions -yet still we dabble in the black art of fly tying in the hope that one day, our vices will forge a design that no fish can resist. Even when we get pretty close, producing a winning fly, we are soon tinkering with the dressing, adding an extra hackle here, exchanging a gold for a silver rib or a splash of red at the throat and so it goes on. Within a season or two the perfect fly, though still perfectly effective will have given way to the hope and ambition for new creations. As fly tiers that is how we behave and ever thus will it be...