@Jaapie: Interesting, thank's for that info. Could be connected to that pattern, who knows. I may tie something similar before Wednesday, when I have a 5,5 week NZ holiday coming up. Can hardly wait . Did the book have any photos, by the way? Statistics: Posted by KimNorway — Thu Nov 02, 2023 8:45 pm ..read more

@KimNorway I was doing some tidying up the other day and came across a book by Mark Draper titled NYMPHS for all seasons published in 1973. This book has a collection of old New Zealand patterns and oddly enough, there was a pattern called a Black Hackle Nymph or Little William that sounds remarkably like the pattern you initially described....... (page 17) It goes like this: Small... black and quite thick body (this is the material I don't know).... and a sparsely tied grizzly hackle. That is all. Anyone knows such a pattern? He suggests the pattern represents a drowned spinner and says i ..read more

Hope I am not stating the obvious but was it a midge ball ? Have found them very effective when trout are focused on midge. A fairly simple tie. Cheers, Kiwioz Statistics: Posted by Kiwioz — Wed Aug 23, 2023 6:36 am ..read more

Thanks for suggestions. Yes, I use Klinkhamer and some other patterns too, that work well. But it would be nice to find out what exact pattern this was. I guess I will just tie something similar, and continue to use what I have. Thanks anyway. Statistics: Posted by KimNorway — Mon Aug 21, 2023 7:46 pm ..read more

I don't know of any dry fly that has both of the components you mention. The Adams has a grizzly hackle but a grey fattish body and the black gnat has a fattish black body but not a grizzly hackle. There is no reason why you couldn't use a grizzly feather with any kind of body, I reckon an Adams with a dark dyed body would be pretty close to your lost fly. However I did find a Barry Ord Clarke video of a hatching cripple midge pattern with a grizzly hackle. If you skip the wings he's tied on this midge pattern that may be the one you're looking for. https://thefeatherbender.com/hatching-crippl ..read more

Hi, I have a question about a "lost fly", a pattern that unfortunately is no longer in my fly box. Thing is, on picky trout, especially on stillwaters, this fly was really good. I often used it when the chironomids/midges were around, but also for general purposes. So now I am asking if anyone knows what fly I am talking about. The pattern is not very unique, and I can use other similar patterns instead. Or just tie something as far as I remember the fly. But I still prefer to have this fly, and to know the name of it. I bought my first fly in NZ 20 years ago. It goes like this: Small... blac ..read more

Although this nymph is based on the Copper John nymph, it is different in many ways and this version of the CJ is found in Iceland where it rates in the top five for sea trout. It has two rubber legs instead of a tail, X rubber legs at the head, a wound copper wire body, copper bead, UV ice dub (brown) and a small orange hot spot behind the bead. This is the way I've tied it and keen to try out near the mouths of the larger N.Canterbury rivers come November when the sea runner gather for their annual feast. The Copper John is a good nymph to use where weight is needed and you need weight to ge ..read more

Read an interesting article by an east European fly tier on his two-nymphs only philosophy. I'm not a great fan of being that restrictive but it did set up an interesting theoretical exercise. In my golf bag are very few clubs, in fact it would make a practising Spartan quite envious, but I could never just go out with two clubs, well not sober anyway, so I could get the bag down to seven. If I had to choose just two nymphs, what would cover my fishing style? A sensible choice would be PT and H&C but this is not a time to be sensible but bold and that means No.1 would be a claret nymph whi ..read more

Plenty of options with rubber legs these days and I'm putting them on lotsa nymphs - that comes from looking at too many Manic Tackle photos. I reckon they are absolutely indispensable on stoneflies and recently I've been adding them to the good old Hare & Copper nymph, one of the best alongside the PT for searching in this country. If you've seen Pat's rubber legs fly, it's the most ugly thing I've ever set eyes on, being just a fat chenille body and lotsa legs and it looks nothing like a stonefly which has a slimmer body and 6 fat legs, but Pat's fly catches fish despite its ugliness and ..read more

Mine hasn't yet. Btw I'm waiting for a parcel from the Shetland Islands so I can tie some famous Frank Sawyer grayling nymphs. I'll post some pics on here if anyone is interested. Statistics: Posted by Southshore — Thu Jun 22, 2023 9:02 pm ..read more