Haul-a-gwent help please.

[mayflyjunky]

Could some kind soul please clear up a bit of confusion?

I recieved a fly many moons ago from a gentleman, now since departed, who stated it was a welsh fly called 'the sun and wind fly'. Now the dressing looks like
Body: black ostrich
Wing: Blae (or jay, i cant really tell because the fly is ancient)
Head hackle (1): ??????
Head hackle (2): grey partridge

There was a fly almost exactally like it (with the exception of the partridge hackle) in last moths T&S. Could someone tell me what head hackle is used?? It looks like brown with black tips.

A friend of mine seems to think this is not the haul-a-gwent as it is supposed to have a black wing.

Cheers
Peter

[Scratch]

Originally Posted by mayflyjunky

There was a fly almost exactally like it (with the exception of the partridge hackle) in last moths T&S. Could someone tell me what head hackle is used?? It looks like brown with black tips.

Same feather as below, Peter? .............Cock pheasant neck.

Haul-a-Gwynt (Variant)

Hook: Kamasan B175 Size 12 or 10.
Rib: Gold Wire.
Body Mix: Seals fur (dark brown + sooty olive) plus a pinch of peacock ice dub.
Body Hackle: Grizzle Hen dyed ginger.
Wing:Jay
Shoulder Hackle:Cock Pheasant neck feather.

[Gander]

Originally Posted by mayflyjunky

Could some kind soul please clear up a bit of confusion?

I recieved a fly many moons ago from a gentleman, now since departed, who stated it was a welsh fly called 'the sun and wind fly'. Now the dressing looks like
Body: black ostrich
Wing: Blae (or jay, i cant really tell because the fly is ancient)
Head hackle (1): ??????
Head hackle (2): grey partridge

There was a fly almost exactally like it (with the exception of the partridge hackle) in last moths T&S. Could someone tell me what head hackle is used?? It looks like brown with black tips.

A friend of mine seems to think this is not the haul-a-gwent as it is supposed to have a black wing.

Cheers
Peter

Your friend is correct. The Haul a Gwynt has a wing of Black Crow. Scratch has given you the hackle, but the original does not have the Grey Partridge in front. There is a variant that has a Snipe wing, dark cock Pheasant hackle with a couple of turns of brown partridge in front. There are also body variations of Chenille or fur.

---------- Post added at 03:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:03 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Scratch

Same feather as below, Peter? .............Cock pheasant neck.



[CENTER]

I like that, but I thought you had no use for Welsh?

[Scratch]

Originally Posted by Gander

I like that, but I thought you had no use for Welsh?

Errrrr...... yeah, sorry.... 'Sun and Wind'

[stuartpengs]

Aye. .when it suits.

[Scratch]

Originally Posted by stuartpengs

Aye. .when it suits.

What ye talking about, spoffwad? Like, I named the bloody thing?

If I called it 'Sun and Wind' you'd only moan about that.

[troutheaven]

Originally Posted by Gander

Your friend is correct. The Haul a Gwynt has a wing of Black Crow. [COLOR="Silver"]

I like that, but I thought you had no use for Welsh?

Don't want to argue with you, Gander, but Grumpius Maximus states quite categorically that it is jay or duck for the wing.

[Gander]

Originally Posted by troutheaven

Don't want to argue with you, Gander, but Grumpius Maximus states quite categorically that it is jay or duck for the wing.

In "Flies of Wales", the brother of your excellent "Flies of Scotland", Moc Morgan gives the pattern as being Crow winged. Taff Price concurs in his book, "Fly Patterns". I picked the pattern up about 20 yrs ago from T&S. From memory, it had Crow wings.

It is possible of course that the Blae wings have been a modern improvement that has now become the norm, so I'll have to give it a go next season.

While I have your attention, could you remind me what % of Deer hair tips you mix in with Squirrel, as detailed a while ago in T&S. It will save me a rummage.

[mayflyjunky]

Originally Posted by Scratch

Same feather as below, Peter? .............Cock pheasant neck.

Haul-a-Gwynt (Variant)

Hook: Kamasan B175 Size 12 or 10.
Rib: Gold Wire.
Body Mix: Seals fur (dark brown + sooty olive) plus a pinch of peacock ice dub.
Body Hackle: Grizzle Hen dyed ginger.
Wing:Jay
Shoulder Hackle:Cock Pheasant neck feather.

Thanks a million guys.

Yes Rob thats exactally the feather. Makes me feel somewhat of a wally though. I thought it was faded tippets.

[Ephemerella]

Not taking any sides, but it's a favourite of mine. Works well on Anglesey: the blae winged version too.

I posted Moc's recipe for this fly on another thread only about a month ago: Talyllyn Lake Snowdonia

Originally Posted by Ephemerella

Size 12 (sometimes #14)

Tying silk ~ Black

Body ~ Black ostritch herl (black chenille also effective)

Wing ~ Crow (My addition: anything works though eg. snipe or starling, for a greyer effect).

Cloaking hackle ~ Cock pheasant taken 2/3 up the neck, the black tips of the smaller feathers forming an effective border which the larger neck feathers don't.


I think Mitch Atherton's (newsagent) shop in Trawsfynnydd still sells the good version. I haven't been in years mind. Get some of his York Specials, on #10 or 12 doubles, for a bigger wave.

Haul a Gwynt means 'Sun and Wind' in Welsh; exactly the conditions to fish the fly, with fluffy clouds about.