Iron Blue Dun - why the red tag?

[stevekale]

Simple question. Why the red tag on many patterns for this little Baetis?

[dryline]

For the adult - maybe to suggest an egg sac ??

[Ephemerella]

"Why the red tag on many patterns for this little Baetis"?


Never ever heard of this pattern dressed with a red tag. It is customary tie this dressing with crimson tying thread, leaving some bare silk showing towards the tail... crimson head too.

[stevekale]

Ok crimson then!!

[otter]

Steve

Most excellent question and one to which I have yet to see an answer or for myself to fathom. All iron blue DUNS i have seen have an more orange than red colouration around the head. the red colouration is more in keeping with the jenny spinner for which the Dun patterns are a very poor imitation anyway.

http://www.riverflies.org/index/rive...ron%20Blue.pdf

Like yourself I am confused by this apparent annomaly and would love to see an explanation. Sounds to me its one of those situations where a pattern has taken fish over a long period of time and has been handed down without being really questioned. The scarcity and unpreditability of Iron Blues on many rivers may well partially explain this - but that is pure surmise on my part !!!

[dartmoor navigator]

Originally Posted by Ephemerella

"Why the red tag on many patterns for this little Baetis"?


Never ever heard of this pattern dressed with a red tag. It is customary tie this dressing with crimson tying thread, leaving some bare silk showing towards the tail... crimson head too.

Nah, it's deffo red mate Or so it appears to me.

Kingsmill Moore went to some extent to replicate the iron blue dun. He concluded that many different patterns (of suitabale colour and size) had similar effects and none was any better than the other... I am not sure but IIRC snipe and purple was his recommendation in 'A Man May Fish'

[flytier07]

I don,t think you,ll find the fish compalining whether it has a red tag or not! Whatever it has it works!

[wingman]

Take a look at the natural, does the backend not have a reddish tinge to it?

Iron Blue Dun

[stevekale]

Originally Posted by wingman

Take a look at the natural, does the backend not have a reddish tinge to it?

Iron Blue Dun

No it doesn't

[dartmoor navigator]

Originally Posted by stevekale

No it doesn't

Sort of yellowy reddy yellow straw red...