What will I tie with these?

[Steve Walker]

My wife kindly bought me a nice wooden case full of materials for Christmas (the Veniard paramount kit). I've been enjoying making use of the new materials, but there are a few items that I wouldn't normally use:

Mallard wings 
Hen Pheasant wings 
Black Squirrel tail 
Guinea Fowl 
Teal flank
Golden Pheasant No2 head
Small Bronze mallard
Mixed Squirrel tail
French Partridge natural

I mostly tie nymphs, emergers and small dry flies for brownies, grayling and coarse fish, buzzers, hoppers and daddies, lures and more nymphs for rainbows. I don't really use traditional wet flies, though wouldn't be averse to trying some.

So, any suggestions for fly box essentials for small stream brownies or reservoir/small stillwater rainbows making use of those materials?

[MARAZION MIDGE]

Looks like dabblers are going to be on the menu.
And some hair wings
Oh and wingman's March Brown
Mike

[roll cast]

The mallard primaries will make good blae winged wets or upright wings for dries like the black gnat.

Hen pheasant will do much the same - march brown patterns

Black squirrel tail I've seen in a couple of mayfly patterns and in some reservoir lure patterns - its more a salmon and sea trout tying material TBH

Guinea fowl is used on some lures and wets - Ace of spades for example. Also makes a nice tail for a black wet or dry fly.

Teal does well for wet fly wings and can also make some pretty tasty looking dabblers if tied right - Teal blue and silver, peter ross etc. also makes a nice wing in some dries if you tie in Catskill style.

GP head, tails on wet flies - teal blue and silver, blae and black etc.

Bronze mallard - dabblers, mallard and (insert trouty tasty colour)

Squirrel tail - see black squirrel tail - natural is used in the appettizer lure

French partridge - french partridge mayfly.

I'm tired so that probably won't make any sense

[Steve Walker]

Thanks chaps, interesting. Dabblers, eh? They look very pretty, and I've noticed round here that tying them can get a bit obsessive Effective flies for reservoir rainbows? I shall give them a go. I spotted the March Brown sbs, and there's also a Davie McPhail sedge video that uses hen pheasant wing - need to get some uv resin for that.

[in the surface]

It's all very useful stuff. It's the sort of stuff which makes the most beautiful of trout flies. Traditional wets would be the first things to my mind.

[Steve Walker]

Had a go -

Head horror:



Bulk transporter - for some reason this reminds me of a Tornado GR4 taking off with a full load of weapons.



Proportion fail:



Effete southern ponce:

[mattybhoy]

Proportion fail:

you have to mind fish don`t always want " bulk " , when wet the fly will have a nice slim profile.

[Steve Walker]

Yes, I thought the 2nd one was too bulky and then the 3rd one had a cloak too long and sticking out too much?

[roll cast]

Originally Posted by Steve Walker

Yes, I thought the 2nd one was too bulky and then the 3rd one had a cloak too long and sticking out too much?

What method are you using to tie in the mallard cloak as I find the method demonstrated in the video below by Lawrence Finney to be very easy and its easy to check the cloak length before commiting to it.

THe Dark Makerel Dabbler - YouTube

THe Dark Makerel Dabbler - YouTube

[Steve Walker]

I'm following another of Mr Finney's videos.