Short Bottomed Snatcher

[AndrewMWalker]

I have given myself the day off due to snow and thought I'd play with some flies.

Here's one of a batch I've tied. I've always like hackled flies, but when I try a snatcher it never looks very tidy, the curve of the hook pushes the hackles into each other and on a foil body I find that the hackle spacing can slip when ribbing.

So I've just hackled the thorax in this version to stop me worrying



So what's it called? I doubt it will enjoy being known as a short 4rsed snatcher

Back to the vice, there may be more to come today.

Cheers

Andy

[Wee Jimmy]

Whatever its called Andrew, it looks much more usable to me than a snatcher does.....

[Scratch]

A 'Duckfly'

Persevere with the Snatcher tying mate.... too many gay 'Duckfly' on here at the moment

Originally Posted by Wee Jimmy

it looks much more usable to me than a snatcher does.....

Wot? I suppose Snatchers are gay aswell now are they?

[dun09]

It looks more ducky than snatcher, versatile little pattern none the less
very fishable, palmering on curved hooks or smooth bodys
try wider turns, usually does the trick

[AndrewMWalker]

Blooming hec Scratch I was just typing that in a long message which I've now had to delete!!

I've seen a few duck flies on here of late which is probably where it got into my head.. ..

let's see what else pops off the vice in what remains of the afternoon.

Cheers

Andy

[Wee Jimmy]

Originally Posted by Scratch

Wot? I suppose Snatchers are gay aswell now are they?

Funny you should say that mate......

Snatchers.......sorry I don't get them at all. I've used them and caught fish on them but to me ,they do nothing that a lightly hackled palmer wont do.
Apart from anything else a curved hook with a palmered hackle just looks well......wrong....
Not very scientific I agree but, you have to like the look of a fly before you can fish it with any conviction.

[Scratch]

Originally Posted by Wee Jimmy

you have to like the look of a fly before you can fish it with any conviction.

That's the thing Jim, innit? We all have preconceived ideas, like, dislikes etc. Often it's based on some kind of logic or other, however half-assed. Often though, it's for reasons best unknown to ourselves!

Here's my take for what it's worth...

For me, the Snatcher has always been a slow and shallow fly. Now I know some people fish them both deep, and/or relatively fast, with great success, but I can't get my head around that. To my mind, if yer gonna bother with a curved hook, then yer trying to achieve something heading towards imitation, if ye get my drift? The curve suggests life, movement, and the form and shape of many a pupal/larval/hatching stage. So why go and rip the thing at break-neck pace? Slow it down and let the trout have a look at it - you've tried to imitate something, so have confidence in it, let the fish have a proper butchers and let the fly sell itself on the virtues and merits you have bestowed upon it.
My favourite way of fishing Snatchers is a team of three... I rarely use one on its own. Floating line, or slow inter... whack 'em out... now this is where the sparseness of the dressing comes into its own (and yes, for now, it may as well be a a lightly dressed palmer).... the Snatcher settles, and fishes 'dry' for a moment or two.... then settles some more and fishes 'damp' (now yer curve is coming into paly and into view as it settles in the film - hatching buzzer? Sedge? Upwing?).... then settles some more and breaks through the film. Now I begin my retrieve... slowly, mixed up, fig-8... static... faster fig 8 etc etc..... Latcho! Actually, Latcho can come anywhere from the second the flies alight, to the lift off/hang.
To me, the Snatcher is dressed to do two or three jobs at once, and two or three stages of the cast/retrieve.

Bollox? Probably, but I believe it.... and as you know, that's usually all that matters


Apologies for the hijack Andrew!

[dabhoy]

Nice fly Andy I will also agree in that it looks more like a duckfly

Originally Posted by Wee Jimmy

Funny you should say that mate......

Snatchers.......sorry I don't get them at all. I've used them and caught fish on them but to me ,they do nothing that a lightly hackled palmer wont do.
Apart from anything else a curved hook with a palmered hackle just looks well......wrong....
Not very scientific I agree but, you have to like the look of a fly before you can fish it with any conviction.

Who needs science there are a lot of flies I dont like to fish and quite a few I never seem to catch with, but saying that I love catching on snatchers just as the light starts to go.

[AndrewMWalker]

Well I've tied up about a dozen between phone calls and other annoyances.

The photo did not really show the fly, but in short about 40% of the shank from the eye is hackled with a hen hackle over. It looks less like some of the duck flies, I've seen on here and more of duck snatcher combo. The duck flies have a a head hackle I think rather than an open turn palmer.

Scratch perhaps you'd have a bash at one, with your tying and photography skills I suspect the difference might become more apparent. I think it looks properly fishy and should move well with water.... Of course we won't know if it's any good until it hits some real water with real fish in it.

Cheers

Andy

[Scratch]

Originally Posted by AndrewMWalker

Scratch perhaps you'd have a bash at one...

Couldn't do any 'better' than your mate. It's your fly, and nicely tied too.