Maharg has invited me aboard the good ship Classics, so here we go with the second of my old skool north country spiders - the timeless waterhen bloa.
I realise I might be about to court controversy here: when the majority of you scroll down and take a gander at the simply tied pattern below, I can bet I'll be able to hear the cries of "but where's the dubbed mole fur?!" from where I'm sitting.
Sure enough the pattern as tied by many these days - particularly the Cumbrian lads - features a fine 'mist' of mole dubbed onto the yellow Pearsalls (it used to be 'water rat' - vole -but you'll get in hot water if you try that now!). However, round my neck of the woods, the pattern goes unadorned and it is the light snipe (often referred to as snipe and yellow) which tends to receive the ratty treatment.
Not that it matters greatly in terms of fish catching ability - both are unbeatable during early season hatches of dark olives.....although I probably prefer the snipe version as I feel the hackle is slightly more robust and the slightly browner hue to the feather closer matches the olives around these parts.......more of that one later
So here it is, that timeless classic the
Waterhen Bloa (AKA Dabchick Blue in the Lancashire area). Simplicity itself.
Hook: Mustad R50 #14, 16
Silk: Pearsalls Yellow
Hackle: Waterhen marginal covert
Notes:
1. See previous notes (Woodcock thread) regarding hook colour. It still stands - even more so for this pattern which sells itself on a lovely olivey yellow translucency when the silk is wet (or waxed if you wish). Please please don't use a bloody black hook - it hurts my feelings and I'll have nightmares about it!
2. I often see this pattern tied with primrose silk which is fine, but not quite correct. The silk is yellow....to this pedant at least.
3. As before, thread body finished quite short and 2 turns max of hackle.
Nothing special here, I'm sure you'll agree......but an undisputed classic so I don't care.
M
The Classics: Waterhen Bloa
Linear Mode
