As a novice fly fisherman fishing the banks of stillwaters I have mostly used imitative nymphs, buzzers, drys and the odd lure so far. My planned holiday to Mull has me wondering if it is time to start putting a collection of wet flies together for fishing lochs. Will my imitative patterns still work on Scottish lochs? I find the concept of wets a little confusing, should they just be regarded as small lures?

Also what would people recommend as the bare bones of a wet fly box.
I am thinking black pennel, soldier palmer, zulu, silver invicta. Any other must haves?

Wouldn't dream of going north without Kate Mclarens, Mini Muddlers and Bibios. Brighter the day the darker the fly required.

But why should travelling North dictate what patterns are effective? Is it to do with the colour of the water.

I fished competitions in Scotland for a number of years and had a comprehensive range of Scottiish loch flies which I used to some success. I have also used them when fishing English stillwaters. The Invicta is still one of my favourites.
I cannot explain why the regional flies work so well but a member on this Forum, 3lb Grayling, (Jim), probably can being one of the best Scottish anglers I have had the pleasure to fish with.

I once fished Loch Venachar in June 07, a brown trout water. My son and I threw the whole fly box at the fish and blanked. The winning angler caught 8 fish on a Kate McLaren with a green tag.35 other anglers only had 8 fish between them.Kate McLaren usually has a yellow tag.Clearly Scottish flies with local variations work.

BK

Dont take our word for it, try it out. Iv done the whatever vs wet fly on wild lochs many times and traditional wet flies win hands down every time. The only fly i would add to the above are hoppers black, dark claret and bibio. Take your diawls and nymphs too though they should work but i think you will soon find sticking to the trads to be the way forward. I wish i knew why!
Tightlines!

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i was walking far from home, where the names are not burned along the wall, saw a building, high as heaven, but the door was so small

On the bank of big, wild waters, where I need to move around a bit and find the fish, I find that fishing traditional wets keeps me moving. Casting out nymphs and buzzers and letting them drift round on the breeze, or slowly figure of eighting them in, just doesn't cover enough water. From a boat, given the amount of wind there can be, they can be difficult to control. Besides, some of these northern waters are pretty barren kind of places where there isn't a great deal of food/insect life and the fish will hit wet flies with a bang.

That said, my last trip out I was doing well on a size 16 PTN that was being whipped round in the strong winds.

Apart from that, I just like fishing traditional wets!

I wouldn't be without a Clan Chief in my box. Or a pearly invicta.

So wets are always worked quickly?

Wet's are generally a faster retrieve, though they will work on a slow retrieve also, there is one guy who has fished our local loch for years, and you would not believe the speed of his retrieve, unless you witnessed it first hand, 3lb Grayling, (Jim) will know exactly who i mean, and he would account for an awful lot of fish, most times on the hang.

Good luck wherever you choose to fish, but as the others suggested don't discount the odd pheasant tail nymph, or diawl bach, i usually favour a Grouse n Claret, kate mclaren, black pennel, snatcher or bibio.

Best regards
Jim

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Tanta Stultitia Mortalium Est

Yep I think I am missing a trick. Must try some at my local. What I particularly like is the idea of a bushy fly working as an attractor for a team of flies. Are there any particular techniques for working wets from the bank. Do you grease part of the leader to keep the top dropper near the surface.

Looks like I am going to have to go shopping for some new flies, I have a small wheatley box that will be perfect. What are your suggestions for sizes? Keep them small?

I know its like twenty questions but this is all good advice I am getting, the sort of info you don't get from the books.

I haven't really done much bank fishing on lochs that have browns, early season or local club competition days aside, (as the boats were usualy off limits then), on the few occasions i have bank fished i found ptn, grouse n claret, greenwells or black pennels successful, but no one fly stands out, i don't grease any of the leader up at all.

When fishing from a boat, the size of flies (with me at least) is dictated by the wind, in a biggish wave i'd happily fish say a size 10 snatcher, with size 12 wet's, i like a peter ross on the point i've had great sport with that, and never tire of see-ing fish coming for it, and on a light ripple i'd go smaller size 14 or 16, other times you will need to go down to size 20's.

In a fishery that i sometimes go to, that has mostly rainbows, i find it too easy fishing with lures (that look like they were created by an explosion in a paint factory), and i will now try to target the browns with either dries or a team of wet flies, kate, snatchers, peter ross, black pennel, invicta, bibio (the usual suspects), however rainbows do tend to take them also, anyway i find it more sporting.

Also don't discount using wet flies on an intermediate or sinking line, (good for searching what depth fish are holding at) if top of the water sport is lacking, i'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Best regards
Jim

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Tanta Stultitia Mortalium Est