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This page will list a series of fishing articles. The
subject matter will be varied but will focus particularly on fly fishing for
trout, salmon and sea trout in Scotland, the river and loch locations, the
fishing flies used and the methods employed. The fishing articles may be
selected for viewing by clicking on a title in the panel to the right.
To begin with, a bit about the origin and development
of the Needle Fly, a fishing lure devised for late night sea trout fishing on
the River Earn in Perthshire, Scotland.
Other articles, accessible from the panel on the right,
relate to a wide variety of fishing subjects, from fly tying step by step
illustrations to tales of fishing on Scottish rivers and lochs, for salmon, sea
trout and brown trout; from some thoughts on fly lines and Spey casting to the
making of a wading stick.
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THE NEEDLE
FLY
An alternative to the tube fly and Waddington for late night sea trout
fishing.
by John
Gray
Picture the scene.....
A night in late July. It’s one a.m. and you are alone by a favourite
fishing pool. The river has gone quiet. You would be inclined to
 doubt that
there were any sea trout in the river if it weren’t for the brace of two pounders in the bass at your side. You tip them out on to the grass for
another look. They shine silver in the moonlight, fresh from the tide.
They were taken well before midnight on a size 8 Butcher, fished on a
floating line. Since then, nothing. Time for a change, for something
bigger, to be fished deeper, perhaps on a slow sinking line. Something
long and slim and not too heavy.
A look in your fly
boxes reveals a variety of fishing lures, tied over the years for just this
purpose. A box of tube flies in all shapes, sizes and materials; a
selection of Waddingtons; rows of beautiful tandem lures, sparsely
dressed in the Falkus style; a few Marchogs with their long trailing
trebles. Each, in its own way, ingenious. Each undoubtedly effective as
a sea trout fishing lure.
Yet none of them quite perfect.
The Tube fly,
though simple in design, is not the easiest thing to fit in a fly tying
vice. It also has a relatively bulky body, particularly the commercially
available plastic versions, while thinner plastic tubing has a tendency
to bend if used in longer lengths. Metal tubes, e.g. aluminium, though
thinner than the plastic, can cut into the nylon leader if the internal
plastic core is damaged. In addition, I have always felt that the
attachment of the treble hook by means of a length of fairly thick plastic
tubing is too bulky to be entirely satisfactory. The Waddington lure can
be tied on various gauges and lengths of wire but the attachment of the
treble hook can be problematical. The fly may have to be discarded, or, at
the very least, partially retied if the treble is damaged. Sunk lures
have the advantage of being very slim and well balanced. However,
whether tied using singles, doubles, trebles or a combination, all
involve considerable time and care in their construction and, when
damaged, will likely have to be discarded.
I sought,
therefore, to devise a sea trout fishing lure which would overcome the shortcomings of
these earlier designs while retaining some of their best features. Such
a lure would ideally have the following characteristics:
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It should be
simple to construct, in a variety of sizes and weights, using
inexpensive and readily available materials.
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It should be
easy to attach to the line or to change at night.
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The hook
should be easily replaced if damaged, without the loss of the lure
itself.
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It should be
generally light in weight, even in large sizes, so that it can be
easily cast and fished effectively on both floating and sunk fly lines.
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It should have
a slim profile to give the impression of a small fish.
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The lure
should always swim in line with the leader.
The result,
after much experimentation, was the
Needle Fly..... this article, outlining the origin and
development of the needle fly, is continued at
The Needle Fly - Part 2
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