| I developed this fly in the early
spring of 1997 after fishing a lake several days after the ice had melted. Having had a
frustrating day with limited success casting to Arctic Char that were feeding on midge
pupa just under the surface I returned home to the vice to try and produce a fly that
would be more effective.
I had taken some samples of the hatching
chironomid home with me and noticed that nearly all of them had a small amount of red
haemoglobin in the posterior of the abdomen. Could this be the trigger the char were
looking for that meant the difference between success and failure!
After consulting several books I found a
nymph pattern called The Red Butt Chironomid that was created by Brian Chan a fisheries
Biologist living in the Kamloops region of British Colombia. This appeared to be the
solution to the problem but I wanted a fly that would hang in the film so I tied it
Klinkhamer style.
I returned to the lake the next day and
fished the fly with considerable success. This fly has since then gone on to be successful
in all kinds of situations both on rivers and lakes and I now tie two variations one with
a pheasant tail body and another using the black tail feathers from a capercaille.
Last year I sent some samples to a friend
in England and in the autumn I received a letter from him stating how successful this fly
had been during his numerous visits to the River Test.
A harder testing ground for a pattern
would be hard to find!
Red Tailed Emerger
| Originator: Sean
Andrews |
| Hook: Tiemco 205BL (or 200R)
sizes 14-20 |
| Wing post: Silicone Polypropylene |
| Butt: Red Floss |
| Body: Pheasant tail,
(or black tail feathers from a capercaille for the black version) |
| Rib: Fine flat gold
tinsel for the pheasant tail body (silver wire for the black version) |
| Thorax: Peacock herl |
| Hackle: Grizzly |
Photo and text: Sean
Andrews 2001 ©
Sean Andrews is a professional flytyer. |
