Nice Fly

Hey Jeff that is one lovely looking fly, do you know why they called it a Water Cricket rather than a stone fly? Was water cricket just one of those local nick names for a stone fly? Anyway it is a good looking fly and if I ever get enough time to start tying again I will knock some up in a few colours and give them a go.
All the best.
Mike.

<hey, Mike! Totally unrelated to the fly of the week ... happy Labor Day! Hope you got the day off and did some fishing!!>

Thanks Mike!

As far as I can tell, "Water Cricket" was just the common name for them; like "creeper" or "toe biter". In fact, from reading various older books, I'm not entirely convinced that what the Victorians referred to as "stone flies" would always correspond to what we call a stone fly, and might, in some cases, have been caddis and/or mayflies. I've found these work really well in the Waihou and Waimakiriri. Have take some good sized fish in the Ngongataha as well.

If you don't have a starling pelt, which can be hard to find in the shops, then the best substitute I've found is the "all web" feathers on a Metz furnace saddle cape for dries. They have the same sheen to them, and the stem is nice and thin.

- Jeff

Thanks Betty, No fishing but I did get the day off!
Jeff I think some of the "stone Fly" in England are in fact Alder flies, the addult Alder fly looks like a black stone fly.
I will keep my eyes open for a starling pelt, from the shops or from the side of the road.
All the best.
Mike.

I have a couple of starling pelts... I have no idea why I bought them, or now what to use them for....

You can find Starling skins at Feather Craft.
http://www.feather-craft.com/wecs.ph...y&target=TP025
Bill