Tenkara Style Flies

[Steven McGarthwaite]

The "Piedmont" region of Northern Italy, the Sesia River valley (bordering on Switzerland) for over 250 years, they have been using Soft Hackle Wet Flies with the soft hackle facing forward, at the eye of the hook. These fly patterns are dressed on blind hooks (no eye), just like the Tenkara.

Just the same as Tenkara, the Valasesiana are fished on a fishing rod that is 3.5 to 4 meters in length, hazel or ash. No reels.

These Valasesian are easing to dress, and the best hook is a Partridge 'Grub' hook, size 10 -18 for trout, and 16-18 for grayling. There is not tail in any of the patterns, and the material list is simple, just cotton or silk thread and hackle of choice. For fishing is fast moving rivers in the Piedmont Montain region.

The hackle is mostly from young birds including starling, blacbirds, thrush, owls, and domestic fowl (no more than 6 months of age).
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Then there are also the Ossolina flies, from the Ossola valley to the west of of the Valasesiana, that fly bodies are identical to the Valasesiana, with the exception that the hackle is sparce on the top of the body and facing toward the rear.
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The Bartellini Spiders (Spanish Pyrenees) are similar to the patterns of the Valasesina and Ossolina. Only difference is that the head of the fly is a different color than the body of the fly pattern. flurescent silk colors are used for the thread on the patterns.

"Fly Patterns and International Guide" (3rd Edition) ISBN 0-7137-2599-0
Written by Taff Price
Illustrated by George Thompson
1997
Publisher; Blandford
Wellington House
125 Strand
London UK WC2R 0BB