Hare's Lug and Plover

[kelkay]

Excellent dressing Kelly. My favorite North Country Spider. It has accounted for more than a few trout for me. Strange though I just realised that I haven't caught a grayling on one. Another reason to go south for some grayling fishing this year.

I first came across this fly being tied by Oliver Edwards at a demonstration. He described the hare fur as coming from the "hare's poll" The top of the head between and around the base of the ears. His also has a fine gold wire rib. The rib also forming a small tag at the back of the body, only three turns. I'll post a photo later, when my fingers are working! (Its 04:45 here I'm about to get ready for the "day job").

As with many traditional patterns it is hard to tie down the original dressing. They are lost in the mists of time, some go back over 300 years. That we are still tying and fishing them now shows what good patterns they are.

Chewydog, if those nymphs are around I'd fish a team of three flies. The Light Snipe, Water Hen Bloa and Hare's Lug 'n' Plover. The dressing for the Water Hen Bloa calls for the dubbing of water rat (vole). Now a protected species, making it very illegal to obtain. Most people substitute mole fur. Mole though is only about 1/4 the length of water rat. When it is dubbed the effect is very different. If you use muskrat under fur it is much closer. The effect that you can gain is a clear view of the thread with dark bands between each turn and a haze of dubbing extending well beyond the body. The dark and primrose bands of the body would imitate the light and dark bands on the nymph in your photo.

Cheers,
A.

Thank you Alan! I read where it said there was a traditional gold tag, but I have not seen one....it was on a website that sold flies. This fur came from between the ears of the hare. I am a huge fan of North Country Spiders. I would LOVE to see a photo of the fly you mentioned. (especially if Oliver Edwards tyed it himself!!!) I will have to look up the Light Snipe, as I am not familiar with that one. I do not have Water Hen, although I would love to try that pattern too. Someone sent me some of the Golden Plover. I absolutely adore these little feathers. I wonder, would Nutria be the same as water rat? I have muskrat, but not water rat. I also have a mole skin. I have also thought about tying this on orange silk thread. I want to get the exact traditional, but as you say, that can be hard to find a pattern, and legible photo of one. I love the classics. Thanks so much for commenting.

[AlanB]

Sorry I don't have the fly Oliver tied, between you and me I don't think he ties as many as you would imagine. He certainly hangs on to the ones he does tie.
Here's one I tied. Not happy with the size of gold wire. I have the usual two sizes available... too big and too small.

Cheers,
A.

[kelkay]

Thank you Alan! I can see this fly as being an absolute workhorse! Nice job on this one. You do mean FINE wire, and not SMALL, correct? I am gonna try some like that.

Mark, thank you for the comparison! The only thing I have really is Muskrat. I have a whole skin of it, and it will last me quite a while I would imagine! I am going to see about using substitutions where possible. (I have mole, but it is very short, as you know)

[AlanB]

You are welcome. Two years of tying loch style flies and salmon flies are showing in that fly. I have tied much better.

Sorry I forgot the Light Snipe is also known as Snipe and Yellow. Primrose thread, and a snipe's under covert feather.

As to the wire. That is tied on a size 16 the wire is 0.2mm dia and would have been appropriate for about a size 12. Though that would have thrown the hackle out of proportion. (A lot of my old tying materials are in storage, that was the largest hackle I had. My choice was which did I want out of proportion. Fine wire would be better. Just looking through mt stock the finest that UTC do would be ideal, if I had it in gold. (Its strange I now have more wire than ever before and still can't put my hands on the one I need).

Cheers,
A.

[kelkay]

Thanks again for the info, much appreciated.