Some Attractor Wets: Catskill, Fontinalis Fin, Kate McLaren, and Peter Ross

[The Fisherman]

The Kate McLaren is a Scottish loch fly, intended to be the top dropper (or bob fly) on a team of three. While its traditional use is on still water, I’m going to be fishing this on rivers. And while I might give it some time as a top dropper, it’s going to get the lion’s share of action on point.

Kate McLaren


Hook: 8-14 (this is a 1x short, 2x strong Orvis 1641 size 10)
Thread: Black
Tail: Golden pheasant crest
Body: Black seal fur (I used angora goat)
Rib: Fine oval silver tinsel
Body Hackle: Black rooster (I used soft hen)
Head hackle: Brown rooster (ditto on the hen)

The next time you fish the Peter Ross, be grateful that his name was not Aloysius Karbuncle. The Peter Ross is a traditional Loch style fly that dates back to the late 19^th century. Ross based his pattern on the Teal and Red, another stillwater fly. With its silver body, I’m thinking small baitfish or fry. Something that looks alive and good to eat. I’m going to try it as the point fly on a team of three wets this spring.

Peter Ross


Hook: 8-16
 (this is an Orvis 1641 size 10)
Thread: Black

Tail: Golden pheasant tippets
Body: Rear half silver tinsel, front half red angora goat

Rib: Fine silver tinsel

Hackle: Black hen 

Wing: Teal flank

I first learned of the Catskill when I read Ray Bergman’s classic, Trout. While it lacks the garish palette of the majority of the flies that appear on the color plates at the beginning of the book, the Catskill is nonetheless an attractive fly – albeit in a rather understated way. There’s something seductive about wood duck. The soft brown hen hackle will collapse and pulse in the current, contrasting nicely against the orange floss body. It’s easy to imagine this as an over-sized caddis.

Catskill


Hook: 1x short, 2x strong size 8-16 (this is an Orvis 1641 size 10)
Thread: Black
Tail: Wood duck
Body: Orange floss under brown hen, palmered
Wing: Wood duck

The old-timers up in Maine (or down East, if you’re going for authenticity) who were fishing for brookies thought their quarry to be highly territorial. So after they creeled a fish, they’d clip off one of the fins and use it for bait. And what an attractive bait it was: shiny, deep orange, contrasted against dramatic black and white bands. An enterprising fly tyer named Phil Armstrong realized he could replicate this bait in the form of a married-quill wing wet fly. And thus was born the Fontinalis Fin. “Fontinalis” from the second half of the brook trout’s taxonomic name, Salvelinus fontinalis. “Fin” for rather obvious reasons. What a brilliant concept.

Fontinalis Fin


Hook: 6-16 (this is a 1x short, 2x strong Orvis 1641 size 10)
Thread: Black
Tail: White hackle fibers
Body: Orange wool with fine gold tinsel rib
Throat: Furnace hackle fibers
Wing: Orange mallard married to a thin strip of black or natural grey mallard, then a slightly thicker strip of white mallard

Steve Culton

[red]

They are great! I was never able to tie that fontalis Fin to look right, but it looks like you nailed it.

[Apache Trout]

Saw some cat tying these wets down in Darien a few weeks back. Yours look a lot like his did. ;)
For the record, I'm a big fan of the Catskill.

[The Fisherman]

Thanks Red. The wings are a little low on this one, but I was in a hurry and said good enough. Which it is. :-)

Got me a big old Farmington brown sitting in the river right now with his name on the Catskill.