FLYMPH FORUM

Some time ago I was kindly sent a pair of Waterhen wings and a mole skin.
A flood had wiped out fishing yesterday so I got to tie some flies.
I'd had some loose Waterhen feathers previously which were a little too long.
The mole was the real find. I've never seen any fur as fine and soft.

A YouTube video used underwing covets because they were lighter in colour.
Mine have a white tip.





By 8pm the local river had dropped enough to go for a look.
There's often a mayfly rise coming off a flood flow and sure enough it was happening when I got there.
A strong downstream wind was the main issue.
I'd usually use a mayfly emerger pattern but gave the Waterhen Bloa a go.
To my surprise it went really well.
7 small brown trout and a mullet.
Even more surprising was that the little fly survived them all and I'd still have it if a bush didn't put it a strong claim.

Nice work Tim, where did you find genuine undyed Mole?
When you have finished with the rain, send some down here- our lawns are kind of dead and brown looking.

My hide came from the UK.
This is the only place I found selling it here,

http://www.flysite.co.nz/store/57/282/Moleskin

Don't think I can help with rain sorry. Could I interest you in some wind?

Yep, have tried the flysite stuff before and it seemed a few shades away from natural colouration.
Might look to the UK myself.

Wind? Heck no, we got that. Passed a woman on the side of the road near Waihola toady, she was standing beside her canoe and roof rack, her husband was parking their car on the other side of the road....... we got the wind!

Dandy flies! Such a nice color combination. The mole gives the primrose silk an olive cast. Nicely complimented by the dun waterhen hackle. The waterhen bloa makes a nice pale morning dun imitation.

letumgo wrote:Dandy flies! Such a nice color combination. The mole gives the primrose silk an olive cast. Nicely complimented by the dun waterhen hackle. The waterhen bloa makes a nice pale morning dun imitation.

I like the look of it Ray and know that it does work.
Robert Smith wrote that a water rat body gives a much appearance. More spikey.
That's left me wondering whether this can still be called a Waterhen Bloa.

I have been tying quite a few starling bloas the last couple of days.I have tied them in size 18 and 16 on Kamasan B525 (Daiichi 1480), with Pearsalls no 4, yellow, waxed with Bill Baileys revised Fly Tyer's Wax (in a tin, works wonders), adding a wisp of water vole and finishing it off with a generous amount of starling hackle. They are beautifully overdressed and will be fished with a small pair of scissors on a dropper so the fish can give them a suitable trimming before they eat them.

When logging on to the forum, i see you tying Waterhen Bloa and Ray giving a starling a bath. The water vole has a longer staple underfur than mole which probably is the reason for the word 'wisp' in common instructions for the fly. Since mole is an accepted substitute for water vole, you can call your flies Waterhen Bloa. My flies, in spite of being dressed with vole, are certainly not the real deal.

I will tie size 14 using waterhen and I will also tie some with no 3, primrose. No 4 gives a rich olive hue when waxed. It is not quite the same shade as the modern plastic spool no 4, its (the old spool) shade is more intense (bought the spool more than thirty years ago and it was already old).

dd

( A neat member of this forum shipped a Voyager II to me in order to help me overcome my physical tying problems. It has a long stem for c-clamp use but I put it in my Regal pedestal. The working height became considerably higher and I found out two things; I see what I'm doing a lot better and I raise my hands above the height that triggers my shoulder problems. So I've been on a roll).

I'd say they could be classified as a Waterhen Bloa. If you're looking for a suitable sub for water rat check out a pine squirrel skin. Great substitute.

TEXT AND PHOTOS FROM WILLIAM ANDERSON: http://www.flymphforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... =10#p65065

"A kind and generous friend passed along a beautiful sample of water vole.



I have mole that is a bit lighter and muskrat that is more blue, but these are typical. The scans aren't great. I'll try to get shots of these with my point and shoot, but no promises that it will offer any better information."



{Post to show comparison photo of Mole, Vole and Muskrat fur - We need to update this to include pine squirrel}

Thanks for the comments and the photos.
It'd be interesting to see pine squirrel.