Plovered

[Flykuni]

I am plovered. Well, soon enow. Golden plover is in mail from Great Feathers, and I sit by mailbox here in California. This softie thing is out of control.

I am told by a soft hackle addict, historian and most excellent fisherman who I shant name here, John Shaner, House of Hardy, that this golden thing may tie up a fine PMD emerger. Just what I need. For when I hit Lyons, CO, in a month this pattern may come in handy.

I would assume the plover is all over this site -- any suggestions where I might look? Anyone have a pattern to share with me? Thanks in advance.

[Flykuni]

Thanks Mike.

[redietz]

I'll attest that a Hare's Lug and Plover makes a great PMD emerger (not to mention sulfurs).

[DNicolson]

Here are a coup;e of traditional spiders using a Plover hackle.



Golden Hackle
Hook: 16 or 14. (#14 s/e Drennan hook)
Thread: Yellow, only lightly waxed.
Hackle: A golden plover feather from the marginal coverts. Choose a feather with the largest and most distinctive yellow blotches on it.
Body: Yellow silk with an extremely light dubbing of fur combed from the black ear of a spaniel, or a substitute fur, of a very soft texture and appear blue-black. (Black mole used)





That might be a little better.


Hare's Lug & Plover
Hook: 18 or 16 for rivers and 14 or 12 for stillwaters.
Thread: Primrose yellow, very lightly waxed.
Hackle: A well marked golden plover feather from the marginal coverts.
(Sometimes Stewart style)
Body: Primrose yellow silk with the very lightest dubbing of pale hare's ear fur.
The silk should be exposed at the tail end to form a tag and the fur built up a little behind the hackle to form a thorax. Pick out thorax with a dubbing needle so that it merges with the hackle.

[Flykuni]

Wunderful gents, many thanks.

One facet of softies and the tying thereof -- sorry, my pet name for such flies -- is consideration of the feather. Much more so than the tyer who ties only the dry fly. As I was for many years. I always carried a flymph or two, but usually used them in lake fishing, something I seldom do anymore. I recall snagging bass and nice bluegills, here and there, using a #14, long-shanked (Mustad SE 9674, love that hook), brownish, shaggy thing. It slayed. When I used it. But my soft hackle selection expertise was as limited as "Here's an olive hen back, try this," from a guy in a shop.

In the dry side we think about barb stiffness and count, stemness too -- but the softie thing, the colors, the flexibility, the availability. The history. Can't wait to examine the plover.

Will post fly shots when ready. Thanks again.

[Johnno]

Good luck 'Kuni.
The Spur winged Plover down here is a go to bird for soft hackles for our little mayflies. A lovely greyish dun. Very sexy.

[Flykuni]

Be this bird's skin available?

[Roy]

Try Steve Cooper,
Cookshill Fly Tying
Stoke UK

http://www.cookshill-flytying.co.uk/

[Flykuni]

Thank you, Roy.

And btw, I am officially plovered, by mail. It's a beautiful thing. And they gave me the upper half of the damn head, too.

The feathers are extremely interesting things, and upon examination in the sunlight of my porch I instantly understood its value to the fly tier. It's a marvelous feather. I began to tie that afternoon (Friday). My first results were satisfying, and after lining up the flies (lug and plover, and others) on champagne corks I use for finished flies and after gazing contentedly at a ring of my first plover soft hackles, I took my hemos and placed them home, into the fly box. They will emerge in Colorado, first week of August.

Many thnks for all advice and counsel, gents. I spur on.

[Ruard]

Hi Flykuni,

My golden plover comes from cookshill

http://www.flymphforum.com/phpBB3/viewt ... r%E2%80%A6

This is my holospider. When I fish with more than one fly there will be most of the time a holospider one of them.