Dark Watchett

[Partsman]

Our friend here chugbug27 has a excellent sbs along with a complete history and several videos on the fly tying forum. Definitely very helpful and a good read. I need to learn how to add links but it’s not difficult to find.
mike.

[DOUGSDEN]

Wow Bill!
The subtle color variations with the orange and purple silk really seal the deal! Balanced against the gray of the "water rat" and the beautiful coot hackle, this one will do well in my parts!
Please keep tying and posting Bill! Your offerings have become my morning coffee!
Dougsden

[DOUGSDEN]

Forgive me, coot substitute! Dare I say Jackdaw or Moorhen?

[Roadkill]

Forgive me, coot substitute! Dare I say Jackdaw or Moorhen?

I really don't know, several years ago I mail ordered several different classic soft hackles from somebody. The order was filled with the exception of the real Coot. The other feathers were a very good bargain, and it was in just a plastic zip lock marked Coot Wings Sub 4.99 with no ID what it was or where it came from. I had no Coot but no real complaint at the time. Since then, sight unseen I have stuck with Blue Ribbon Flies and Cookshill Fly Tying for quality

This fly is the first I have ever tied with this Sub, trust me Jackdaw and Moorhen are far superior to this unknown sub. That is why The Dark Watch was tied with Moorhen.

[FlyFisherMann1955]

I keep returning to this post; I guess I'm hooked! I watched the video, did a little reading, and tied a few that I mailed off to someone who has more opportunity to fish than I do right now. Then I watched the video again and realized I missed an important part. It's about "thread control" and not letting the orange and purple threads twist together. Keeping them separate, but next to each other is how you achieve that orange-purple-orange-purple segmentation.

I don't have any Coot, but I have a little Jackdaw. I tried both muskrat and mole and like the mole better. You need a very light touch when you dub it on, so the 2-colored thread body remains the "star". This fly from Friday is better than those I tied on Thursday. Hoping to get even more time at the vise this weekend.

DSC02353 (2).JPG (111.98 KiB) Viewed 2011 times

By the way, I presume "water rat" is something you can't get any more (endangered or extinct). What exactly is it; a "British muskrat" or something else?

Thanks- Ken

[chugbug]

Our friend here chugbug27 has a excellent sbs along with a complete history and several videos on the fly tying forum. Definitely very helpful and a good read. I need to learn how to add links but it’s not difficult to find.
mike.

Too kind. Here's a link to the post.

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php? ... ent=830660

[DUBBN]

I had to play this game. Just for a sec.

[Roadkill]

DUBBN,

Nice ties!!

[DUBBN]

DUBBN,

Nice ties!!

They certainly do not compare to yours. I will give them a try this Spring.

I have the Purple jinx off my back. Now to try a Purple and Orange pattern.

[DUBBN]

I was nymphing the Roaring Fork here in Colorado, this morning.

Using a trout emerger (egg) as an attractor brought alot of nice fish to have a look at, and eat tiny midge larva (22 & 24).

For fun and giggles I put the Dark Watchett variant on as an attractor. It was the only pattern other than midge larva to take fish.

I giggled like a little girl when I saw this little Rainbow had eaten the Dark Watchett.

This was mono-rig nymphing, down and dirty.