Ermine Moth

[Johnno]

An early New Zealand wet fly: Body of white rabbit ribbed with black wool or thread, Hackle of grey partridge and a tag of orange wool. Sizes 10 - 16. I quite like it in larger sizes on discoloured water fished across and down and like it tied quite "heavy" in the dressing. I don't know where the name came from as we don't have an natural called thus. I doubt if anyone else here uses them here now; An old fly getting lost in the mists of time. Still catches fish though!

[letumgo]

Could ermine be a reference to the original body material? The white body material may have been ermine fur.

I will give these a try. Looks like a nice searching pattern.

[Johnno]

I suspect it's actually an old English pattern. I think there is an Ermine Moth or Butterfly in the UK somewhere. Wouldn't surprise me as there are quite a few old English patterns that have turned up here in the early days

[swellcat]

I quite like it in larger sizes on discoloured water . . .

I wonder if might sometimes be taken for a small minnow.

[Ruard]

Hi Johnno,

Take a look here: https://www.google.nl/#q=ermine+moth+uk

It is really a white moth

Greeting

Ruard