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David Westwood's Stillwater Fly of the Month

Minky

This is an unashamed lure, and it often works very well at the beginning of the spring when the water is still quite cold. The extra size of the fly and its sinuous movement make it a juicy morsel for otherwise non too active fish.

Pattern

Hook: Ashima F30 2x longshank sizes 8 to 14
Silk: tan or white
Tail and wing: Mink fur strip
Body: silver tinsel
Rib: fine silver wire
Head: a variety of colours from the Veniard Mystic range of synthetics

Tying

Tie in the silk at the head and run it loosely to the tail position. Tie in a piece of mink strip, allowing a length equal to the whole length of the hook to rest behind the tie-in point. Pull the forward mink section back over the rear of the fly tail and tie in a length of fine silver wire and a length of woven silver tinsel (go to the craft or stitching shop). Wind the tinsel up to the head area, building up a cigar shape as you go, thinning the shape down after half way. Tie in and trim off.

Now pull the rest of the mink strip forward and, holding it firmly, tie it in with five or six turns. Finally put four turns of the rib over each other at the tail and then bring it forward in three or fours wraps to the head area. Tie off and trim

To finish, make a head of Mystic by tying a strip of it in, wrapping carefully round two or three turns, tying off and finishing.

Fishing

This fly fished well just beneath the surface using a steady retrieve. It also does well if it is allowed to sink between retrieves. Finally, you can also weight it or fish it on a sinking line - the choice is yours depending on weather, water temperature and how you feel that day.

Variants

There are a great many variants of this fly, from white to black, with gold, copper and holo tinsel bodies and so on. If you find a really good mixture, let us all know on the Flytying Forum!

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David Westwood of NorScFly ties exclusively for private clients. All patterns for all gamefish, including magazine flies, and repeats of that last fly you have left. Contact him at Davidflies@btinternet.com