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Loch Dhu Salmon
A Welsh pattern for salmon in the summer dusk. A salmon fly inspired by the Scottish pattern named after the lake Loch Dhu.
By Martin Joergensen
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The Loch Dhu is a Scottish lake (loch) and this pattern was originally tied as a wet fly and named after that particular lake. The basic pattern is a fly with a dubbed body, double guinea fowl hackle and a black body hackle. Seems like a sure killer to me - especially under dark circumstances - dusk, light Scandinavian night and early morning.
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I was inspired by the colors and wanted to use the same materials and color scheme for a salmon fly. Adhering to the very basic construction, I had to build it with a tag, butt, ribbed body, wing and front hackle.
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I also wanted this to be a very sparsely dressed fly and even aimed for a low water pattern. The only wild thing I allowed myself was replacing the silver ribbing with a golden ditto.
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Choice of hook was not difficult as I find the Partridge Bartleet hooks amongst the most beautiful generally available salmon hooks. The fly itself was simple - even from the beginning - but was actually further simplified before this result was reached. The first samples had a tail and a small underwing of Mallard, but even though it gave the fly a certain elegance, I wanted a simple tie and to get as close to pure black and white as I could come - so the mallard had to go.
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The fly ended up as a very simple low water salmon fly, utilizing a short list of only five materials. As salmon flies come - even the hair winged ones - it's very easy to tie and easy to get to look good.
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Materials
| Hook
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Partridge Bartleet size 2 or 1
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| Thread
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Black 8/0
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| Tag
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Thin silver or gold oval tinsel
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| Butt
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Black ostrich herl
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| Body
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Flat silver mylar tinsel
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| Rib
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Thin silver or gold oval tinsel
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| Wing
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Black polar bear
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| Hackle
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Guinea fowl
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Tying instructions
- Divide the hook shank from the hook point to the eye into three parts
- Tie in the thread just in front of the rear third
- Cut a piece of oval tinsel about 10 centimeters (4 inches)
- Flatten one end of the tinsel with a pair of pliers
- Tie in the flattened part under the hook shank pointing rearwards
- Wind the thread over the tinsel rearwards about 10-12 touching turns and back again. Keep the thread flat
- Wind the tinsel in 5-6 close turns forwards to the starting point and tie off under the shank
- Don't cut the tinsel, but cover a bit of the tinsel with 5-6 forwards wraps
- Return the thread to the front of the tag
- Take a piece of ostrich herl and notice that the 'stem' is flat with web on one edge
- Orient the herl so that it points away from you and the flat stem points forwards
- Remove a bit of web on the part you will tie in
- Tie in the herl on the lower back side of the shank pointing down and towards yourself
- Wind the thread forwards in touching turns. 10-15 turns will do
- Wind the herl making sure the flat stem overlaps. 4-5 turns will do.
- Tie down the herl and cut surplus
- Wind the thread forwards in touching turns, keeping the thread flat, ending a over the bent back part of the salmon hook leaving room for the wing, hackle and head behind the eye
- Prepare a 20 centimeters (8 inches) piece of flat tinsel and tie it in under the bent back part of the shank
- Wind it in tight, touching turns to the butt and back to the tie in spot
- Tie it down under the shank and cut surplus (tinsel bodies)
- Prepare a short wing of artic fox, removing the guard hairs and hand stacking the underfur
- Cut the base of wing - it should reach out over the point just above the hook point
- Tie it in leaving space for the hackle and a small head (tying in hair wings)
- Cover the stubs with touching turns of tying thread and return the thread to the base of the wing
- Prepare a guinea fowl hackle. The length of the barbs should be as the body
- Tie it in as a wet fly hackle - 2-3 turns will suffice (wet fly hackle)
- Tie off, trim and form a neat head
- Whip finish and varnish (whip finish)
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