Reffitt's March Brown

JW Reffitt was a famous North Country Angler who was invited to come to fish the Test with Wet Flies and be watched by the likes of Halford, Skues and others as part of a challenge to see if the Wet Fly could work. He performed well and yet the "dry fly purists" were not convinced. Skues of course took up a friendship with Reffitt.

When Edmonds and Lee wrote Brook and River Trouting they include Reffitt's March Brown pattern as number 8b. Skues provided Edmonds flies as examples of what Reffitt had shown him.

I do my best to try and re-create this fly...I do not have Crawshaw's dye and honestly even if I did I probably would not use it! I did find a dye that I think comes fairly close...so here we go.

If you want to see how this fly is tied by a master view this link https://youtu.be/FMFJ6i3TrGk?si=5cBpOgZVI6mzSSYf

To learn about the Reffitt story see Halford's autobiography or Skues' writing about it in Nymph Fishing Chalk Stream Trout.

Thanks!