The Charlie Fly
The Charlie Fly was inspired by the underfur from the originator's Chocolate Lab. Ken Bonde Larsen's dog has unwillingly become the material manufacturer for this great sea trout producer. As it often is with Danish with sea trout flies it's a small, generic pattern.
A Chocolate Labrador has not only delivered the name for this fly, but also one of its main materials - the body dubbing.
Charlie is the originator Ken Bonde Larsen's 12 year old brown lab, and since his first year his underfur (the dog's that is) has been meticulously saved by Ken as a staple material for fly tying. This particular batch has been mixed with some copper/brown Angle Hair to add a bit of sparkle, but has still kept the brownish, grayish tone, which is typical for most dark dog underfur. You can of course replace the dog underfur with the underfur of the brown Arctic fox used for the tail - should you not have a Chocolate Lab in the house.
This particular pattern has by far been his most productive Charlie-underfur-pattern, and is now a permanent resident in Ken's coastal fly box.
He uses it as a go-to-pattern on days with clear water and calm conditions or when the fish seem to be in the mood for "small and discrete". The fly isn't minute, but its colors and size aren't exactly yelling out "here I come!" either. Ken's entries in our small online report system tells the story. He has registered about 40 sea trout caught on this fly during the last few years.
The fly is again one of those generic patterns, which don't imitate anything in particular, and it would most likely produce both bonefish, brown trout, bass and panfish if used for these species.
As you might remember, we have featured "dog patterns" on GFF before, and can remind you of The Mia Fly (Cocker Spaniel) and the Sunray Shadow (Shetland Sheepdog), and we know that angler's dogs have delivered hair and fur for many a killer fly.
Step 1 - the hook
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Step 2 - weight
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Step 3 - start the thread
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Step 4 - flash
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Step 5 - varnish
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Step 6 - tag
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Step 7 - finish tag
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Step 8 - tail
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Step 9 - finish tail
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Step 10 - twinkle
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Step 11 - flash in tail
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Step 12 - trim flash
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Step 13 - rib
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Step 14 - dub thread
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Step 15 - body
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Step 16 - dubbing done
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Step 17 - tease
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Step 18 - fluffy
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Step 19 - prepare hackle
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Step 20 - tie in hackle
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Step 21 - start hackle
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Step 22 - catch hackle
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Step 23 - tie down rib
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Step 24 - head
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Step 25 - whip finish
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Step 26 - varnish
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The Charlie Fly
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Comments
Thats a nice fishing
Thats a nice fishing mate?It must be fun to wade with a dog:D
I had a black labrad
I had a black labrador. She kindly donated several batches of her hair, for my rather ugly patterns, in return for a good brushing.
As our household is, unfortunately, void of her company...I have to seek other resources.
My son is due a hair cut anyday...
Ripley
Kelvin, Frankly I
Kelvin,
Frankly I think this fly af the Omoe Brush are quite different, but that might just be me.
Regarding the availability of dog fur, the fur you buy as Arctic fox is actually often dog, and the underfur from that would work fine. Brown rabbit could also do the trick, and I don't even think it would be sacrilegious to use synthetic dubbing in a suitable color.
Regarding the dog's ability to cast, he's lost a bit lately, being an elderly dog. But as you can see from this picture he manages to land sea trout fine on a very short and fairly fast stick - and he doesn't need waders either.
Martin
Nice fly, looks a li
Nice fly, looks a little like his Omoe brush
2 questions
Where do you buy dog fur??
How far can the dog cast?
This is a great stor
This is a great story and a great fly. My wife would tell that most of our dogs fur is on the furniture. I am ususaly the one in the dog house and the dog is on the couch.
Great fly thank you.
Nice ! I must try m
Nice ! I must try my vorsther's underfur
Works perfect using
Works perfect using original Charie's underfur....