Some fishermen think that salmon do not make any difference between the models of fly they propose to him and therefore every artificial possesses analogous alluring qualities. Such supposition can find foundation if we analyse the real reasons that induce a Salmo salar to take our baits: reasons that have not any relation with an effective alimentary necessity and that instead must be searched in the fish’s instinct. Aggressiveness, curiosity and territoriality are behavioural elements that characterise the salmon and that determine his attack reactions towards our flies. From here, our finned adversary can hurl against any our artificial without worries, for example, if this is yellow or black, or if it possesses a well defined silhouette. We have not to exclude, however, that its particular vulnerability can be due for its scarce experience about flies.
Analysing this hypothesis, we can account that in Great Britain the flies with unusual shapes, and that are able to swim in a completely dissimilar way from the most common hair wings or tubes, born cyclically. In a not far past, the Colonel Esmond Drury devised the General Practitioner: a shrimp imitation conceived for fishing upstream on the Rhododendron Pool of the river Test, but that showed in time to be extremely effective on different types of water. Analogously Alastair Gowans ideated the dressing of the Ally's Shrimp: fly that since the Ninety’s has dominated the market of the salmon lures. To establish what renders so alluring these two models of artificias is a rather arduous enterprise: paradoxically we could assert that perhaps they excite the fish because they resemble to one of his marine preys, although it is necessary much fantasy for recognise in them the shapes of a shrimp. More reasonable it is to believe that their attraction is due to the way they swim in the river, characterised by the vibrating movement of their soft appendages. It is interesting to observe, however, that both the artificials are inconstantly effective wherever are frequently used, especially when in the river system is present a majority of resident fish. In this circumstance, a salmon quite inclined to take a fly, seeing an Ally's Shrimp to pass over his head, can attack it with the only intention to pinch it. The same fish, if tempted with an other model of artificial, better if with a pattern not too much popular, can decide to take it with conviction. In practice, this is what happens with trout allured with a Gold-head (nymphs extremely attractive, but easy recognisable for a salmonid that has tested its prickly dangerousness) and in virtue of this fact, when we have difficulties in capturing a salmon, a part from to take care in the presentation techniques, we have to spend particular attention in the choice of the fly.
Bringing this concept to the fishing with the tube flies, conducted mainly for catching spring salmon that run up the rivers at the beginning of season, if we notice in pool a good movement of fish, without that nobody of them has apparently intention to take, instead of change systematically the different lines in our possession, hoping to find that one that makes to swim the artificial at the right depth for provoking the attack of our adversary, we can appeal ourselves to the alluring power of a fly that we think unknown to the salmon: in others words, an artificial different from the common tubes for the materials by which is built and for the structure of its body. From here, before leaving for our fishing holiday, we can seat in front of vice and give life to any synthetic creature that cross our mind, taking as a model also the Templedog: category of fies that in the last years has demonstrated a remarkable effectiveness on various North European waters.
Conceived by Hakan Norling for fishing in autumn on the Em river, in Sweden, such splendid tubes became popular on the banks of many British water, capturing a lot of big salmon in situations not always propitious for fly fishing. The first time I saw a Black Templedog, I was on holiday on the Gaula river, in Norway, and Jonas Hammarstedt, a famous local gillie, showed it to me, suggesting to use it for fishing in the evening hours of that warm month of August. Amazingly the Black Templedog revealed to be the only fly accepted quite regularly from the fish. Subsequently I had the opportunity to test the high attraction of the Black Templedog on the Scottish Highlands, approaching the Thurso and Naver river in a situation of low levels and sunny days. In that occasion, the fly let me to induce to take a good percentage of salmon I saw: in prevalence not fresh fish and therefore probably accustomed to the numerous baits of the anglers.
Analysing this hypothesis, we can account that in Great Britain the flies with unusual shapes, and that are able to swim in a completely dissimilar way from the most common hair wings or tubes, born cyclically. In a not far past, the Colonel Esmond Drury devised the General Practitioner: a shrimp imitation conceived for fishing upstream on the Rhododendron Pool of the river Test, but that showed in time to be extremely effective on different types of water. Analogously Alastair Gowans ideated the dressing of the Ally's Shrimp: fly that since the Ninety’s has dominated the market of the salmon lures. To establish what renders so alluring these two models of artificias is a rather arduous enterprise: paradoxically we could assert that perhaps they excite the fish because they resemble to one of his marine preys, although it is necessary much fantasy for recognise in them the shapes of a shrimp. More reasonable it is to believe that their attraction is due to the way they swim in the river, characterised by the vibrating movement of their soft appendages. It is interesting to observe, however, that both the artificials are inconstantly effective wherever are frequently used, especially when in the river system is present a majority of resident fish. In this circumstance, a salmon quite inclined to take a fly, seeing an Ally's Shrimp to pass over his head, can attack it with the only intention to pinch it. The same fish, if tempted with an other model of artificial, better if with a pattern not too much popular, can decide to take it with conviction. In practice, this is what happens with trout allured with a Gold-head (nymphs extremely attractive, but easy recognisable for a salmonid that has tested its prickly dangerousness) and in virtue of this fact, when we have difficulties in capturing a salmon, a part from to take care in the presentation techniques, we have to spend particular attention in the choice of the fly.
Bringing this concept to the fishing with the tube flies, conducted mainly for catching spring salmon that run up the rivers at the beginning of season, if we notice in pool a good movement of fish, without that nobody of them has apparently intention to take, instead of change systematically the different lines in our possession, hoping to find that one that makes to swim the artificial at the right depth for provoking the attack of our adversary, we can appeal ourselves to the alluring power of a fly that we think unknown to the salmon: in others words, an artificial different from the common tubes for the materials by which is built and for the structure of its body. From here, before leaving for our fishing holiday, we can seat in front of vice and give life to any synthetic creature that cross our mind, taking as a model also the Templedog: category of fies that in the last years has demonstrated a remarkable effectiveness on various North European waters.
Conceived by Hakan Norling for fishing in autumn on the Em river, in Sweden, such splendid tubes became popular on the banks of many British water, capturing a lot of big salmon in situations not always propitious for fly fishing. The first time I saw a Black Templedog, I was on holiday on the Gaula river, in Norway, and Jonas Hammarstedt, a famous local gillie, showed it to me, suggesting to use it for fishing in the evening hours of that warm month of August. Amazingly the Black Templedog revealed to be the only fly accepted quite regularly from the fish. Subsequently I had the opportunity to test the high attraction of the Black Templedog on the Scottish Highlands, approaching the Thurso and Naver river in a situation of low levels and sunny days. In that occasion, the fly let me to induce to take a good percentage of salmon I saw: in prevalence not fresh fish and therefore probably accustomed to the numerous baits of the anglers.
|
|
INSTRUCTIONS
We start the build our fly, introducing a small section of a small silicon rubber tube on extremities of the metallic cylinder chosen to realise the Tempeldog: the function of this appendix is to hold in position the small treble which will be applied in phase of fishing. Next, we insert the metallic cylinder on a needle fixed into the vice jay and we tie in the black thread, which we use to bind in, close to the rubber tube, the end of a length of fine oval gold tinsel. Turning in tightened coils the tinsel along a short portion of the cylinder, we form the first portion of tag
With a length of red floss, we create the second section of the tag in front of that one composed with the tinsel. After that, we tie in, on the posterior extremity of the metallic tube, a rich tuft of red antron, placing it so that it extends backwards for some centimetres
With a clear cut, we reduce the tail made with the antron to a length of approximately a centimetre (measure valid for a tube long one inch). Then we bind in, on the fixing point of the tail, the tip of a red hackle and the ends of two lengths of gold tinsel: the first with a small oval section and the second flat; this last one can be substitute with mylar
With the thread, we prepare a uniform under-body along the two rear thirds of the tube and we wrap over it the flat tinsel, constructing in this way the shining portion of the body
In front of the body made with tinsel, we securing in the head of a length of black floss, which then we turn around nearly all the front third of the tube, in order to complete the body
We wrap, in wide coils, the red hackle along the body, composing the palmer of the fly. Next, we make join very firmly the hackle to the body by passing over it, with crossed turns, the oval tinsel: in practice, the tinsel must wrapped in contrary sense to hackle
From the fur of black bear (or substitute – the calf tail dyed of black can be a good alternative) we cut off a rich tuft of hairs and we place it in front of the body, fixing it so that its tips extend forwards
We push backwards the bear hairs and we stop them in this position with some turns of black thread. This first portion of the wing structure must extend from the extremity of the tail for approximately one centimetre
Over the under-wings, we place some filament of Flashabou dyed of lavender and of Crystalhair in pearly and silver colour, putting them in a way that they extend hardly beyond the tips of the bear hairs
|
|
Next, on the fixing point of the under-wings, we tie in the apical section of a black hackle
|
Wrapping the hackle around a short section of the tube, we create a small collar. After that, with the fingers of our left hand, we push all the collar fibres downwards and we secure them in such a position with the thread
From the tail of a black dyed Arctic fox, we cut off a dense tuft of hair and we tie in it over the under-wings, following the same technique described at the steps number seven and eight: the fox hairs must be a little longer than those of the bear
Along the upper margin of the wings, we place two herls of a peacock feather, securing in them over the fixing point of the wing structure
With repeated passages of thread along the front extremity of the tube, we realise the fly head, which then is finished with a whip-finish
|
Our Black Templedog can be complete by coating its head
with two hands of black varnish, distributing one after some hour to the
other
|
MATERIALS LIST
TUBE: brass, aluminium or plastic
THREAD: black
TAG: fine oval gold tinsel and red floss
TAIL: red antron
BODY: two rear thirds: flat gold tinsel (or mylar). Front third: black floss
HACKLE: red
RIBBING: small oval gold tinsel
UNDER-WINGS: hairs of black bear (or substitute) and filaments of Flashabou dyed of lavender and of Crystalhair in pearly and silver colour
THROAT: black hackle
WINGS: black Arctic fox hairs with two peacock herls along the upper margin
HEAD: black varnish
THREAD: black
TAG: fine oval gold tinsel and red floss
TAIL: red antron
BODY: two rear thirds: flat gold tinsel (or mylar). Front third: black floss
HACKLE: red
RIBBING: small oval gold tinsel
UNDER-WINGS: hairs of black bear (or substitute) and filaments of Flashabou dyed of lavender and of Crystalhair in pearly and silver colour
THROAT: black hackle
WINGS: black Arctic fox hairs with two peacock herls along the upper margin
HEAD: black varnish
