The Yellow Dancer is a relative newcomer on the fly fishing scene. It is a ’sport’ of the original Woolley Bugger devised by our friends north of the border. It has proved to be a ‘must have’ fly on most Scottish still water trout fisheries. As is always the case it has spawned the usual derivatives, Black Dancer , Orange Dancer, and I expect in the fullness of time we will have the Highland Dancer. I had to resort to my favourite fishing magazine , Fly Fishing and Fly Tying to get the dressing. It is a straight forward tie if you do the proper preparation.
The Dressing
Hook – Kamasan 175 or similar , sizes 8 / 10.
Tail – White marabou with a few strands of pearlescent micro flash.
This is a pattern more popular in the USA , and New Zealand , than here in the UK. It is a large fly that makes only a brief appearance as an adult fly. In it’s nymphal stage it is a generous morsel for a trout.
I would suggest a long shank 8 hook for both the nymph and the adult fly. The pattern I have tied is from a book by an American author , Edson Leonard , dated in the 1950s. A large pheasant tail nymph with a leaded underbody would be adequate for the nymphal stage.
The Dressing
Hook - Long Shank 8 ( light wire )
Tail – Bronze Mallard ( a generous bunch ) optional
Rib – Fine Mono
Body – A mix of brown and grey Seals Fur. Dub 3/4 of the hook length. After tying in build up a base for the wing. The wing has to lie flat along the top of the body. If the wing ‘ cocks up ‘ carefully unwind and apply more even turns to the base and try again.
Hackle - 2 Cree Cock Hackles ( brown as an alternative ). Wind the 2nd hackle through the 1st. Make a nice neat head and tie off ( as an option you can trim the underbody hackle fibres ).
Wing - Brown Turkey quill , doubled and tied flat .
Antennae – ( optional ) bronze mallard fibres.
This is an easy pattern to tie and it just might be useful to have a couple tied in case you are there on the right day.
The types of cape which you will come across are cock and hen capes from domestic poultry.
Hen capes are smaller and softer with denser fibres , and are usually used for wet flies , nymphs and lures. The hackle fibres are more mobile in the water. They can be wrapped around the hook in the conventional way or bearded , sometimes referred to as a false hackle.
Cock capes are larger and the hackles much stiffer and shiny. Occasionally you will come across a cock cape which is softer and duller , usually a lower grade cape , these are known as henny capes. These are very useful for lures or palmered patterns which need to be longer and give some kick to the lure. Cock capes are used mainly for dry flies , the stiffer fibres make the fly float better and are wound round the hook more times. Matching fibres can be used for the tail of the fly. The standard capes are usually available in a wide range of natural and dyed colours. They are graded , number one being the best , and most expensive. These are not necessary until you become proficient , ( and have a big fat wallet ) . Lower grades catch just as many fish. Most of these capes are now imported from India and China.
There are ranges of capes which are from poultry specially bred in the United Kingdom , just for their feathers. The range of Metz capes is probably the best known. These have nice long hackles and are great to work with but are expensive. They are used mainly for dry flies. You should get more than one fly per hackle.
Hackles for north country spider patterns are usually from wild birds , many of which are now more difficult to obtain. Partridge hackles , brown and grey , are probably the best known and dye well. Others to look out for are woodcock , snipe , moorhen , cock and hen pheasants. If you know any shooting people ask for their help as many of them fish as well. If they do a lot of wildfowling , ( shooting ducks and geese ) they could help to get you CDC , teal flank and bronze mallard flank ………. all very useful. This range in itself would be an interesting lesson to put together.
Once you start collecting fly tying materials no walk along the river , or lakeside will ever be the same again. You will find yourself gathering feathers and anything else which ‘ just might be useful’ . On a recent trip my colleague could not believe I was collecting sheep’s wool off the barbed wire. Now that it has been washed in detergent in boiling water it will be dyed.
Vice – Today you can buy an adequate vice for as little as £20, but you can pay hundreds. Buy the best you can afford.
Scissors – You will need a pair of fine pointed very sharp scissors. Embroidery scissors are good. A good pair should last you for years as long as you don’t go cutting wire with them.
Bobbin Holder – The early models had no ceramic inserts in the tube and eventually started fraying the threads. It is worth the extra cost to buy ceramic models.
Hackle Pliers – Basic models are not expensive and will do the job adequately. I still have my original one that my mentor made for me from thick wire, and it still works.
Dubbing Needle – I still use hat pins. They are handy for cleaning out varnish from the hook eye and applying varnish to the head of the finished fly. You can buy the proper tool cheaply.
Threader – An indispensable tool for feeding your thread onto the bobbin holder.
Whip Finish Tool – If you can use one of these then use it. If you cannot , tie off with the traditional double half hitch ( like me ).
Varnish – You only need clear to start with. Apply with dubbing needle. Very good advice is to remember to put the lid straight back on the bottle when finished.
Beeswax – Indispensable for dubbing.
Pliers – A pair of small fine nosed pliers for de-barbing hooks
Dubbing Brush – Used for raising dubbed hair. Make one easily yourself using an old lollipop stick and glueing velcro to both sides at one end.
On behalf of my Team, Jon and Andy, and myself we wish all our subscribers and the many more who have watched our vids. a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
We hope that in the coming months we can maintain your interest with more vids. If we have not always been able to demo your particular fly it is only because of that old enemy ‘Time’. We will continue to try and respond to all the messages we receive and pass on info. which you request.
I have been impressed by the standard of English in the messages from all over the world, particularly the young guys. To all you youngsters ‘THANK YOU’ for taking such an interest. The future of flytying is in your hands.
Sincerely Yours
DaveC. and the Team
Over the years there have been many sedge patterns, some complicated and some simple, which have all been successful in their way. The palmered patterns like the Soldier Palmer or Zulu being the best known. Recently I read an article by Neil Patterson in the Fly Fishing & Fly Tying magazine in which he described a sedge pattern he called the Hotchpotch. It is simple to tie and I, and friends I have given samples to, have had great success with it. This pattern sits better in the water and either static or moving it does behave like a sedge. I even found that when it was gunged up with slime and sunk it still caught fish. I suggest you tie some up in 10s and 12s and and keep them ready in your fly box. I only wish I had some of these when I went to New Zealand earlier this year.
The deer hair patterns are more complicated to tie and create a mess when you trim them up and I feel are less effective.
DRESSING
Hook Lt. wt. L/S 8,10,12,14. (kamasan 830.)
Thread Brown.
Hackle Blue Dun/ Red Game. Trim off the all the hackle fibres projecting downwards.
Body Cream dubbing ( possum under fur) tied meaty.
This fly originated in the very early 1970s and was attributed to a Brian Kench. It differs from earlier more traditional patterns in as much that there were no moving parts. Despite this it quickly found favour with the fly fishers of the day on the reservoirs and still waters, thanks mainly to the publicity given to it by Bob Church.
At that time I was tying flies for three of the local tackle shops and I was inundated with orders for the original baby doll and the several variants it had ’spawned’. Fortunately Jean, my lovely wife, took it upon herself to deal with all the ‘baby doll orders’ and left me free to carry on tying proper flies.
It was only after a good day at Eyebrook reservoir that I appreciated how good a fly it was. Despite its success over the years it has fallen out of favour and given way to more exotic creations when more man made materials became available to fly tyers.
The three ‘dolls’ on the photograph illustrate the ‘undertaker’, the ‘peach doll’ and the original. Other good patterns which evolved were the peppermint doll, Nell Gwynne and the ‘DF doll’ which had a lead underbody. The dressings for these are all in a book by a fellow Nottingham angler Bob Carnill titled ‘ Dressed to Kill’ if it is still in print.
I would suggest that before you tie this fly you make sure your hands are clean. The baby wool is fluoescent and loses its appeal if it is grubby. I would also suggest that you scrap the fly after a days fishing, after all it is cheap as chips to make.
If you want to give your ‘doll’ a ghostly look gently stroke the wool body with an emery board to raise the fibres, but make sure that the head is well varnished and dry first.
This fly pattern was originated by Dave Shipman over 20 years ago. The original pattern was tied using white antron to make the fly float on an even keel in the surface film, imitating the midge emerging from its nymphal shuck. In recent years, CDC., because of its excellent floating properties, has become more popular. The antron is the cheaper option without sacrificing floatability but foam is also an alternative for larger flies.
The body is best tied with seals fur in claret, red, orange, olive or ginger. Do not be afraid to try different colours. The rib is pearl tinsel tied in fine or medium widths.
Once the fly has been finished and the varnish on the head is dry gently stroke the seals fur with Velcro stick or pick out fibres with a dubbing needle.
The fly can be fished on a floating line, individually or in a team of three when the trout are feeding on flies emerging from the surface. I have found that a static fly is often better during the day but a slow retrieve gets more reaction as the night closes in.
Hook - Light weight. long shank sizes 10, 12, and 14.
Tying Thread - Brown or claret.
Body - Seals fur. Red, claret, olive, and ginger.
Rib - Pearl/ Holographic tinsel, medium or fine.
Tail / Wing - White Antron, CDC., Foam or Dapping Floss.
Posted by David Cammiss 
