The Dark Stone Fly
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.
Happy Fishing
Dave C. and the Team
Sorry, David, not a comment but more a cry of ‘HELP!’.
I’ve only just found your site and was delighted to see you using a Danvise. I bought one for a bargain price and on contacting the postal retailer on finding no instructions received the reply “Why do you think it was so cheap?” Do you have said instructions and are they copiable if I can borrow them? My address is: Mark Gilson, Briarwood, Garleigh Road, Rothbury,NE65 7RB. I would, of course, pay all postage or even drive down to Durham to collect/return.
Hope you can help because I can then start tying again!
Mark
Hi Mark
Sorry to hear you have a problem.
I am not sure how much I can help you. My vice is a Griffin Patriot Cam vice. I do have a user guide but I am not sure if it would help.I could get it photocopied and send it down to you. It looks like you have a Danica vice.First try going to Danica on the net. They do a big range so try to get the model number and if it is one of theirs I am sure they would help. If that fails I will send you photocopy.
Good Luck
Dave C.and the Team
Dear Sir,
I moved from a small own in Norfolk to Matlock in Derbyshire a few months ago and this has afforded me the opporunity to try fly fishing on the section of the Derwent that runs through Matlock itself. I would like to thank you for the well thought out easy to follow and friendly videos you have produced as they have inspired me to try fly tying instead of using only shop bought flies. However i do have a problem. The Derwent through Matlock is pretty fast with odd swirling curents and greatly variable depth over a short distance and i am quite frankly a bloody awful novice fly fisherman. Would it be possible to include a little info in your videos or the accompanying blurb on when/where each fly is best used and in what manner you would fish it either solo or as a team. I know that you are concentrating on the tying side of things but i am sure there are a few people who come to both fly tying and fly fishing at the same time and any help with overcoming the double handicap of being bad at both would be appreciated.
Yours Sincerely, Stuart Poll.
Hi Stuart
Thanks for your comments. Welcome to Derbyshire!
The Derwent and Dove are both good fly waters. I am a member of Derbyshire County Angling club and we have good fly water on the Derwent at Willersley Castle Cromford and on the Dove at Church Mayfield not to mention other smaller streams and stillwaters. Go to http://www.derbyshirecountyac.org.uk for more details. You can mention my name and website. If you want more info on fishing in the area come back to me, but my club is the one I would recommend first.
Will give you info on the rest if you send your e-mail address.
Happy Fishing
Dave C.and the Team
Hi Dave,
I’ve been meaning to drop you a note for some time. I stumbled across your videos on YouTube a few months ago, when I decided to get back into fly tying. I received my first tying kit about 25 years ago, and after the novelty wore off, it was more of a dust collector. While the patterns you’re tying are somewhat different than what we use here in British Columbia, the techniques are universal. Needless to say, I’m very much “back in the game” and have just completed a very enjoying fly tying course through our local fly shop. My reason for contacting you, is simply to say “thank you”. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your videos and your approach to the sport.
Enjoy this fishing season Dave, and I look forward to your next video.
Tight lines!
Andrew
Hi Andrew
Thanks for your comments. We do our best to inspire an interest in both the fly tying and fishing. We have had several comments from the other side of the pond about the success they have had with the Baby doll. A firm favourite over here in the 70s. but still catches today. Well worth a try and simple to tie.
Happy Fishing
DaveC.and the Team
I would like to add that it is a good fly for the patagonic waters.
Regards.
Hello David,
Though probably as long in the tooth as you, if not longer, I’ve just come across your website for the very first time and I have to write to say a very appreciative thank you for the unselfish help and guidance you give so freely. It’s so refreshing to find your attitude present on the net, almost everything there seems to be aimed and directed at pecuniary gain these days doesn’t it?
I’ve been tying my own flies now for more years than I care to remember and they’re mostly my own variations on Knotted Midge, Griffith’s Gnat and Black and Peacock. As a large hook for me is an 18’s it won’t take you too long to figure out that my fishing is exclusively for wild Brown Trout in an oligotrophic high moorland still water. I notice you fish in Derbyshire once or twice and if you fancy an afternoons and/or evenings free fishing with me please don’t hesitate to let me know it’d be a pleasure to see you.
One thing I constantly struggle with is the tying of the hackles for the flies I mention above, are there any of your videos that deal specifically with this area?
Thanks again for the site.
Kind regards,
Oliver
Hi Oliver
Thanks for your comments. Sorry I have not got back to you but my lovely wife fractured her wrist about 3 weeks ago and I have been confined to barracks doing all the things we men just take for granted. I would love to meet up with you and perhaps have a few hours fishing. This has been a funny year for me . My fishing buddy (10 yrs my senior) has had weeks in hospital and wont be out and about for some time and now my wife is incapacitated. Things can only get better. I fish the DCAC water at Willersley and until 4yrs ago fished the DRAC water at Matlock. I love the Derwent and have had many happy hours on its banks.
Contact me on my home e-mail camfly@ntlworld.com
Regards
DaveC.