Cast of the month – October 2014
Colin Petrie is a very knowledgable sea trout angler and here he shares some of his favourite patterns.
For years Colin has used traditional flies for sea trout to great success especially the Invicta, Oakham Orange, Whisky fly, Soldier Palmer, Teal Blue and Silver, Peter Ross, Wingless Wickham’s and Butchers. After reading an article in Trout and Salmons February 2011 edition, called “Sea trout over sand and Shingle” about Sea trout fishing in Orkney, he started to use some of the larger and more vibrant coloured patterns such as the Platinum Blonde, Strawberry Blonde, Stinger and Nic's Lure in sizes 6 or 8 which all work really well in Shetland, especially when fishing in a good breeze.
Generally he would use a two fly cast in the sea as this greatly reduces the chances of losing fish in the seaweed and would start the day with a brighter fly such as the Oakham Orange on the dropper and a larger Lure such as the Platinum Blonde if the water is clear or a Stinger or Invicta if the water is more coloured on the tail.
Success in sea trout fishing is about hard won local knowledge of an area and in particular how the fish behave and move about with different states of the tide. In short knowing when and where to fish is more important than the selection of flies.
Like some of Shetlands top anglers he does not tie his own flies and all these flies are available from
Caithness Quality flies
http://www.caithnessqualityflies.co.uk/
Blonde Series of Flies
The Blonde was originally tied by East Coast American fishing legend Joe Brooks for striped bass in Chesapeake Bay in the 1940’s and has responsible for over two dozen world record catches. The Blonde is actually a series of flies, the most well-known being the all-white Platinum Blonde, the Argentine Blonde (light blue over white), the Honey Blonde (all yellow) and the Irish Blonde (chartreuse or green over white). The pattern can be tied quickly on any colour combination to match the prevalent bait and can easily be cut down and thinned on the water if necessary. The first Blondes were tied before flash materials were available and the addition of flashy body material and wing flash made an already productive even more of a killer.
It was Malcom Russell from Orkney who promoted the Platinum Blond as a salt water sea trout fly in the UK after taking a sizeable basket on a size 4 single pattern. He subsequently developed ‘the Strawberry Blond’ which is basically an orange version. Malcom sent both patterns to Trout and Salmon magazine with the article that was the inspiration for Colin to try these flies in Shetland. Malcom says that that white fly’s work well over sand and orange is best over broken ground.
Strawberry Blonde
Size 6- 8
Tail – White Artic fox
Body - Gold holographic/gold wire rib
Throat – Hot orange Artic Fox
Wing – Gold Angle flash
Platinum blonde as above except
Size 6 -8
Body – Silver Holographic/silver wire rib
Throat – Red Artic Fox
Wing – Silver Angle flash
Colin Petrie is a very knowledgable sea trout angler and here he shares some of his favourite patterns.
For years Colin has used traditional flies for sea trout to great success especially the Invicta, Oakham Orange, Whisky fly, Soldier Palmer, Teal Blue and Silver, Peter Ross, Wingless Wickham’s and Butchers. After reading an article in Trout and Salmons February 2011 edition, called “Sea trout over sand and Shingle” about Sea trout fishing in Orkney, he started to use some of the larger and more vibrant coloured patterns such as the Platinum Blonde, Strawberry Blonde, Stinger and Nic's Lure in sizes 6 or 8 which all work really well in Shetland, especially when fishing in a good breeze.
Generally he would use a two fly cast in the sea as this greatly reduces the chances of losing fish in the seaweed and would start the day with a brighter fly such as the Oakham Orange on the dropper and a larger Lure such as the Platinum Blonde if the water is clear or a Stinger or Invicta if the water is more coloured on the tail.
Success in sea trout fishing is about hard won local knowledge of an area and in particular how the fish behave and move about with different states of the tide. In short knowing when and where to fish is more important than the selection of flies.
Like some of Shetlands top anglers he does not tie his own flies and all these flies are available from
Caithness Quality flies
http://www.caithnessqualityflies.co.uk/
Blonde Series of Flies
The Blonde was originally tied by East Coast American fishing legend Joe Brooks for striped bass in Chesapeake Bay in the 1940’s and has responsible for over two dozen world record catches. The Blonde is actually a series of flies, the most well-known being the all-white Platinum Blonde, the Argentine Blonde (light blue over white), the Honey Blonde (all yellow) and the Irish Blonde (chartreuse or green over white). The pattern can be tied quickly on any colour combination to match the prevalent bait and can easily be cut down and thinned on the water if necessary. The first Blondes were tied before flash materials were available and the addition of flashy body material and wing flash made an already productive even more of a killer.
It was Malcom Russell from Orkney who promoted the Platinum Blond as a salt water sea trout fly in the UK after taking a sizeable basket on a size 4 single pattern. He subsequently developed ‘the Strawberry Blond’ which is basically an orange version. Malcom sent both patterns to Trout and Salmon magazine with the article that was the inspiration for Colin to try these flies in Shetland. Malcom says that that white fly’s work well over sand and orange is best over broken ground.
Strawberry Blonde
Size 6- 8
Tail – White Artic fox
Body - Gold holographic/gold wire rib
Throat – Hot orange Artic Fox
Wing – Gold Angle flash
Platinum blonde as above except
Size 6 -8
Body – Silver Holographic/silver wire rib
Throat – Red Artic Fox
Wing – Silver Angle flash
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THE STINGER
The stinger was developed by Brian Foreman in Orkney.
Hook: B175 8 &10
Silk: Fire orange uni. 6
Tail: Globrite No 4
Body: Pearl Lurex
Rib: Med. silver wire
Head Hackles: Scarlet cock tied well back
Wing: Barred teal flank
Head: Small Jungle Cock
The stinger was developed by Brian Foreman in Orkney.
Hook: B175 8 &10
Silk: Fire orange uni. 6
Tail: Globrite No 4
Body: Pearl Lurex
Rib: Med. silver wire
Head Hackles: Scarlet cock tied well back
Wing: Barred teal flank
Head: Small Jungle Cock
The Whisky fly
The Whisky fly was originally created by Albert Willock for daphnia feeding Rainbow trout in English reservoirs. This fly is deadly for sea trout in the waters around Shetland
Dressing
Hook: long shank 6 - 10
Thread: Red
Body: Flat silver tinsel, gold can be used as an alternative
Rib: Red tying silk with a small hotspot of red at the tail
Wing: Red or hot orange dyed calf's tail
Throat: Red or hot orange cock
Head: Build-up of red tying silk
The Whisky fly was originally created by Albert Willock for daphnia feeding Rainbow trout in English reservoirs. This fly is deadly for sea trout in the waters around Shetland
Dressing
Hook: long shank 6 - 10
Thread: Red
Body: Flat silver tinsel, gold can be used as an alternative
Rib: Red tying silk with a small hotspot of red at the tail
Wing: Red or hot orange dyed calf's tail
Throat: Red or hot orange cock
Head: Build-up of red tying silk
Oakham Orange
The Oakham orange was developed by Bob Church for Rutland water for bright days and daphnia feeding rainbow trout. This is an essential pattern for brown trout in Shetland especially on sunny days and especially when the trout are preoccupied with daphnia. The original dressing had a body of flat silver tinsel with a palmered orange cock hackle for the body and tail and an orange hen hackle at the head. Modern Variations use various body materials such as mirage, holographic tinsels in silver and gold sometimes with pearl over as well as incorporating fluorescent floss tails in various colours especially yellow, peach, orange and green.
Colin says the Oakham orange is his first choice top dropper pattern for sea trout.
Oakham orange
Hook size 8-10
Tail- glo bright 5 floss or 7 floss
Body- Mirage Tinsel
Rib-Silver wire
Palmer Hackle- Hot Orange Cock
Head hackle- Hot Orange Hen
The Oakham orange was developed by Bob Church for Rutland water for bright days and daphnia feeding rainbow trout. This is an essential pattern for brown trout in Shetland especially on sunny days and especially when the trout are preoccupied with daphnia. The original dressing had a body of flat silver tinsel with a palmered orange cock hackle for the body and tail and an orange hen hackle at the head. Modern Variations use various body materials such as mirage, holographic tinsels in silver and gold sometimes with pearl over as well as incorporating fluorescent floss tails in various colours especially yellow, peach, orange and green.
Colin says the Oakham orange is his first choice top dropper pattern for sea trout.
Oakham orange
Hook size 8-10
Tail- glo bright 5 floss or 7 floss
Body- Mirage Tinsel
Rib-Silver wire
Palmer Hackle- Hot Orange Cock
Head hackle- Hot Orange Hen
