Sandy Moor Game

[Buck Henry]

The following is another very old North Country Spider pattern known as the Sandy Moor Game. Reciepe is very simple, but you will need some English Grouse hackle.

Hook: Daiichi 1560 or similar Wet Fly Hook (size 18 to 16)
Body: Pearsalls Silk thread - dark brown
Thorax: Dark Brown Hare's Ear
Hackle: English (aka Scottish) Grouse

Tied like most North Country flies, simply wrap the hook shank with your silk thread and then dub in a small thorax of hares ear dubbing. Attach your grouse feather tip first and wrap 1.5 to 2 turns for a sparse collar.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/buck_henry/clark_fly.jpg

FYI: I was at the Fish Hawk yesterday (11/28) and they had a couple of small bags of English Grouse feathers. I have a full skin, so I left them there for you guys!

[rainbowlover]

cool looking soft hackle. ive been tying them up like mad lately. either from the peacock/ partridge or just stuff for the box.

[narcodog]

S/H's and materials have become my latest obsession. I have located Red Grouse and several different Quail skins. Still collecting still going broke. Of course you need the books.:yikes: :yikes:

[curbside]

Yeah first its just a small bag of grouse then whole skins...Hey narcodog where'd you get your quail skin? been wanting one of those.Had a client bring me a bag of pheasant feathers from a hunting trip that are great surely some hunters out there with a source.Beautiful tie as always Buck.

[curbside]

Yeah first its just a small bag of grouse then whole skins...Hey narcodog where'd you get your quail skin? been wanting one of those.Had a client bring me a bag of pheasant feathers from a hunting trip that are great surely some hunters out there with a source.Beautiful tie as always Buck.

[GonetoSeed]

Just a little "SH crack" to feed the addition: http://www.flymph.com/index.html

Buck - how many of the hackles in the index to you have skins for? :)

And from the site a piece literature, not an article, literature that goes a long way in explaining why such a simple fly style works so well:
http://www.flymph.com/html/literature.html

[Buck Henry]

Buck - how many of the hackles in the index to you have skins for? :)



Way too many! My most recent acquisition is a Golden Plover skin. Very rare and beautiful soft hackle plummage! My current hunt now is for a Waterhen. For some reason, they are in very short supply in the UK, but I cannot tie a Waterhen Bloa with anything but a Waterhen skin now can I! I am in line for one of several Waterhens that are being dried somewhere in England as we speak and hope to have it early next year.

PS: somebody help me!

[THE EG]

"Imagine the tactics needed in fishing dry flies: accuratre casts, drag free presentation, matching the hatch and combining that with Nymph fishing without a indicator: watching the line for a sudden stop or tug, looking for a swirl or flash from the fish, feeling the tap of a bite, fishing without seeing the fly. Combine those two methods of fishing and you have Flymph fishing."

I never knew what I like to do had it's own name. In the words of Reader's Digest, I have enriched my word power yet again.

[GonetoSeed]

Psst, hey Buck, over here, in the alley, I've got something for you: http://www.siskiyouaviary.com/feathers.html

[Cheap]

I've bought various game bird skins off eBay. Some of the bird skins were from the hunters who killed the birds. I've bought bobwhite, gambels, and scaled quail skins, as well as grouse, partridge and pheasant skins. I got all of these skins at chicken hen prices.

[Chuck Morris]

Buck,
I'll help you with this addiction.;) Just pack up all your tying supplies and send them to me, then you won't be tempted. Of course, you can still buy and drool over new and exotic skins, but, after one day they must be sent to me!:rolleyes:
If you follow these instructions you will be helped in your kicking the habit.:D
Since I am too far gone in my addiction, you will not be harming me in any way.:rolleyes:
Chuck

[merganser]

I had really wanted to get to the Fling to see some better methods of tying SH flies. I struggle a good bit to get mine to have the hackle evenly ditributed around the shank and several other issues from time to time.

This is something I found on You-Tube that was really good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPN3I1kZl-8&feature=related

Question - How important is it to use silk thread for flies with smooth non-dubbed bodies ? Is silk that big a deal, or will any thread suffice ?

[Buck Henry]

Question - How important is it to use silk thread for flies with smooth non-dubbed bodies ? Is silk that big a deal, or will any thread suffice ?

John,

Any thread will do, but silk thread does have this neat 'translucent" quality when it gets wet that many like. I also like to use Pearsall silk simply as a reverent nod to the tradition of these old patterns as they were originally conceived and tied so many years ago.

PS: thanks for the Youtube link!

[narcodog]

Yeah first its just a small bag of grouse then whole skins...Hey narcodog where'd you get your quail skin? been wanting one of those.Had a client bring me a bag of pheasant feathers from a hunting trip that are great surely some hunters out there with a source.Beautiful tie as always Buck.
Google "Chevron Hackle" they are in GB I am waiting for them to reply to my email so I can order them. Steve Cookshill recommended them. I have asked Steve to hold me a Red Grouse till he dyes some fiery brown Partridge. I love that color.