Now the festive season is over, Allan Liddle has got straight back behind the vice and shares a pattern to add to your 2014 fly box.
Well folks, writing this on the fourth of January I’m glad to say that the parties have finally died down, and having seen out the old, and brought in the new year in Edinburgh’s Princess street Gardens watching a fantastic firework display and ‘Boogyin’ to the bands (including headline act the Pet Shop Boys) I was kind of glad to slow down a wee bit and get back to normal.
But when I got home I still had some of my favourite Highland Park whisky out and I thought what better way to unwind than to tie up a few of my favourite Orkney patterns, the Hedgehog.
Now I’ve waxed lyrical about the virtues of Orkney in these pages before, it is without doubt one of the ‘Fish before you Die’ locations in Scotland, if not the world.
Easily reached by ferry (choice of two daily vehicle carrying, a third one visiting couple times weekly from Aberdeen and a summertime daily passenger boat from John O’Groats) or by plane, Orkney consists of a scattering of some seventy islands of which I think about twenty are inhabited which are connected by the local council run inter island ferry service, and in some cases a regular flight service (which includes the shortest commercial flight in the world between Westray and Papa Westray and takes a mere two minutes, so no in flight movie or meal here then).
For the trout angler though (or fresh water one in any case as the salt water sea-trout fishing can be fantastic and in the case of outer isles very much under-fished and I might say under explored) you’re really looking at around five: Stronsay, Westray, Rousay, Hoy and Sandy of the outer lochs (ones you’d need an inter-island ferry to reach) and two: mainland and Burray (connected by road via the famous Churchill Barriers).
To be fair although fishing can be found on Stronsay, Westray and Burray it’s both a little less known, as well as comes with a big chunk of difficulty, trophy venues they can be, but frustrating blank days are the norm.
Hoy has more recently came onto the serious freshwater angling radar with the introduction of browns to the island's biggest water, Heldale (yes other waters have trout but it’s only since Heldale had been ‘seeded’ that freshwater trout anglers now make the journey, although the island is still one of Orkney’s top salt water sea trout locations for which the majority of rods travel over for). Sandy is certainly the most well known of Orkney Isles ‘trophy’ locations (Bea, Roos and North Loch), Rousay has three waters worthy of attention (Peerie, Muckle, Orkney’s answer to traditional Scottish Hill Loch fishing) and Wasbister which leaves mainland Orkney as the location of the most famous, most popular and most productive of all the islands freshwater fishing.
Harray Loch is without doubt the ‘Jewel in the Orkney’ trout fishing crown and my all time favourite loch. Big, diverse, skerry strewn and interesting / feature laden enough to keep the visiting angler interested for many seasons (one visit is certainly not enough), peat tinged Swanney with its treacherous and slippy skerries and beautiful / rewarding trout, open Boardhouse, less skerries but cracking weed beds, Hundland, skerry strewn (almost like a little version of Harray), brackish Stenness home to the most remarkable looking but elusive browns on the island (Orkney Gold as they are sometimes known) and the often overlooked but at times excellent Kirbister labelled a ‘beginners’ water due to the often ease that the free-rising residents are attracted to your flies. There are a few smaller waters available from the trophy venues to the three to the pound waters, all adding up to make Orkney such an attractive proposition and one that keeps me returning year on year.
One thing all these waters have in common through the exposed nature of this windswept, treeless group of islands is their often exposure to the wind, where big surface disturbing fish grabbing attention patterns are required, and a place where patterns incorporating deer hair popular amongst locals, and the birthplace of the Hedgehog, you might argue the ‘perfect pattern’ for here (arguable the ‘perfect pattern’ for all Scotland’s ‘Wild Exposed North’, certainly has been for me).
One wee quick note: this is a Hedgehog, based on the original style of tying this fly to come from Orkney, I haven’t called it a Sedgehog as this is a different pattern, an adaptation of the original tied with the addition of a head hackle primarily used as an adult sedge imitation. I do use my Hogs to imitate this insect, generally in size 14, and generally in natural hare’s ear colour (although my claret and fiery brown versions also work well in the same smaller size). Leave out the hackle and simply brush out the dubbed head, works just as well with the bonus of a fiddly step less on the tying vice.
When it comes to tying I like to use two different styles of hooks, depending on the fishing style I adopt at the time: heavier Partridge Wet Fly Supreme for sub-surface work or for the deadly ‘through the surface’ action when fished in a big wave on a ‘short line.’ Or on the Partridge Dry Fly Supreme for on (or ‘in’) the surface, great in smaller sizes as a static or near static dry (especially as previously noted ‘Sedge Time’), again good in the ‘short line through the surface’ style or for working as a ‘wake’ fly across the wave.
I’ve also had a bit of success using this fly on ‘white water’ in rivers and streams, minor tactic yes but a handy one to have all the same, as ‘Ginking’ it up and swinging ‘across and down’ in the darkness when chasing our sea going visitors. In fact ‘Gink’ is the required addition to this fly however you use it, or maybe it’s a force of habit, either way it works and works well.
Olive is pretty versatile, especially in clearer waters, claret and fiery brown seems to work better (not exclusively) in peat tinged lochs. Hare's Ear versions good when you aim to be a little more subtle or ‘imitative’, black and red is a well known well used general wild trout combination and I’ve a ‘Dirty Yellow’ version that’s proved very successful at ‘Cow Dung’ times (I call it my Cow Dung Hog). Straggle fritz can make this fly even more attractive and a useful variation to the normal dubbed body.
So there it is, my version of the Olive Hedgehog (along with a few of its friends) which I hope to tie a few of on the Partridge stand at the BFFI next month. Maybe I’ll see a few of you guys there, meantime have a cracking New Year and I hope all your fishing adventures are both successful and, more importantly, enjoyable.
Time to get back to that Highland Park, tying vice and a fistful of deer hair; Slainte.
All Orkney waters are under the watchful eye of the local Orkney Trout Fishing Association who help ensure the quality of fishing throughout these islands as well as regularly produce some of the best wild trout anglers in the country. Under old Norse (Udal) law trout fishing in these islands is free, however an annual visitor membership to OTFA is a mere £20 which not only helps towards the great work these guys do, but also gives you access to the club car parks / huts and launch sites on a number of the principle waters. Full details on their website www.orkneytoutfishing.co.uk
Dressing:
Hook; Partridge Wet Fly Supreme or Dry Fly Supreme sizes 10 – 14
Butt; (Optional) Glowbrite floss (colour of choice, but no’s 4, 5 and 11 work very well). Alternatively use a few turns of ‘Mirage’ pearl tinsel
Body; I like a dub mix of rabbit, hare’s ear and a pinch of olive Glister. Again alternatively micro straggle fritz a good alternative. (Can’t have all the flies looking the same)
Wing; Fine Deer Hair or Compara Dun Deer Hair (colour of choice, but natural, olive, yellow and dun work best for me)
Head; Pinch of body dubbing brushed well out.
Join Allan at the excellent Scottish Anglers