The last few North Country wet flies....for now.

I have pretty much used all of the Partridge Classic Spider hooks that I bought. There were a couple of patterns I wanted to tie, but didn't have the relevant materials. Magpie tail, snipe and golden plover wings were essentially all that I needed.

A fantastic magpie tail from Cookhills found it's way to me via Tom who picked it up for me during one of Steve's presentations. Along side the magpie was a wonderful surprise in the shape of a snipe wing; I could finally tie the legendary Snipe and Purple.

Before I was aware of the snipe wing I had already secured the purchase of a snipe skin as well as a golden plover skin, it couldn't hurt to have extra ones. As it turns out the snipe skin was but wasn't; another quality Cookshill skin turned out to be misidentified and a quick look in a bird book confirmed my suspicions and I have in fact a jack snipe skin. The smaller size, subtle differences in plumage and shorter beak positively identifies the skin in my possession.

Golden plover skins are the proverbial rocking horse shit; I know Steve at Cookshill hasn't seen one last season. The skin I bought had some feathers missing, typically they were the feathers most sought after, the marginal (upper) coverts; thankfully they hadn't all been used and given the price I paid for both the snipe, plover and a Chevron hen neck that was also part of the package, I wasn't too bothered.

So with my mix of newly acquired materials what have I been tying.

Previously mentioned is one third of the classic trio the Snipe and Purple. As an imitation of the iron blue dun, it may not really serve useful for its intended purpose as I've never seen an IBD, but I have no doubt it will catch me fish.

Snipe and Purple
Hook: Partridge Classic Spider size 16
Thread: Pearsall's no.8 purple silk
Body: Silk
Hackle: Snipe marginal (upper) covert

 With the Pearsall's no.8 purple silk still on my bobbin, the snipe wing still in my hand I tied an intriguing little blackish spider. I deviated a little on the dressing of the Smoke Fly using magpie herl for the body instead of peacock. I assumed the iridescence on the magpie would be as distinct as peacock herl is, it didn't turn out to be.

Smoke Fly
Hook: Partridge Classic Spider size 16
Thread: Pearsall's no.8 purple silk
Body: Peacock herl - I have used magpie
Hackle: Snipe under covert or light dun hen
Head: Peacock herl

 The Little Black uses the same purple silk as the last two and combined with a magpie herl body and starling hackle produces a pleasantly neat small dark fly.

Little Black
Hook: Partridge Classic Spider size 18
Thread: Pearsall's no.8 purple silk
Body: Magpie herl ribbed with silk
Hackle: Starling

I had another go at a herl headed fly. The Moorgame and Orange is similar to both the Winter Brown and Brown Owl, except it is a well mottled grouse feather that provides the hackle. I chose a feather from high up on the back of the neck.

Moorgame and Orange
Hook: Partridge Classic Spider size 14
Thread: Pearsall's no.6a gold
Body: Silk
Hackle: A well marked grouse feather
Head: Peacock herl

I was surprised by the beauty of a golden plover feather, the yellow bars are bright and clean looking, offsetting the brown dun colour of the rest of the feather. Mention golden plover and most anglers will name the Hare's Lug and Plover, a wonderfully buggy suggestive fly that would probably imitate most things.

Hare's Lug and Plover
Hook: Partridge Classic Spider size 14
Thread; Pearsall's no.5 yellow
Tag and rib: Fine gold wire
Body: Hares ear
Hackle: Golden Plover marginal (upper) covert