FLY ANATOMY
Rob Denson explains how to give your flies an edge
WHEN IS THE FINISHING TOUCH NOT the finishing touch? When it’s the starting touch. Butts and tags, much like cheeks, if added without thought will likely be nothing more than an artistic flourish with little bearing on the efficacy of the fly. Yet if the right material is added to the right fly, it can dramatically transform its fortunes.
As with jungle cock cheeks, the trend for butts and tags has evolved from fully dressed salmon flies. What’s the difference between butts and tags? Not an awful lot. Differentiating is more important on old salmon flies when both were often included. The butt might be a collar of herl or section of floss at the end of the body, and the tag might be turns of oval tinsel, floss or perhaps flat tinsel, tied close to or on the bend. If only one item is included on a fly — especially a trout fly — it’s generally called a butt... unless there’s a tag as well. Confused? You won’t be. All that matters is you choose a suitable material and colour to enhance the fly’s chance of success.
CAENIS NYMPH
Butt or tag? It matters not. The tyer, Orkney angler James Bews, lists it as a butt of tightly wound turns of fluorescent orange floss. Orange always works a treat when paired with hare’s ear; a fact clearly not lost on James, giving his caenis nymph a transformative edge.
BLACK PENNELL
Most definitely a tag, tied in the style of the old salmon flies. A few turns of oval tinsel on the bend of this Black Pennell gives a few extra millimetres of sparkle and shine to one of the best hatching buzzer patterns in the business. Never thought of the Black Pennell in that way? Give it a go on the top dropper of a team of Buzzers next spring.
WEST HIGHLAND DUNKELD
Arthur MacDonald knows how to catch the eye of West Highland trout and this stunning Dunkeld seldom fails, thanks in part to its butt, cleverly crafted from chopped-up and dubbed floss — Glo-Brite fluorescent No.12 to be precise — which sits in perfect harmony with all the other components. Multi-coloured magic.
COCH-YN-LAS
I reckon a butt exists on its own with no tag but George Barron might disagree. Eith
