Black magic

3 min read

PERFECT PARTNERS

New series: Rob Denson explains how to combine colours and create effective flies

IN THIS NEW SERIES, I’M GOING TO play cupid with a range of the most popular colours used in fly-tying, matching them to their perfect partners. Many classic colour combinations have evolved over centuries of trial and error or been inspired by nature or born out of nothing more complicated than natural affinity. The combinations I’ll explore appeal not only to the fish, but also to the angler. Ultimately, no matter how much we like to think our choices are guided by empirical evidence, we often select flies because we simply love the way they look — and the confidence this brings matters.

So, let’s start with possibly the most important “colour” in the fly-tyer’s armoury: black. Always a safe bet on its own, black is reliable, performing in all conditions, on rivers or stillwaters, tied wet or dry. As a neutral colour, you’d imagine black would pair well with almost any colour, and to an extent that’s true, but from the fly-tyer’s perspective, there’s a handful of special pairings that are bona fide classics, ignored at your peril. For example, combining black with silver or red is wise; however, throw in one or two more colours and your creative options increase exponentially, allowing you to fine-tune your black-based flies for specific situations.

VIVA (variant)

Hook Size 8-10 black Fulling Mill Competition Heavyweight Tail Fluorescent Cat green marabou Body Black and silver straggle Body hackle Black hen Rib Fine black or silver wire Wing Black marabou Cheeks Jungle cock Thread Black UTC 170

Black and green is about as effective as colour partnerships get and has been putting fish in the net forever. This Viva variant features a fluorescent Cat green (a green-biased chartreuse) marabou tail wafting away seductively beneath a long, black marabou wing. The pairing is further enhanced by the strands of silver straggle in the body, taking this mini lure to the next level.

SEAL’S FUR PENNELL

Hook Size 8-14 Kamasan B175 or 170

Tail Golden pheasant tippets Rib Flat silver Mylar Body Black seal’s fur Body hackle Black hen Head hackle Black hen Thread Black UTC 170

Black has been paired with silver for as long as flies have been tied, and there’s no better choice for ribbing black flies. Whether it’s oval, wire or flat tinsel (as seen in this Black Pennell variant) neutral silver just looks right with any other colours you care to throw into the mix. Nothing picks up light like silver, which gives it an edge in poor light.