Much-travelled fly-fisher and Guideline sales manager Jim Curry reveals his three favourite flies for salmon
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Hook Size 12-14 double or treble Thread Black Head 4mm black or gold cone Body Medium or small Franc N Snaelda black plastic or brass tube; front half covered with gold holographic tinsel Hook tubing Medium-stiff glitter silicone tubing Wing Black hen saddle feather, just longer than tube Feelers Four strands of gold holographic tinsel tied over wing
A pattern from the vice of my great friend and lethal salmon angler Cohn O’Dea. It is my first-choice when the rivers are extremely low and clear. A simple fly, it excels when fished on a full floating line and long, tapered leader. Keep it moving during the swing with a figure-of-eight retrieve or short strips. Fish will move for this pattern when they’ve seen everything else in your box. It's equally deadly for salmon and sea-trout.
FR ANCES HEX AGON
Hook Size 12-14 double Thread Brown Tube Frodin medium fluorescent orange plastic tubing Hook tubing Medium-stiff clear silicone tubing Feelers Three white and three natural brown stripped hackle stalks Tail Natural reddish pheasant tail fibres tied around the tube Body Red UV wool Collar Two turns of natural brown cock hackle Head 3-5mm tungsten hexagon bead
This small, heavy fly sinks quickly and is a real killer fished on a long leader and single-handed rod. I cast it slightly upstream and let it get well down. Then, I either dead-drift it, keeping everything tight, or twitch it back with fast, short strips to provoke a response. You can also swing the fly and achieve great results. My best days over the last few seasons, especially during low-water conditions
