PERFECT PARTNERS
Find out how to pair yellow materials with other colours in Rob Denson’s deadly fly selection
YELLOW IS WELL KNOWN FOR ITS ability to attract fish in peat-stained water, particularly sea-trout and salmon in rivers and river/loch/lough systems. For brown trout, however, apart from mayfly patterns and wet-flies with golden pheasant crest tails, yellow is somewhat overlooked and underused. A shame because it is a great “hot” colour: bright and highly visible with the ability to grab attention without resorting to flash or fluorescents. As well as peat stain, it is at home in coloured lowland lakes and reservoirs, and even gin-clear limestone lakes.
As useful as yellow is, predominantly yellow flies are limited in their applications, so pairing yellow with other colours is a knack worth learning. It isn’t that difficult — yellow will work with more colours than not, but there are some stand-out combinations, and some surprising ones. Read on to find out how to make yellow shout or, indeed, keep it mellow.
PHOSPHOR DABBLER
Tail Bronzemallarddyedyellow RibUTC wire, hot yellow Underbody Glo-brite fluorescent floss, no.11 phosphor yellow Body Mirage or pearl Mylar Body hackle Grizzle hen dyed yellow Cloak & throat Bronze mallard dyed yellow Head Glo-brite fluorescent floss, no.11 phosphor yellow Pearl or Mirage tinsel bodies can be fine-tuned to take on the colour of the thread underbody, and you can turbocharge that effect by using fluorescent threads. This Phosphor Dabbler exploits the effect to the full, setting the fly ablaze with yellow. Originally tied for use in the “builder’s tea” of a rising Stocks reservoir, where it excelled.
WOOFTAH BOOBY (variant)
Hook Size 10-12 Kamasan B170 or 175 Tail Magenta marabou Body Short fluorescent yellow straggle Wing Orange marabou Eyes Pink foam
When the light is poor or the water is coloured and you need to pull something different out of the hat to get your fly noticed, try pairing yellow with orange or pink, or both. This striking combination is impossible to miss and on the right day will elicit the appropriate reaction.
BLACK & YELLOW CRIPPLER
Hook Size 8-12 Fulling Mill Competition Heavyweight black Rib Black wire Body Flat silver Body hackle Grizzle hen dyed yellow Shoulder hackle Golden pheasant body feather dyed black Head hackle Black hen Thread Black UTC 70
Salmon and sea-trout anglers will attest to the power of yellow paired with black, and I can tell you that the combination works just as well for browns and rainbows, too. This Crippler pattern makes the most of that strong contrast, which is further enhanced against a backdrop of silver.
