Partridge and Olive

[Henrik Thomsen (DK) 0]

Partrige and Olive – A “North Country Spider”

 

The Spider patterns are old traditional English flies from the country around the river Wharfedale.
They are seen as imitations of nymphs, emergers or still borns.

I use Pearsalls Gosamer Silk, since it is both the thread that gives the nicest fly, and the original material for this pattern.

Yellow silk will become olive when waxed.

If you prefer to use standard synthetic tying thread, use a light olive thick thread like 6/0.

 

Hook: Wet fly size 16

Thread: Yellow silk (waxed) or olive 6/0 round thread

Hackle: Partridge

 

1. Yellow silk, will become olive when waxed. The thread that lays from lower left till upper right is waxed.

 

2. Fasten the thread with 3 turns

 

3. Select an appropriate hackle, 12-15 fibers needed.

 

4. Tie in the hackle as shown with three turns (all turns are side by side)

 

5. Cut the end of the thread and the tip of the feather

 

6. Turn the thread in close turns til just above the hook point. (count the total number of turns

 

7. Turn the thread back again, same number of turns, leaving you three turns from the hackle.

 

8. Turn the hackle towards the rear, lock it with two turns of thead and pass through the hackle. Du a three turns whip finish.

 

Fly is done, please note the sparse hackle

 

 

 

[rockworm 0]

Nice SBS! If anyone is buying silk for this pattern you want Pearsall's #3: "Primrose" which becomes olive when waxed with cobbler's wax (which is a dark amber-brown.) Most dubbing wax won't give the desired results.

[Crackaig 0]

It's good to see you have used an appropriate hook. If you look at the illustrations in the famous books on North Country Flies they are all tied short on slightly long shanked hooks. This makes me wonder why Partridge's new spider hooks are very short in the shank.

 

The recipe you have given, Yellow (Primrose) silk (waxed) and a hackle from a Partridge, is the recipe for the Partridge and Yellow. The only fly I know of called the Partridge and Olive is a Hans Weilenmann pattern, but is significantly different to yours.

 

The hackle you have chosen, grey hackle from a brown partridge, is the one used in the partridge and yellow. The Partridge and Orange uses the darker hackles tinged with brown (not the brown barred ones) from the same bird.

 

The Yellow Partridge (we tend to call them Yellow Partridge and Orange Partridge to distinguish the traditional fly from the many, many variations out there) is one of my least productive North Country Flies. There are a couple lurking in the corner of my box, but, these days, they don't often get a swim. When I have used them they have only ever accounted for 1 grayling (Off the R. Wharfe). A more typical cast for me would be Orange Partridge, (point) Dark Watchet, or Waterhen Bloa (middle), and Hare's Lug 'n' Plover (top). The Hare's Lug 'n' Plover has out produced all the other spiders I have fished together.

 

Still it is one of the classics, and may be worth more attention than I give it.

 

Cheers,

C.