Sea Trout Favourite Flies

These are selections for both loch and river, and some are also good brown trout patterns as well. Favourites for night fishing on the rivers are Squirrel and Silver, Stoat's Tail and Watson's Fancy. The Kingfisher Butcher is a good point fly for the lochs, with Silver Doctor, Heckham Peckham, Black and Orange and Peter Ross being good all-rounders. It's difficult to imagine anything more exciting than wading a river in the dark, casting away for perhaps an hour, and the having the inevitable powerhouse take. If your doctor has warned you not to get too excited, you'd better not go after sea trout at night. They are terrific!

Heckham Peckham

This well known fly was first used for catching sea trout on the Scottish east-coast rivers. It is a proven sea trout favourite and is not too bad for catching rainbows and browns too.

Dressing

Hook:               Size 12, 10 or 8.

Tying Silk:       Black.

Tail:                 Golden pheasant tippet.

Body:               Red wool or seal's fur ribbed with silver wire.

Hackle:            Dark brown hen.

Wing:               White-tipped mallard drake.

Head:               Black varnish.

Squirrel and Silver

This is a good lure for both rainbow and brown trout, best method is to let the lure sink well down and to make a steady retrieve, this has proven itself on rivers and reservoirs such as the vast Rutland water. It has also had some good results for sea trout.

Dressing

Hook:               Size 12, 10, 8 or 6.

Tying Silk:       Black.

Tail:                 Red wool or hackle fibres.

Body:               Silver tinsel.

Hackle:            Silver mallard fibres.

Wing:               Natural squirrel tail.

Head:               Black varnish.

Peter Ross

This famous fly has never done much for me although it is a very popular fly among anglers, having said that, I have caught a few decent sea trout while using it on the river and friends of mine have had good bags using in Ireland on Lough Innagh.

Dressing

Hook:               Size 14, 12, 10 or 8.

Tying Silk:       Black.

Tail:                 Golden pheasant tippet.

Body:               Tail half, silver tinsel; front half, bright red seal's fur. Both ribbed with silver oval tinsel.

Hackle:            Black cock.

Wing:               Teal.

Head:               Black varnish.

Black and Orange

This fly seems to work best in its larger sizes. It has been responsible for the downfall of many big fish on the rivers of North Wales, and it fishes well on a sunk line when takes come at the tail of a pool.

Dressing

Hook:               Size 10 or 8.

Tying Silk:       Black.

Tail:                 Golden pheasant tippet.

Body:               Orange seal's fur or substitute ribbed with copper wire.

Hackle:            Black cock.

Wing:               Bronze Mallard.

Head:               Black varnish.

Stoat's Tail

If you are fishing for sea trout with the stoat's tail and there is a salmon about, it will take this fly in preference to any other - at least, that has been my experience while fishing shallow, clear rivers. It is an excellent fly for sea trout in that hour as dusk approaches, when many anglers like to rest a pool. In fact, it has great all-round appeal and seems to work well on all game rivers. Yes, it is a good trout fly as well!

Dressing

Hook:               Size 12, 10 or 8.

Tying Silk:       Black.

Tail:                 Golden pheasant crest.
Tag:                  Silver wire

Body:               Black floss ribbed with silver wire.

Hackle:            Black cock.

Wing:               Black stoat's tail hair or squirrel as a substitute.

Head:               Black varnish.

Watson's Fancy

This fancy fly invented by Donald Watson of Inverness, was originally intended for catching brown trout, and in this respect it has long proved its worth on all the major Scottish lochs, it has also been favoured south of the border, and many well known reservoir men often have a Watson's on their cast. It is also one of the best sea trout flies I know, catching lots of fish in Ireland while being fished from a drifting boat on those Co. Galway lochs.

Dressing

Hook:                Size 12, 10 or 8.

Tying Silk:        Black.

Tail:                  Golden-pheasant crest.

Body:                Rear half, red; front half, black. Use floss wool or seal's fur ribbed with fine oval silver tinsel.

Hackle:             Black cock.

Wing:                Crow wing.
Eyes(optional): Jungle cock or jungle cock substitute                

Head:                Black varnish.

Kingfisher Butcher

This is a great trout fly when fished on the point of a team of wets. It can be used in size 14 and 12 in a light breeze, but in a higher wave a size 10 is better. I feel confident fishing it for rainbows or browns in reservoirs or Scottish lochs, and I am told that it is an excellent sea trout fly and has a reputation of tempting the larger fish at night.

Dressing

Hook:               Size 14, 12, 10 or 8.

Tying Silk:       Black.

Tail:                 Kingfisher-blue hackle-fibres.

Body:               Gold tinsel ribbed with gold wire.

Hackle:            Hot-orange.

Wing:               Blue-black mallard.

Head:               Black varnish.

Silver Doctor

An excellent sea trout fly, this slimmed down version has scored well on the Welsh rivers and is no doubt just as effective on any river in the world. It seems to work best on a sinking line at night, and has been the downfall of known big fish resting in deep pools at times of low water.

Dressing

Hook:               Size 12, 10 or 8.

Tying Silk:       Black.

Tail:                 Golden pheasant tippet.

Body:               Silver tinsel ribbed with silver wire.

Hackle:            Kingfisher-blue cock.

Wing:               Grey feather fibre.

Head:               Black varnish.