Der Geschwader

[speydulika]

The Dressing




Hook: Partridge SLD Size 20 (still available from James McDonald and 3 boxes turned up at my house yesterday)
Thread: Sheer 14/0 black
Hackle: Grizzle cock from the base of the cape
Body: 2 strands of natural peacock herl







It's gonna be a warm weekend again. All fishes please report to the surface

[Bobfly]

On such small flies is an upturned eye, or straight, any better than the normal down turned eye as they would allow a slightly more open gap to the point of the hook ??

[speydulika]

The Partridge SLD has a very large gape in relation to its size as has the Daiichi Size 24 that I used on my earlier posting of the Sparkle Gnat. Upturned eyed hooks were not really designed to offer a larger gape on hooks they were designed to enhance the grip offered when using a TURLE OR TURTLE KNOT . Following the link will give you a You Tube clip about how to tie them.

[Bobfly]

If you think on it, the logic that an upturned eye matches with a Turl knot then so too does a downturned eye and the Turl should go on the underneath side !!! The intention is a straight leader alignment and primarily intended for salmon flies.
Sometimes I wonder if there is too much "bulk" on some flies that infills the gape. Handy to know that these Partridge hooks have a wide gape. Their fairly recent Classic Spider hooks have that.