Yellow Owl (Curlybum)

[Highlander]

A fellow board member has asked me about this one. A bit of debate on what it actually imitates but more later on that. Old Loch Leven fishers & I consider myself in that category were amazed on occasion with the evening hatches of these large buzzers June to August. These flies whilst I am sure are not just found in The Loch but the pattern I am given is. The local name incidentally is The Curlybum" or on occasion "The Owl". Fished as a top dropper & tripped through the hatching naturals it is the most excellent of patterns. I fished it on a wee double 14 but I am sure a single a size bigger will do nicely.

Dressing:

Yellow Owl
Hook: 14-12
Thread: black
Tail: dark Partridge hackle
Body: primrose yellow floss
Rib: black sewing cotton (tying thread is too fine)
Hackle: dark Partridge
Wing: Hen Pheasant slips

There are a couple more flies in The Owl range of flies.
Ossie's Owl & The Owl
I won't give the dressing as they are similar, though the Owl has a green butt tied round the shank.
Now the controversy, there is a school of thought that The Owl flies actually best represent a hatching Sedge Pupa & as these appear around & at the same time as the Buzzers I can see where they are coming
from. That & the general colour of the fly does indicate Sedge more than Buzzer. All I can add to that is that during a hatch of Curly Bums this wee fly will take them, so what ever the Trout think, the old timers thought that it was the Buzzer then that is good enough for me
Tight Lines

[Ian_M]

That's interesting Highlander, I always considered the Yellow Owl as a sedge pattern. 

I can remember the great hatches of buzzers on Loch Leven and the adults (curlybums) returning to lay eggs in the late evening. We had some fantastic sport in those days.

[The General]

Thank you very much Highlander.    What would the buzzer dressing be if the owl is the sedge.  Any clues.
Would it be worthwhile with a buzzer pattern on the point and first dropper with the owl on the top dropper.

Davie

[Highlander]

That is the question The Owl & The Curly Bum are the same fly. Just the two different schools of thought.
As I said when the Curly Bum was on the water on a summer evening The Yellow Owl took the fish.
My heart says Buzzer my head says Sedge Pupa
You say To-mat-o & I sat To-mate-o

Tight Lines

[Gander]

Highlander,
             Do you wax the Primrose silk as per a Greenwell's Glory, maybe with a lighter wax; or do you leave it uncoated?

[Highlander]

Gander it is not primrose silk for the body. Traditionally is was Pearsall's Marabou Floss ribbed with a thicker black thread. I used Coats Paton Black,
Tight Lines

[Gander]

Gander it is not primrose silk for the body. Traditionally is was Pearsall's Marabou Floss ribbed with a thicker black thread. I used Coats Paton Black,
Tight Lines

Thanks. To comment on your line of thought; I believe there is now a CDC suspender version of the Yellow Owl that has been used with a lot of success on Leven. It does not really answer the question, but would seem to support the thought that it is more likely the buzzer that they are taking the fly for.

[Highlander]

I always thought the buzzer too but I as I said I can see the line of thought for a sedge pupa.
The few times I spooned a fish caught on an Owl it was stuffed with chironomid (Buzzers) so I go with that. It is the sort of fly especially on that water to ring the changes with different materials, so not surprised CDC can be incorporated
I have never been back since the late 70s & the way it is going at the moment, though I do here that since it has "gone back" to a more natural state post Rainbows days I may do so again
Tight Lines