Wyatt's DHE/DH sedge

[mattheweastham]

I read Bob Wyatt's excellent book 'Trout Hunting' a few years ago and have just finished re-reading this week. This year I have been using the DHE fly on my local rivers with great success. I have to admit that in the past I'd shied away from it a bit as I hate tying with deerhair, prefering his snowshoe hare version as an olive imitation. But the DHE has been a revelation to me this time around and I regret not using it earlier.

I noticed Wyatt's endorsment of this fly and the similar deerhair sedge job, for Scottish loch fishing. He advocates use of the latter as a top dropper pattern particularly. I tied 15 of these up yesterday in different seal fur body colours, size 12-14 and I'm looking to use them on Skye next month. They've maybe come out a bit heavier dressed than Wyatt's - a bit like 'smuddlers' (if any of you remember that Rod Tye article in T&S a few years back). Any of you lads found Wyatt's patterns to be handy on the lochs?

On a similar note, if you can offer any advice on useful patterns for the Storr Lochs (mid July), and nearby lochans, I'd be very grateful.

Cheers,
Matt

[Malcolm]

Alan on here uses the DHE on wild waters I believe but he seldom catches fish better than 5lb. 

[Clan Ford]

I've done really well with the a DHS in July on Islay, top fly, nothing can beat it!  Especially with a orange seal fur body.  I'd imagine it would do well on the Storr Lochs.

Norm

[Part-time]

I like the DHS for lochs as well; fiery red SLF body version is my favorite. The CDC&Elk, which also gets a mention in trout Hunting, is also worth a try on the lochs.

However, I seldom catch trout more than a pound

[Tim]

Always have a dark claret sedge on the top dropper whether static or pulled. Bibio version with globrite red was doing good work in Sutherland last week too. Boy was doing great work with a dark olive DHE in Assynt in bright weather on Sunday and Monday.

Tim

[snb]

I've just added another post asking the same questions of the very same fly, should have checked here first!

It's not a fly I've ever used but after reading other people's opinion of them I'm quite intrigued to see how I get on with it. Only 11 days till I'm heading up the A835 as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning!

[deergravy]

Putting subsurface / wet flies to one side, Wyatt's deer hair sedge and deer hair emerger are, for me, unsurpassed surface flies for loch fishing.
In fact, I'd rate the DHE as the most generally reliable dry fly you can put before a rising fish, river or loch, like most great flies it's a generic template. Vary the size and colour.
Deerhair Sedge is usually a miracle worker on lochs, actually I now routinely tie them with rubber legs and an extra wing halfway along the shank - more bouyancy and movement.
Rough rule of thumb - if casting at rising fish, DHE, static,
for a search fly, DHS left static then twitched, or figure-eighted back.

[deergravy]

Fish, being contrary buggers, will always find ways to confound your most meticulous theory. This is what keeps it interesting - you will never figure this shit out!
But surface/imitative fishing has a logic to it - I know that ,say, a #14 DHE with a grey/brown slim fur body looks like any number of food items, suspended from the surface.
Wet flies - who knows why a fish might take a Kate Mclaren and not a Butcher?
The only option is to be guided by experience  (and then chuck that in the bin when it doesnae work!)

All hail the Loch Ordie, whatever the feck that's meant to be!
And my new fave, the Black crow - it's just red and black hackles palmered on a hook.

[Traditionalist]

Generic template is a good phrase, its what a fly is in many ways, the closer to generic it gets the more effective in the long term, the majority of most trout's diet has to be the nymphs, emerger and fly of waterborne flies, at those times they are most available, no accident that most would site the stage that appears most when they go fishing, i.e.. myself and dave, generally evening so DHE, but during the day,  DHS when there is nothing in particular hatching and fish are more likely to go for something opportunistic.

i have yet to understand the theory behind wet flies with the same logic that applies to dry flies, but opportunistic seems close, why people attach relevance to different colours of wet flies is even more confusing, kate mclaren certainly works but I personally don't have any way of quantifying a kate mclaren's success over any other wet fly, its a great debate that never really reaches a conclusion, but i reckon i could catch more fish with one fly than Kingsmill Moore could with 100, if he was alive of course :lol:

You can only use sensible logic, ( yes. there are other types!), with regard to fly choice,if you set your selection up in a logical manner to begin with. Trying to select something from a general random ragbag of flies is often unsuccessful. Not least because you don't really know what you have or how to use it, and you are also spoiled for choice.

If you are going to go the generic route, which is very successful indeed when practiced correctly, then you still need a good basic selection of generics. Most of the time it doesn't actually matter much which ones you choose originally as long as you have a general idea when and how to use them.  Some people do very well with just a couple of fairly vague generics.

Using specific imitations correctly requires a lot more work to begin with. It is usually more successful than just using generics, but that depends very heavily indeed on the skill and knowledge of the person using them.

Even if you use worms, there are people who will still catch better than you simply because they are better at it.

With regard to the DHE and the CDC and Elk, both are excellent generics, and can also be made more specific if desired. I prefer to use my own patterns, but I have used these and others quite successfully.

For most people half a dozen really well chosen flies would suffice for the majority of the time. Still doesn't stop them carrying hundreds of patterns and hardly ever knowing what to choose!

Of MAJOR importance in many cases is how the flies are dressed.

TL
MC

[Traditionalist]

Don't think I have posted this here before, it is quite relevant. I wrote it a long time ago but a recent post here brought it to mind;

An angler went a fishing, with hopes exceeding high,
reaching the stream, he grabbed his gear, and tried to choose a fly.
First he looked at pheasant tails, in every shade and hue,
but then his eye caught woolly worms, of which he had a few,
From dry flies back to wet flies, and sorting through his nymphs,
he chopped and changed and hesitated, at every single glimpse.
The fish were rising madly, taking everything that flew,
but still the angler sought in vain, he did not have a clue.

"Well met my brother piscator", another angler hailed,
"How are you faring? Well I hope". "No, up to now I´ve failed.
My casting it is perfect, I have trained for many a year,
and the stream I know it well of course, I often fish it here,
the ways of fish and insects, are also quite well known,
and I have a copy of every one, that here has ever flown,
all this avails me naught I fear, of little use my constant muse,
out of all my large filled boxes, a fly I can not choose".


"That really is a problem, should I then have a look?,
out of all the lovely flies you have, one must bring you luck".
"I know, I know", the angler wailed, his anguish giving voice,
"but now I have so many flies, that I am spoiled for choice.
How have you done then, my friend, how many have you caught?
or has your day been lost as well, in long and useless thought?".
"Oh my creel is full", the angler said, "with good fish as you see,
I have no problems choosing flies, I only possess three".


"I started with a black one, and then used green and brown,
I don´t know what they imitate, but the fish just gulped them down".
"What patterns then?" Our angler cried, frustrated, full of anguish,
"Tell me the names of these great flies, let me not in ignorance languish,
I am fairly certain if I knew, that lovely fish then I would also catch,
please tell me what the patterns are, so I may match the hatch".
"I would really like to help you, but to my everlasting shame,
I don´t know what the things are called, they may even have no name".


"I always use the same ones, and with considerable success,
but I know not what these things are called, what they imitate? Much less.
You may try one if you like though, you can even use my gear,
see, a lovely fish is rising, under the weeping willow here".
"I thank you brother angler, I would most gratefully essay a cast,
I would so like to catch a fish, before the opportunity is past"
No sooner said, than done, the gear was handed out,
and angler then essayed his cast, to the large and wary trout.


A perfect rise! A perfect strike! And battle then commenced,
and anglers blood went rushing, as the old rod strongly tensed,
the line sang loudly in the wind, as did the old and creaking reel,
while  angler plied them with the greatest skill, the mighty fish to creel.
Long minutes passed, though time stood still, the fish made one last run,
with the greatest care the net was readied, as the fish was not yet done.
Shaking with excitement, but still with perfect nerves, and icy calm,
the fish was landed then at last, and lay there cradled in the anglers palm.


"My friend I thank you heartily, capturing such a prize has made my day,
Do me the honour of your company a while, as we wander on our way.
Your gear is old but solid, and your flies are perfect works of art,
tell me something of yourself, or better yet come sup with me, before we part".
"Right gladly will I do so Sir, congratulations on your lovely fish,
I am glad that I could help a little, in helping you to gain your fervent wish".
The sun sinks ever lower in the summer sky, and at last the day then ends,
its final rays, illuminating strangers of the morning, now forever friends.


TL
MC