The Snowdrop
The Snowdrop
A misunderstanding, going back to April 1988 is responsible for the conception
of this, really easy to tie, pattern. Raymond Richard Robinson gave me, on the
banks of the Owenea, the description of a superb sea trout fly, which,
unfortunately, was not available in the shops anymore.
What I produced, according to his description, disappointed him slightly; sort
of. We put it on nevertheless: caught sea trout, brown trout and even a good
few salmon as extra bonus on it.
It should always be fished at the point, the currants have to play with it.
Early season brown trout are very keen on the fly.
Size 10 to 14 ( singles for trout, trebles for salmon ) is what Snowdrops are
best tied on.
Materials:
Thread - black
Tag - oval silver
Tail - few fibres of a white hen hackle
Body - flat silver
Ribbing - oval silver
Hackle - white hen or cock, two turns
Top Ten
Flies for Ireland
Hilariously funny, seriously, this is angling's answer to "Last Of The Summer
Wine"! .....Ray Robinson is a real life "Compo" who goes fishing with Dietrich
Bohnhorst.....I give it 10 out of 10.....a must have DVD for all the
family.
Roger Baker, Irish Angler Magazine
This DVD is a must for every fisherman who wants to learn the delicate art of
flytying.
The beautiful scenery enhances the pleasure of this film, as does the dry
humour of his eccentric English friend "the great Raymondo". Watch as they
tramp the landscape, dressed as if extras in Monty Python's Quest for the Holy
Grail, (which in a sense they are, in a fishy sort of way).
Great Entertainment for all the Family
114 minutes of fly-tying and fishing. Dietrich Bohnhorst's entertaining and
practical guide for every game angler. On DVD for only EURO 20
or order by phone
Tel.: ++353-(0)74-97 36922
Wind in Willie
Paddy O' stood in the door of his cottage. He looked down to the river; it had
rained all day yesterday and half the night. Now it looked like the sun would
appear any moment to break the clouds and turn it into a good day, good enough
to work in the bog.
Paddy walked over to the shed, got his rod, an ancient split cane with
Nottingham-reel. The rings, zinced wire, bent and wound on with insulating
tape, didn't look as elegant as the original ones had, but they did the job. He
always kept worms in the old paint bucket.
Working in the bog and fishing belonged together, always had. The river was
just below and when a fresh fish showed, everything was dropped in favour of a
half hour's fishing. For generations that has been the custom, the pool was
even named after Paddy's family.
Turning turf and heaping it, always six or seven pieces, stack beside stack,
that was what Paddy wanted to do that day: getting the turf ready to dry - and
maybe there was a chance of catching a fish. The rain should have brought a few
salmon up.
So, our man walked down to the bog with his gear. Almost deaf William M. sat
already at the pool, carefully watching his rod tip, a fact which didn't
disturb Paddy at first.
Old Willie always sinks his worms with much too much lead, he hasn't a clue how
to catch salmon. You have to comb the pool with your worm; just a few shots of
lead; it's a skill man; Paddy leant his rod against a bright yellow blooming
gorse bush and began heaping turf.
Willie didn't see the fish rolling in the middle of the currant.
Paddy did. Just head and tail; he saw that it was a fresh fish too, shining
silver fifteen pounds or so. And he guessed: the only place worth fishing for
that salmon is exactly where old Willie sits.
Another stack of turf heaped, Paddy O' straightened to stretch his back, and
that fish showed again; silvery and fresh from the tide, surfaced at the same
spot. Again Willie sat motionless.
Has he gone blind on top of his deafness? Paddy grabbed rod and worm bucket,
walked over to the river, placed himself right beside Willie.
Hallo Paddy, that's a grand day today now.
Not too bad. Paddy watched Willie reading the words off his lips, spoke slow
and clear: how is the fishing going, anything happening?
Willie shook his head haven't seen a thing, maybe it's still a bit early in the
year.
Haven't seen a thing, repeated Paddy very low, hardly moving his lips at all
this time, his thoughts already racing ahead.
But you never know, maybe there's an odd one around, Willie gazed at his rod
tip. Paddy stared at the place where the salmon had splashed, then slowly back
to Willie on his rock and at the stone on the ground behind Willie. Paddy
carefully walked a step back, then like lightening he bent down, grabbed the
stone and hid it behind his back. A glance down at Willie convinced him the
action had passed unnoticed. Paddy reached back a long way and threw as far as
he could down river.
Poor Willie didn't hear the impact; the schemer had to tap his shoulder and
point out the big concentric rings, there was a good fish below, he said loud
and clear into Willie's face.
The trick worked well: it didn't take a minute and poor Willie walked down
river to cast his worms at exactly that place where the stone had landed.
Paddy O' baited up. The worms passed the spot three times , the fourth time he
felt a gentle tug, waited a few seconds, struck hard. The fish raced down
river, the old Nottingham reel rattled and screamed. Wind in Willie! Paddy
foresaw disaster, wind in Willie!! he screamed. But Willie sat motionless at
his rod, only when his rod tip jolted vehemently, because the hooked salmon
swam across the line, that he got up and struck.
Paddy's rod jerked down heftily before it swung up again; he retrieved the
broken and slack line immediately.
Did you see that !? Willie, who still had no clue what had happened to him,
turned round, did you see that take?! But I must have missed him somehow; would
you believe it?!
Looked like a very good fish Willie, very good fish, said Paddy, not too loud,
before he walked back to his bog. That day he didn't look down to the pool
again, to see whether a fresh salmon might show.
DEDICATION
In 1995 Dietrich Bohnhorst and Ray Robinson produced DEDICATION, a four part movie, following two dedicated fly-fishers through various entertaining and exciting expeditions on land and sea in the North-West of Ireland.
After DEDICATION was shown on European TV via French Station AB-Sat and in
North America via a cable network it became somewhat of an angler's cult film.
All 107 minutes of DEDICATION are available for only €20 on DVD;
or order by phone
Tel.: ++353-(0)74-97 36922
DEDICATION is not a how to or where to go program. It's a slice of life.
