THE WILLOW FLY 107 



7. THE WILLOW FLY. 



Another pattern which for some unexplained reason 

 kills best when fished sunk or flush with the surface is the 

 spent Willow Fly. I have killed scores of fish with it sunk 

 for one which I have killed with it floating. Yet I first 

 made the observation of the natural fly, which induced me 

 to imitate it with its fine wings spread out flat to right 

 and left of the hook, on a mill-cauld on the Coquet where 

 the flies were coming down spent on the surface. 



It is true that the various Yorkshire patterns dressed to 

 simulate Perlida?, such as Brown Owl and Dark and Light 

 Woodcock and Orange, are all tied to sink, and are fished 

 wet. But these are for rough tumbling streams, while the 

 successes with the wet spent pattern of which I write 

 have been nearly all attained upon smooth, even, limestone 

 and chalk streams. 



