Supplementary Series Flies | T C Ivens Reservoir Fly Angler

T C IVENS' SUPPLEMENTARY SERIES OF FLY PATTERNS

Tom Ivens' supplementary series of flies, which were first published in the third edition of Stillwater Fly-Fishing were designed to overcome some of the new problems that arose with the opening of Grafham Water.

Whilst not being as well known and well-used as his first set they are still worth trying and using.

In a few instances Ivens did not record the hook recommended sizes and where this is the case the sizes are identified on this page with an asterisk*. Similarly dressing materials not listed are identified with an asterisk*.

Gentile

Hook: Wet fly hook sizes 11 - 16
Tying thread: Black
Body: Dubbed mixture of white and yellow chopped wool mixed together, tied to a maggot shape slender at the bend and thickening towards the head
Hackle: Ginger hen collar hackle, clipped short
Head: Tying thread, clear varnished

Buzzer

Hook: Wet fly hook sizes 9 - 10
Tying thread: Black
Body: Black, claret or emerald-green wool tied part way round the bend, ribbed with fine silver wire
Wing case: Short tuft of white wool, hair or feather fibre
Head: Peacock herl twisted and wound to form a bold head
Variants: the colour of the wool and rib can be permutated endlessly to match the creature on the water. No doubt smaller hook sizes to those recommended would prove to be just as, or even more, successful

Cinnamon & Gold

Hook: Wet fly hook sizes 9 - 15
Tying thread: Black
Body: Oval or flat gold tinsel
Hackle: Ginger cock collar hackle (doubled), two turns
Wing: Bunch of ginger cock hackle fibres or cinnamon partridge wing
Head: Tying thread, clear varnished
Variants: The wing may be omitted in size 13 and smaller

Polar Bear

Hook: Long shank lure hook sizes 4 - 8
Tying thread: White
Body: White fur, hair, wool or chenille, ribbed with flat silver tinsel
Wing: White polar bear hair (alternatively use white swan herl or ram's wool)
Head: Tying thread, clear varnished
Variant: It may be tied with two hooks in tandem

Black Knight

Hook: Wet fly hook sizes 6 - 12*
Tying thread: Black
Body: Oval gold or oval silver tinsel, or alternatively flat tinsel over-ribbed with oval tinsel for extra flash
Hackle: Black hen collar hackle, three turns
Head: Tying Thread, clear varnished

Hairwing Butcher

Hook: Wet fly hook sizes 6 - 12*
Tying thread: Black
Tail: Red ibis (substitute)
Body: Flat silver tinsel, over-ribbed with oval silver tinsel
Hackle: Black hen throat hackle
Wing: Black squirrel hair, tied to lie low over the body like a streamer wing
Head: Tying thread, clear varnished
Variant: Also recommended was the he traditional feather-winged Butcher incorporating a wing of blue/black mallard feather

Fuzzy Buzzy

Hook: Dry fly hook size 10*
Tying thread: Dark brown*
Body: Dark brown tying thread*
Legs: Six cock pheasant centre tail fibres, each knotted once and tied at 90 degrees to the hook shank, three on either side*
Wing: Two brown cock hackles, one tied each side at 90 degrees to the hook shank*
Head/thorax: Peacock herl*

Daddy Long Legs (or Crane Fly)

This pattern is illustrated in the colour plate of Stillwater Fly-Fishing but not described in the dressing menu or mentioned in the text for reasons that are not explained

Hook: Dry fly hook size 10*

Tying thread: Dark brown*

Body: Dark brown tying thread*

Legs: Six cock pheasant centre tail fibres, each knotted once and tied at 90 degrees to the hook shank, three on either side*

Wing: Two brown cock hackles, one tied each side at 90 degrees to the hook shank*

Head/thorax: Peacock herl*

Black & Peacock Tandem Streamer

Hooks: Two size 10 wet fly hooks tied in tandem
Tying thread: Black
Front body: Oval gold or oval silver tinsel, or alternatively flat tinsel over-ribbed with oval tinsel for extra flash
Front hackle: Black hen collar hackle, three turns
Wing: black-dyed polar bear hair mixed with a few strands of peacock herl
Front head: Tying thread, clear varnished
Rear body: Oval gold or oval silver tinsel, or alternatively flat tinsel over-ribbed with oval tinsel for extra flash
Rear hackle: Black hen collar hackle, three turns
Rear head: Tying thread, clear varnished
Variants: Tom Ivens' other flasher patterns can all be tied in tandem format or as a streamer as desired

Whisky Fly

Hook: Long shank hook sizes 6 – 9
Tying thread: Orange
Tag: Red fluorescent floss or wool
Body: Oval gold tinsel
Hackle: Hot orange-dyed calf tail, polar bear hair or coarse wool
Wing: Hot orange-dyed calf tail, polar bear hair or coarse wool
Head: Red fluorescent floss or wool, clear varnished; or red varnish
Variants: Tom Ivens used four different versions of this fly, all of which appeared to kill equally well.

Muddler Minnow

Hook: Long shank hook sizes 6 – 9
Tying thread: Black
Tail: Brown turkey
Body: Oval gold tinsel
Wing: Brown turkey
Head: Spun natural deer hair trimmed to form a bold, ball-shaped head with a few fibres left above and below the hook shank pointing towards the rear as a throat hackle and an over-wing
Variant: The Whisky Muddler, based on the previous pattern, substitutes hot orange-dyed hair for the tail and wing.

Sticky Willy

Hook: Wet fly or long shank hook sizes 6 – 12*
Tying thread: None
Body: Assorted mixture of white hair, wool, feather or fur cut into 3/16 inch to 1/2 inch lengths blended together, glued to the hook shank with Evo-Stik or Araldite, allowed to dry and then finally clipped to a maggot shape
Head: None

Tying instructions together with suggestions of when and how to fish the flies are detailed in The Fly Fishing Legacy of T C Ivens (Welford Court Press) to be published in late-2021.