Tying Simple Sea Trout Flies for Night Fishing
My experience leads me to suspect that sea trout flies for night fishing need not be complicated. Indeed, I am inclined to think “the simpler the better”. What I now try to achieve in my sea trout flies is a slim impression of an item of food, something the sea trout has recently been preying on while at sea (more often than not a small fish or sandeel) and, although not actively feeding in the river on his return from the saltwater, will recognise as prey, something which will stimulate an instictive reaction, to chase and catch it. Success in creating such an illusion can most effectively be achieved I think by tying a sparse fly on a slim tube or hook. Even a body dressing is unnecessary, especially if tying on a siver tube or hook, and colour is of little importance, as sea trout can no more see colour at night than we can. A bit of contrast and a little flash may be useful but the essence of an effective sea trout night fly lies, in my view, in its simplicity. This perception is, for me, very convenient, as it allows me to believe that my very simple and quickly tied flies might be fished with absolute confidence, and so it has proved over the years, to me at least. Those unpractised in the art of fly tying might take encouragement from this and they will surely find that, in a very short time, they will be able to tie simple sea trout flies that will catch sea trout at night as well as any other.
The flies illustrated below are the kind of flies I have routinely fished at night, with reasonable success, for many years. The materials are few and applied sparingly, comprising little more than a few hairs and a hackle. The hackle need not even be wound round the tube or hook shank, but may be tied in as a beard hackle, in the same way as the hair wing. A whip finish at the head may usefully be applied, but may be omitted if need be, substituting a thorough application of superglue and a drop of varnish to hold everything together. For both the beginner and the more experienced fisher or fly tyer, I can recommend such flies for sea trout night fishing on our British rivers.
Tying A Simple Sea Trout Single Fly
This is one of the simplest flies imaginable, yet it is a very effective fly fished in the first hour or two of darkness. Like many of the flies/lures we use for trout, salmon and sea trout, it is more impressionistic than imitative, representing nothing in particular. Depending on how it is fished, it might be taken by the sea trout for an insect, shrimp or small fish, or simply as something alive and therefore suitable prey to be pursued. Colours may be varied to taste or to create differences in tone and contrast. Below I illustrate the few simple steps in its dressing.
The hair wing in the above fly might be replaced by a mallard wing, as in Hugh Falkus’s Medicine Fly …
Colour and size may be altered to create variations on the theme, simple flies all equally effective in the early part of the night
Simple Tube Flies for Sea Trout
Later in the night, some time after midnight when the night is really dark, the smaller singles may lose their appeal and something a bit bigger, though still slim and sparse, may be more successful in attracting the waning attention of the sea trout. The tube fly shown below is just as easily dressed as the single above, in very much the same way. It can be tied very simply by anyone just setting out on their sea trout fishing and fly tying adventures. As with the single, colours may be varied at will.
Tying a Simple Tube Fly for Sea Trout Night Fishing
Simple and Effective
Colours and sizes may be varied to taste. The tube flies below have been dressed very simply on stainless steel Needle Tubes of 15 to 25mm in length, with an outside diameter of 1.5mm. The wing is grey squirrel tail, dyed black, with a sparse beard of dyed rooster or cock hackle underneath. If the silver tube is not considered flashy enough, additional flash can be incorporated in the dressing, as above, if desired. The tube may be armed with single, double or treble hook. The hooks shown below are Gamakatsu F31, size 8, also an excellent hook for tying sea trout singles, as above.
Our sea trout tubes may be dressed in a variety of styles and sizes, a few of which are shown below. None need be very complicated.
