The Claret Hedgehog Fly Pattern, tied on an Partridge G3A Sproat
In his latest blog, Allan Liddle discusses a personal favourite, the Hedgehog Fly Pattern.
I love Hedgehog flies and have written about this pattern many times and no doubt will do so again.
For me, this is the most successful loch pattern I know and one that is both very versatile as well as giving the tyer (and angler) the opportunity to tie and fish these in a vast array of colours and sizes.
I love to fish these ‘on top’, (or more accurately ‘in the top’ as the half-submerged low riding profile of this fly makes for such an attractive mouthful for a hungry hunting trout). I make sure to liberally apply loads of floatant gel, rubbed well into the materials of the fly, both the wing and the body.
This claret version is one I like to use in peat-coloured lochs and is fished either static drift, figure of eight or short sharp pulls (as the fly was originally designed to be pulled below the surface film and then with a pause in the retrieve allowed to ‘pop’ back up onto the surface again which can be devastatingly effective in my experience).
The Claret Hedgehog Fly:
| Hook: | Partridge G3A Sproat #10 – #14 |
| Thread: | Semperfli red 8/0 waxed Thread |
| Tag: | Guff Red UV resin |
| Body: | Claret Semerseal, seals fur substitute |
| Wing: | Natural Roe Deer hair (tied in small bunches on top of the hook from back to front) |
| Legs: | Semperfli pre-knotted red pheasant tail legs |
| Head: | Semperfli red Ice Dubbing picked well out and brushed back over the fly |
In terms of hooks size, I use a size 10 hook for really heavy waves, but I’ll also drop these down to a size 14 and also like to fish the ‘Hogs’ for stocked fish as I find they can also be deadly on our stillwater’s.
Completed Hedgehog Fly
Without doubt one of the most consistent catching flies for wild loch trout is the now modern classic Hedgehog.
Allan Liddle
Based in Moray in Scotland's North East, Allan has specialises with the wild trout from the rivers and burns, lochs and lochans throughout Mainland Scotland and the Isles.
A strong passion for fishing simple dries he feels there's nothing better than to see the fish take off the top, but isn't slow to fish a range of different styles when mood or conditions dictate. Although trout is his first love Allan occasionally chases the Salmon, Grayling stocked fish and even dabbles in salt water when the chance arises.
More from Allan:
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