THE BLACK POSSUM
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| COPYRIGHT MATS OLSSON - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
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| COPYRIGHT MATS OLSSON - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
This is my favorite flymph (not a spider) which I designed for like 15 years or so ago. At first I didn't tie it with a body made with a Dick Clarke spinning block. I just spun the body onto the tying thread. These two are tied that way though. The first one fat and the other slim. Have to excuse myself that it was quite some years ago I made flies with this method although it's a fascinating one.
There is a story behind this particular fly. I had found a lovely small lake with very nice trout that readily took a dry fly. In the fall that year, when there were a lot of sedge or caddis flies around I naturally tried some dry patterns that are supposed to imitate them. I just spooked the trout all the time. They just wouldn't take my fly. I gave quite some consideration to this problem. Finally I designed the Black Possum and treated it with floatant to act as a dry fly. The fly became a wonderful success! It's one of the most "killing patterns" that I've designed up to this date. Usually I use it as a dry fly in different sizes. Sometimes though I also use it wet just below the surface and it produces this way too like when a trout has taken the flymph and you wash the slime off and just continue fishing. Now just below the surface.
This makes me recall a fishing trip to this lake in the beginning of the summer. It was in the evening and I saw trout probably taking something below the surface. Anyway I put on a little Black Possum trying it dry. I couls see movements below the fly but no takes at all. Thinking about this I finally gave some motion to the fly and wham it was taken by a 2+ lb trout. The fly was easy to regain but now full of slyme. I rinsed it off and just threw it out again. Didn't feel that I had the time to change to another dry one. Kaboom and it was violently struck by a 3 or 3+ lb trout when I took home the fly slowly. Finally I had taken 9 gogeous trout weighing from 2+ lb to perhaps 4 lb. They were all taken on the same fly and at the same place. Naturally most of them were released again but some for the table too.
This is not an isolated event when trout readily have taken the Black Possum. I have a very fond memory of a trout taking a floating Black Possum. It was about ten years ago. The 15th of Oktober was the date (wich year I've forgotten) and I knew that this would be the last fishing trip of the year. I don't remember much of what happened before dusk but at that time I saw a nice brown surface feeding. I approached carefully with my #1-2 7' carbon fiber rod loaded with a Black Possum. The first cast I just let go and watched the fly floating. After a short time the trout took it quiet and slow but I was like a loaded spring and snatched the fly out of the mouth of the trout before he had time to close it. Luckily I hadn't spooked the trout. It started to feed and I could breathe again. Another cast and the same waiting for the trout to take and it did. This time I forced myself to wait until the floating tippet moved and then when lifting the rod I could feel that the trout was hooked. A one and a half hour of tug of war started since I didn't have a net. But finally I had it. A beautiful 20" trout. So you can understand why I hold this fly in high regard.
Here comes the tying instructions if you would like to try it out:
Hook: TMC 103BL 11-21 (All sizes)
Dubbing: Black Australian Opossum (Hence the name)
Either dubbed on the tying thread or premade with
a dubbing block. (In my next post I plan to explain
the use of a dubbing block)
Hackle: Genetic Grizzly Hen Hackle
Tail: Same as hackle
There is a story behind this particular fly. I had found a lovely small lake with very nice trout that readily took a dry fly. In the fall that year, when there were a lot of sedge or caddis flies around I naturally tried some dry patterns that are supposed to imitate them. I just spooked the trout all the time. They just wouldn't take my fly. I gave quite some consideration to this problem. Finally I designed the Black Possum and treated it with floatant to act as a dry fly. The fly became a wonderful success! It's one of the most "killing patterns" that I've designed up to this date. Usually I use it as a dry fly in different sizes. Sometimes though I also use it wet just below the surface and it produces this way too like when a trout has taken the flymph and you wash the slime off and just continue fishing. Now just below the surface.
This makes me recall a fishing trip to this lake in the beginning of the summer. It was in the evening and I saw trout probably taking something below the surface. Anyway I put on a little Black Possum trying it dry. I couls see movements below the fly but no takes at all. Thinking about this I finally gave some motion to the fly and wham it was taken by a 2+ lb trout. The fly was easy to regain but now full of slyme. I rinsed it off and just threw it out again. Didn't feel that I had the time to change to another dry one. Kaboom and it was violently struck by a 3 or 3+ lb trout when I took home the fly slowly. Finally I had taken 9 gogeous trout weighing from 2+ lb to perhaps 4 lb. They were all taken on the same fly and at the same place. Naturally most of them were released again but some for the table too.
This is not an isolated event when trout readily have taken the Black Possum. I have a very fond memory of a trout taking a floating Black Possum. It was about ten years ago. The 15th of Oktober was the date (wich year I've forgotten) and I knew that this would be the last fishing trip of the year. I don't remember much of what happened before dusk but at that time I saw a nice brown surface feeding. I approached carefully with my #1-2 7' carbon fiber rod loaded with a Black Possum. The first cast I just let go and watched the fly floating. After a short time the trout took it quiet and slow but I was like a loaded spring and snatched the fly out of the mouth of the trout before he had time to close it. Luckily I hadn't spooked the trout. It started to feed and I could breathe again. Another cast and the same waiting for the trout to take and it did. This time I forced myself to wait until the floating tippet moved and then when lifting the rod I could feel that the trout was hooked. A one and a half hour of tug of war started since I didn't have a net. But finally I had it. A beautiful 20" trout. So you can understand why I hold this fly in high regard.
Here comes the tying instructions if you would like to try it out:
Hook: TMC 103BL 11-21 (All sizes)
Dubbing: Black Australian Opossum (Hence the name)
Either dubbed on the tying thread or premade with
a dubbing block. (In my next post I plan to explain
the use of a dubbing block)
Hackle: Genetic Grizzly Hen Hackle
Tail: Same as hackle
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| COPYRIGHT MATS OLSSON - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
The picture above shows The Black Possum using the method of dubbing the possum fur directly onto the tying thread. As seen above I plan to explain the use of a dubbing block in my next post since I think that this method enhances the fly by making it more "buggy". So until then ...
TO BE CONTINUED ...
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Beautiful simple pattern.
SvaraRaderaMy kind of fly.
Thanks for your comment Alan! Not just simple but also a "killer" as W. C. Stewart would have put it.
SvaraRadera