The Truth About Trout Flies, Tony Sloane
THE
PLASTIC
GUM BEETLE
DURING THE summer trout feed on the gum beetles that blow out of the eucalypts
and onto the lakes. Sunny, warm and slightly humid conditions seem to
encourage the beetles to fly. If there is a breeze or a good wind these
terrestrials dot the water in their thousands and the trout, especially
rainbows, soon find them and start to cram them down. On some days they
take the beetles neatly, with little fuss, whilst on others they take
them wildly, with an exaggerated, showy slash at the surface.
In the evenings the trout often mop-up beetles quietly as the wind drops
and the water calms off. Sometimes, though, the water is dotted with the
little yellow pills all day and all evening, and nary a trout shows up
to take them! However, we now know for a fact that the fish will often
feed heavily on them after dark.
It is in the afternoons, though, that it is a delight to fish the P.G.B.
from the boat to rising rainbows. On sunny days polaroid glasses are extremely
useful, making it possible to see fish cruising near the surface, ready
to take your P.G.B. Simply cast it in the path of a cruising or rising
trout and wait for a take! As with conventional dry-fly, pause before
tightening. After taking the fly, fish generally hold it without suspicion
because it feels like the real thing, crunchy on the outside, soft in
the middle.
Mind you, this pattern works very well after dark on days when there has
been no fall of gum beetles! Buzzed gently along the surface it has taken
many fine browns as well as rainbows.
Now comes the difficulty. I don't know the name of the plastic. It's rather
like rubbery, white marshmallow. Recently I discovered that this particular
material is used as a 5 mm thick padding inside soccer or hockey shin-guards,
so a good supply seems assured. The main requirements are that the plastic
should be closed-celled, flexible and, if possible, white. Of course,
it must float, too. Some plastic materials are either too spongy and water
absorbent or too brittle to make a usable fly. Some plastics will even
dissolve when clear nail varnish is applied!
The beetle is quite quickly tied, which is a good thing, because the teeth
of the trout cut the plastic about. When half a dozen trout have been
caught on one of these beetles the plastic will need some trimming and
recolouring. In short, consider this pattern as a repairable fly, until
a really big rainbow pops your tippet and keeps the beetle! If it's your
last P.G.B. and the trout are still rising, then weep!
DRESSING
Hook : No.3 or 10 round bend.
Hackle: Ginger cock or hen. Fibres should be about 10 mm long.
Back: Buoyant plastic, suitably coloured with (waterproof) felt-pen.
Thread: Yellow polyester sewing thread.
Varnish: Clear nail varnish.
The preparation of the plastic is straightforward. Cut a strip about 100
mm long, 5 mm thick and 7 mm wide. A strip of this length will make 6
or 7 beetles. Colour all sides of the strip yellow and then blotch them
with light green. I use waterproof (Textacolor) felt pens for this art
work.
To tie the beetle, whip the hook with yellow polyester sewing thread from
the eye to the bend. Place the plastic strip on top of the hook with the
longer end over the eye and, holding the tail end between thumb and forefinger
of the left hand, tie it down with two turns and a half-hitch.
Hold up the long end of the plastic strip and take the thread forward
in open turns to a point just aft of the centre of the hook.
Still holding up the plastic strip, tie in and wind the ginger hackle
four or five turns. Fasten down the hackle with a half hitch, snip off
the surplus, wind thread forward and half-hitch about 2 mm from the eye.
Give the underside of the strip a good coat of clear nail varnish, press
it down onto the hook, flattening the hackle, and tie down the front end
with two turns and a half hitch or two.
Next, using a pair of fine-pointed, sharp scissors, trim the surplus ends
at front and rear of the plastic strip, which should result in a plump,
oval beetle rather larger than the natural. The clipped ends should now
be coloured green and yellow.
Clip the hackle flat underneath; the remaining hackle fibres should protrude
about 7 mm beyond the sides of the beetle.
Finally, give the back and sides two coats of clear nail varnish and a
further coat to the underside.
SUMMARY
* Whip hook with thread from eye to bend.
* Tie coloured plastic strip down at bend, long end over the eye.
* Hold long end up, take thread forward, tie in and wind hackle.
* Wind thread forward to within 2 mm of eye of hook.
* Varnish underside of plastic strip and tie down front.
* Snip surplus plastic from tail and head. Colour cut surfaces.
* Clip hackle flat underneath.
* Varnish underside again, give back and sides two coats of clear
nail varnish.
Note: The P.G.B. can be made any size or colour to 'match the hatch' and
provides an excellent cockchafer imitation when tied big.
