Gusting SouthWesterly on the Brook

I took a late afternoon trip to the brook today.

It was windy, gusting from the SW so casting was going to be an issue.

The answer was at hand. Armed with the Schliske Slayer and a 4wt line, I started at the bottom of the fishery, took a handful of browns to a pound and three quarter and a couple of chub, on reversed parachute emergers and CDC & Elk's. I fished up to the walk-in and stopped for a break.

Refreshed, I continued upstream, expecting easy pickings..

No such luck. As the sun sped toward the western horizon, the rises were scarce. I took another couple of pounder browns and a five inch brownie parr, a beautiful thing and I returned him gently, soul intact.

The evening drew near a close, nightfall is noticeably earlier every day at this stage of the season.

I will have to get out at every opportunity before September ends and steals the trout season here.

I finished my day at the wooden bridge near the top of the fishery where I had a good brown earlier in the year using stealth tactics to stalk him, then a mad dash, throwing the rod across to the grass, run round, pick it up, fish still on, got him. It was a mad dash in a jungle.

Looking closely at the photograph above you will see my 7ft 3wt leaning up against the tree, which is three feet thick. Problem is, my arms are not long enough to pass a rod around the tree. 

Today I approached with the usual caution. To my delight there was the rainbow which took up residence after my brown moved house. His nose was visible through the rails. This could be a repeat of the earlier game with the brown. He had not seeen me, so I took my time, changed my tippet, tied on a fresh fly, arrow cast it over the rail. Up he comes, suck, pause, strike.

So do I throw the Slayer across to the grass? I am playing a lively rainbow which is jumping, twisting, cartwheeling, running into structure and generally going crazy.

Not on your life will I be throwing this work of art about.

So, all caution thrown to the wind, gusting SW or otherwise, I climb over the rail, playing the trout with my left hand, grab a hold on the vines which grow up the tree, climb around the tree, gripping with the right hand, still playing the trout with my left; he is still on, I am back on dry land and I can have a free run of the bank.

The trout is no match for Slayer, the new tippet is good, the hook holds. Another trout is winkled out from this stronghold.

  

Was that the last cast of the day? Of course not. I took another brown at ten inches on the way back to the lodge, Daddy Longlegs was the victim this time, tied on size 16.

I'll have to get back down soon. Season's end is closing in. Soon I may only dream the memory of the brook until the new spring. Glad I took the trip out today, excellent sport.

Thanks to Matt Schliske for the pleasure of this rod.I have been loath to fish her in this place where it is, in places, seriously overgrown. I will be fishing her more, now that I have gained a better appreciation of the powers Matt instilled in her fibres.

Published March 1992 Trout and Salmon magazine UK

                           I thought I should add a little history of the reversed parachute design.

For a better look,

see  http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e3/RoyChristie/Reversedparachutepublished1992.jpg

The first few dozen flies I built fell to pieces as I had no good way of attaching the hackle in this configuration. I designed and tested the Avon Special alongside this one and depended on it for a few seasons while I worked out how to construct the reversed parachute.

My old friend Bashy reminds me that he took the record brown on the wee burn at home on a reversed parachute olive emerger in 1973. That fish at a pound and a quarter stuck in memory. Well done Bashy, tight lines to you.

In later years, around 1976 I had the process refined so that the flies lasted for a few fish and I came to use it for more imitations, midges and caddis on lakes, since I had moved to London where there is little trout fishing in streams.

Later refinements make it virtually indestructable.

I'll be testing some more over the next few days and will attempt to catch a fish to show you.

Here's hoping. :)

Roy 

Reversed Parachute emerger

Welcome to Reversed Parachutes, the home of Roy Christie's fly designs.

This is my signature fly, the Reversed Parachute emerger.

Designed originally to represent a stillwater midge, it immediately proved successful in midge, mayfly and caddis representations. I never could understand how the standard collar hackled dry fly was supposed to work, it needed a radical revamp; this journey has kept me amused during many a long evening at the bench and on the water.

I have developed the design over the last thirty years or so and build it generally from size #8 to the tiniest of smuts. Following my discovery of the internet about fifteen years ago, it has been tested by friends on many streams, rivers and loughs across the globe. In some cases it has become their standard search fly. 

Constructed from simple hackle, thread, fur and a piece of nylon monofilament, it is extremely durable and can be tied to match the hatch, as above, also proving attractive as a beetle, cranefly or other wind blown unfortunate stuck in the surface film.

Here is a pretty brownie I caught on a Danica Reversed Parachute on a wee brook, earlier this year.

The brown was returned to fight another day.

Fighting fish........... click here....

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob9mT8ycukY

I do not hold the record for this fly. It has caught some fine fish for me, some going close on five pounds.

Mike Wilkinson in New Zealand has a five pounder to talk about.

Joseph Stitt will tell you how he took an extremely difficult trout in New Zealand on this fly.

Two friends in the US had some superb fishing, thirty fish each with this design, tied as a Caenis, when the other twenty anglers on that flat balmy lake failed to catch one among them.

Its record is held by my friend Hans Backman from Sweden who used a Vulgata version of this design, size #8, which I tied at a show in Sweden, to capture an Arctic Char of over five Kilos - unless one of you who reads this knows better. The trout and grayling records are unclaimed.
Photographic proof will be required for any bragging .

I have been priveleged over the last few years to attend fly tying shows in many countries to demonstrate this design and my many others. For that I say thank you to my many hosts and to the many excellent people who have attended.


Welcome,


Roy Christie


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