The EWMK wet fly originated in the metropolis of Bruce in Australia’s capital in the 2020s. The artificial fly is also known as Nathan’s Killer and was named after a famous local angler who is always happy to share images of his latest impressive catches ….and provide tips and hints on where to go fishing. The fly is distinguished by the black or dark brown rabbit fur tail, soft hackle collar and fluoro orange bead which makes the fly resemble a small baitfish or fry with its head on fire. The EWMK has proved to be a very effective fly for trout in Snowy region lakes and can also be used when searching for mud-marlin in the local ACT water ways. Many fly fishing purists may deride the use of the fluoro bead head and there are rumours that their use could be banned from international fishing competitions because it makes flies irresistible to fish!
Imitates
The EWMK fly is an attractor pattern most likely taken as a small baitfish or fry with their heads on fire.
Controversy
There is a lot of controversy on whether the fly pattern was ‘stolen’ from Tom Jarman. There is even more controversy on whether the tail should be marabou or rabbit fur….and should the rabbit fur be sourced from the armpit or belly region of the rabbit – best to ask your local fly tying materials supplier!
Materials:
Hook: 12 or 14 wet – straight or jig (or whatever you choose or can handle)
Thread: black UNI 8/0
Tail: Black/Dark Brown Rabbit fur(Zonker) (Marabou if you are non-traditional ) with crystal flash
Body: Black Seal fur or substitute…I use Poodle hair during COVID + copper wire
Thorax: Peacock dubbing or real peacock swords (will be quite fiddly)
Claude in the lead. He tells me Compleat Angler has the majority of the materials in stock.
This fly originates from Ireland and was then further developed by Ballarat fly anglers, Vern Barby and, to a lesser extent, Craig Coltman. Although originally intended as a damsel fly imitation, the fly works very well when none are present. The slim profile makes it very effective when fish are being selective yet it still has “pulling power”, attracting fish from a long way off. The fly works well on a floating line when fished from the shore on its own but really comes into its own in a team of flies on sinking lines. I prefer to fish this fly slowly but it is equally effective pulled hard and ‘hung’. I have caught fish with this fly on all three spots on the leader but favour the point for the weighted version and the top dropper for the unweighted fly. Used on a DI 7 it is effective but as good as it is, I prefer it in a scenario when fishing in five feet of water or less. In Tasmania, there is not a lake it won’t work on. In bright weather or when fish are slightly spooky, one piece of flash can be cut out of either side of the tail to increase your catch rate. Christopher Bassano.
Hook :- Wet fly, size 8 or 10. Kamasan B175 or similar
Bead: of your choice, usually red or gold.
Tail :- Olive marabou and two strands of flash.
Rib :- Copper wire.
Body :- Peacock herl
Body hackle :- Olive saddle feather, palmered
Front hackle :- Partridge breast feather or similar.
Some Notes: JQ suggested “goose biots in red or yellow as eyes for an Alexandra” …. Jungle Cock Eyes are difficult to acquire. I also suggested that the long strands of feather right next to the eyes on peacock tails might substitute for peacock swords which are also hard to get.
Claude will lead via Zoom. His instructions are below. (Were sent by email but replicated here for archive in our Fly Tying blog).
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The Alexandra wet fly originated in Scotland in the 1860s. The artificial fly is also known as the Lady of the Lake, the fly was named by English angler Major William Greer Turle to honor Alexandra, Princess of Wales. The fly is distinguished by the heavy peacock herl wing and silver body which makes the fly resemble a small baitfish or fry. The Alexandra proved to be a very effective fly for trout in lakes and streams in England and Scotland in the late 19th and early 20th century. Many fly fishing purists derided the fly and its use was once banned on many English waters.
Origin
The fly originated as the Lady of the Lake in the 1860s by an unknown angler, primarily for trout in lakes. The fly gained popularity because it was extremely effective fished slowly on sinking lines. Anglers began using the fly in rivers for sea trout and Atlantic salmon with success. It was so effective, that it was allegedly banned from some waters. In the late 19th century, Major William Greer Turle (March 1839 – January 1909), a prominent English angler, renamed the fly Alexandra to honor Alexandra of Denmark, the daughter-in-law of Queen Victoria and then known as the Princess of Wales (1863 to 1901). Turle was a chalkstream angler with water on the River Test near Newton Stacey. He learned fly tying from George Selwyn Marryat and was a close associate of Frederic M. Halford.
Imitates
The Alexandra is an attractor pattern most likely taken as a small baitfish or fry.
Controversy
The “Alexandra”, although a successful fly, was not always welcome on the chalk streams of Southern England.
Some anglers, especially the selfish ones, are in the habit of using a huge bunch of peacock herl for wings over a silver body, called the “Alexandra.” What a profanation to bestow on this monstrosity the name of one of the most charming and amiable princesses of this century! It certainly is not the imitation of any indigenous insect known to entomologists; possibly the bright silver body moving through the river gives some idea of the gleam of a minnow. Long ere this its use should have been prohibited in every stream frequented by the bond fide fly-fisherman, as it is a dreadful scourge to any water, scratching and frightening an immense pro portion of the trout which are tempted to follow it. It certainly would have been prohibited, too, but for the fact that experience shows that in any stream in which it has been much fished the trout soon become quite alive to its danger, and not only will not move an inch towards it, but when worked close to their noses will not so much as turn at it, but at times, on the contrary, even fly in terror from the dread apparition. — Frederic M. Halford, Dry Fly Fishing (1889)
Whether up-stream or down-stream fishing be the correct thing; whether gossamer casts are profitable in the long run; whether one, two or three flies should be used; whether the Alexandra fly is orthodox–these are amongst the topics the assembled fishermen discuss as they sit around on the spot to which the frugal luncheon has been brought, under shelter of the golden-blossomed gorse, their rods spiked hard by, and the flies streaming out before the breeze. If there are more than two present there is not likely to be unanimity upon any of these points. It is well for the tackle makers that new notions–heresies in the eyes of anglers of the last generation–are so freely promulgated. I know some successful fishermen who habitually fish down-stream, and who use medium gut for their casts. In very rapid water, free from weeds (the Derbyshire rivers, and Welsh streams, for example,) a third fly may be added to the stretcher and dropper, but, on the whole, little good comes of more than two flies on the cast. In trout water where the fish do not rise well at the usual flies the Alexandra is as much in place as a spun minnow, but it spoils the fish for the artificial fly pure and simple. — William Senior, Angling In Great Britain (1883)
Materials:
Hook: Streamer no. 10 (or whatever you choose or can handle)
Thread: black UNI 8/0
Tail: Red Marabou or red goose shoulders (or something red)
Claude has created a document showing step by step images from the McPhail video and images from Claude’s material. It may provide an alternative ‘how-to’.
Some variations on the Wooly Bugger. Both with and without the traditional palmered hackle.
These images come from our leader, Claude. He remarked “If I ever tie a dodgy fly, I normally use them as a starting fly in a particularly snaggy spot where loosing it wont break my heart 😊. As JQ said, you can trim the tail if you keep having tail strikes.”
The fly to be tied from 7:30 on the evening of Wednesday 28 April via Zoom will be the Hare and Copper. This is such an extremely easy fly to tie that it almost ties itself!!! The idea is that you just use materials you already have rather than me being prescriptive, for all materials with the possible exception of the hare’s mask dubbing. We might have tied these previously but I was asked to tie a sure bet fly for Tumut.
Hook – size 12 or 14, 1 X short nymph hook eg. Gamakatsu S12 (or any size 12 or 14 straight shank, eye down hook)
Thread – 8/0 black UNI thread (or brown or tan)
Bead head – 7/64 black, tungsten bead head (or gold bead head)
Lead ten thou or twenty thou lead wife (optional)
Tail – dark, speckled Coq De Leon (or pheasant tail or brown hackle)
Body – hare’s mask dubbing
Wire – medium UNI French copper wire (or gold coloured)
Body: CDC or Possum Fur or any other fine dubbing you have
Wing: 4-6 CDC feathers
Details:
The F Fly is one of the simplest and deadliest fly patterns. It is a Great all round Trout fly pattern. Tied in a range of sizes and colours it imitates a range of insects the CDC wing silhouette can be used to represent many caddis, olives and midge species.
The F fly is very effective in both rivers and still waters.
JQ said “Mentioned deceiver but not flat wing..The flat wing just presents more of a lateral line of the fly.”
I’ll try to hunt out some images of Micky’s. Meanwhile here are three that JQ provided. After the event I hope I’ll be able to add some photos of those tied on the night.
From JQ:
Hope you’ve all had a chance to read up or YouTube the fly to see what you’re in for. A definite staple fly to have if fishing in the tropics for pelagics, and I am confident in the right colour and size, natives, king fish and Aussie salmon down your way will be all over this!
Attached is our ingredients with the exception of jungle cock and I’ve just substituted it with some stick on eyes, but if you jungle cock it then use it.
And colours of saddle hackle and buck tail.. Go nuts! The photo below of materials is just what I had on my tying bench.
Hook size too – entirely up to you. Guys here are tying 4/0 plus. And a quality hook should reduce the chances of getting straightened. Native flies you might go as low as size 1.
The blue length is heat shrink, not for shrinking onto anything but it will be used for pushing the buck tail back on its self rather than trying to do it by hand. A reasonable size straw will do good too,- I just didn’t have any. It’s got to be large enough to go over the eye of the hook that’s all..
Nathan gave a great talk at our Oct 2020 meeting about fishing the Eucumbene River (check out the notes in the Nov 2020 Burley Line. His tactics and recommended flies can be used anywhere in our region.
We tied one of Nathan’s favourite flies -> the ‘Droz nymph’ led by Claude. His report follows:
A small group joined me in the tie of Nathan’s favourite ‘Droz Nymph’. We had a good old natter along the way, particularly passing on what knowledge the team had to Ken (one of our new members)….and I also refamiliarized his knowledge on the names of all the fly tying tools…it’s been a while. Thanks Alan, Peter and Lyall for your assistance! The fun part of the evening was discussing dubbing loops, thread splitting and dubbing wax 😊
BJ tied some before the sessionClaude’s tie with Nathan’s sample circled
