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Post by madkeen on Apr 8, 2007 8:16:36 GMT
Does anyone use the francis series of flies successfully in Scotland or has the PBP range superseded these?
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Post by castlikeaghille on Apr 8, 2007 9:09:04 GMT
Does anyone use the francis series of flies successfully in Scotland or has the PBP range superseded these? Hey MK Some of our guys use them religiously. If they have Collied a pool and done nothing but stirred fish up them they swing the One inch Red Francis through them on the type three or six multi-tip with the odd jerk of the line to give it a sink and draw guie shrimpy presentation style. I can't get that method to work for me, so I suppose I should pay more attention to exactly what they are doing. However, I use a mini RF as the light tail fly on the two fly Czech Nymph and also as a mini fly in it's own right in summer (long leader, floating line and J-curve or dead drift in slower water) and I can confirm that it definitely catches fish. However, IMO the RF is like the PBP it probably catches more fishermen than fish. Sadly, simply putting one on your line probably won't work wonders; finding a novel way to present it just might. Regardez CLaG |
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Post by splash on Apr 8, 2007 11:25:34 GMT
Does anyone use the francis series of flies successfully in Scotland or has the PBP range superseded these? MK - hope you have recovered from the travails of Portnacaig last Saturday. Don't use the RF personally as I never really liked that cone shaped profile but I use a wee PBP in much the same way as CLaG outlines for fishing in low flows. The best Francis type flies I've seen were in the boxes of some Icelandic guys who were up at the Pot a couple of years ago. They were mainly Black Francis variants if I recall but as the Don was around things became a little bit blurred later on. These were dressed on tiny (size 18) nickelled trebles which I was never able to source anywhere in the UK but they certainly looked the biz. cheers Splash |
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Post by castlikeaghille on Apr 8, 2007 11:42:35 GMT
Does anyone use the francis series of flies successfully in Scotland or has the PBP range superseded these? MK - hope you have recovered from the travails of Portnacaig last Saturday. Don't use the RF personally as I never really liked that cone shaped profile but I use a wee PBP in much the same way as CLaG outlines for fishing in low flows. The best Francis type flies I've seen were in the boxes of some Icelandic guys who were up at the Pot a couple of years ago. They were mainly Black Francis variants if I recall but as the Don was around things became a little bit blurred later on. These were dressed on tiny (size 18) nickelled trebles which I was never able to source anywhere in the UK but they certainly looked the biz. cheers Splash If anyone is interested in seeing these flies you can view them on the photos in my Conditions post. Saddly, the quality of image does not match the quality of the flees, but you should be able to make them out. They were great guys those Vikings and afterwards they were able worship a new idol the God WoedenDon Regardez CLaG |
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Post by madkeen on Apr 8, 2007 12:00:12 GMT
Yes Splash recovered from Portnacaig not a lot happening on the Tummel yet.I'll tie a few RF's up and give them a shot on some slow water with a sink and draw action.
Thanks for the reply.
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Post by splash on Apr 8, 2007 12:37:14 GMT
MK - hope you have recovered from the travails of Portnacaig last Saturday. Don't use the RF personally as I never really liked that cone shaped profile but I use a wee PBP in much the same way as CLaG outlines for fishing in low flows. The best Francis type flies I've seen were in the boxes of some Icelandic guys who were up at the Pot a couple of years ago. They were mainly Black Francis variants if I recall but as the Don was around things became a little bit blurred later on. These were dressed on tiny (size 18) nickelled trebles which I was never able to source anywhere in the UK but they certainly looked the biz. cheers Splash If anyone is interested in seeing these flies you can view them on the photos in my Conditions post. Saddly, the quality of image does not match the quality of the flees, but you should be able to make them out. They were great guys those Vikings and afterwards they were able worship a new idol the God WoedenDon Regardez CLaG Don Wodin surely? |
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Post by williegunn on Apr 8, 2007 15:01:32 GMT
I have been known to fish a Frances rather than a Francis.
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Post by splash on Apr 8, 2007 15:47:51 GMT
I have been known to fish a Frances rather than a Francis. Chris Mann and Robert Gillespie's excellent book Shrimp and Spey Flies for Salmon list them as the Red Francis, Francis Shrimp and Black Francis and that's good enough for me but maybe there are secret Frances variants at play over in the canyon..... |
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Post by speycaster on Apr 8, 2007 16:53:51 GMT
you cant help yourself can you  |
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Post by williegunn on Apr 8, 2007 21:33:40 GMT
Chris Mann and Robert Gillespie's excellent book Shrimp and Spey Flies for Salmon list them as the Red Francis, Francis Shrimp and Black Francis and that's good enough for me but maybe there are secret Frances variants at play over in the canyon..... Well they have the spelling wrong as well. The fly was named after the inventor’s secretary. |
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Post by williegunn on Apr 8, 2007 21:47:52 GMT
you cant help yourself can you It is either right or wrong, bit like driving, do you drive on the right or the left? Getting it right is sort of important. |
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Post by Sloggi on Apr 8, 2007 22:40:42 GMT
[
Well they have the spelling wrong as well. The fly was named after the inventer’s secretary. [/quote]
Do you mean inventor's secretary?
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Post by williegunn on Apr 8, 2007 22:44:17 GMT
Yes, thank you that is what I meant I will correct it immediately.I still think it was his secretary rather than his wife.
Quick edit Mr Sloggi
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Post by splash on Apr 9, 2007 18:11:26 GMT
Yes, thank you that is what I meant I will correct it immediately.I still think it was his secretary rather than his wife. Quick edit Mr Sloggi So was she the rid wan or the black wan? |
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Post by speycaster on Apr 9, 2007 18:40:03 GMT
nice one sloggi ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by Sloggi on Apr 21, 2007 19:38:40 GMT
Yes, thank you that is what I meant I will correct it immediately.I still think it was his secretary rather than his wife. Quick edit Mr Sloggi You don't miss much WG  |
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Post by Sloggi on Apr 23, 2007 22:05:28 GMT
How is the hackle tied into the fly? Is the body material put on first with the hackle tied in ready? It just seems to appear without being tied in or fixed. Help  |
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Post by charlieh on Apr 24, 2007 9:30:19 GMT
WG is correct in the spelling of Frances, though I think to be strictly accurate, the lady after whom the fly is named was employed as a tier by Peter Deane, rather than his secretary.
Incidentally, it was originally called the Black Eyed Prawn, but tiers seem to have dispensed with its eyes along with the name change over the intervening years. I sometimes wonder whether this has any impact on its success - when I used to fish prawns a lot in Norway, many of the gillies had a firm belief in the importance of the eyes, and would change the bait if they fell off.
Sloggi, in terms of tying, I start by tying in the feelers (cock hackle stalks in the original dressing) and a bunch of cock pheasant tail fibres. Then tie in the hackle and rib. Wind the body, followed by the hackle, and finally the rib, wound in the opposite direction to the hackle to secure it. Then tie off, whip finish and varnish.
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Post by Sloggi on Apr 24, 2007 11:46:54 GMT
Sloggi, in terms of tying, I start by tying in the feelers (cock hackle stalks in the original dressing) and a bunch of cock pheasant tail fibres. Then tie in the hackle and rib. Wind the body, followed by the hackle, and finally the rib, wound in the opposite direction to the hackle to secure it. Then tie off, whip finish and varnish. Thanks |
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say
Member
Posts: 162 
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Post by say on Apr 30, 2007 10:42:19 GMT
I've gathered most of the dressing from this thread but can someone confirm what material is used for the body of the Frances / Francis fly. From the photos I've seen it would appear to be either dubbed seals fur or wool.
Any info would be appreciated.
SAY
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