Tying a Variant Connemara Black with Davie McPhail

The Connemara Black gets its name from the rugged part of Ireland, which is so known for its excellent Salmon and Trout fishing.  It is basically a dark fly with a black body and hackle plus a wing of bronze mallard to give it a very dense silhouette. This overall colour is contrasted by a flash of orange at the tail plus a few fibres of blue jay at the throat to create a very appealing looking fly. This combination makes the Connemara Black a deadly lake fly for both Salmon and Sea-Trout and even, in smaller sizes, for Brown Trout. Davie McPhail's variant of this fly makes use of the Pheasant Neck feather instead of Blue Jay feathers, providing a more flashy appearance.

All of the materials needed to tie this fly are available from Glasgow Angling Centre as listed below, but as always, if you need any help finding materials or substitutes then we'll be happy to help. Time to tie the Dark Claret Peter Sedge, with the guidance of Davie McPhail.




Materials Used:
Hook: Kamasan B170 size 10 Thread: Black Uni-8/0 Tail: Golden Pheasant Crest Rib: Silver Tinsel Body: Dyed Black Seals Fur or Sub Hackle: Dyed Black Hen Throat: Peacock Neck Wing: Bronze Mallard and Roe Deer

Additional materials: Additionally, Davie made use of Varnish, which he applied to the thread after completing the fly.

Davie's preferred type of whip finish tool can be found HERE!