Diawl bach
Meaning "little devil", the diawl bach is a popular Welsh fly pattern used in British still waters, and an appropriate lure to use when the fish are feeding on midge pupae. The dressing is simple: size 8 to 14 hook, brown thread, a few barbs of brown hackle for the tail, copper wire, a few barbs of peacock herl for the body, and tying thread for the head.[1]
Diawl bach | |
---|---|
Artificial fly | |
Type | Wet fly |
History | |
Creator | British |
Typical hooks | Fulling Mill Competition Heavyweight Black size 10 |
Thread | Uni 8/0 black thread |
Tail | Dyed black hen fibres |
Body | Black peacock herl |
Ribbing | Red UTC Tinsel with Opal Mirage back |
Throat | Dyed black hen fibres |
Cheek | Jungle Cock |
Variations
Variations include jungle cock substitute cheeks, red head, hare's ear for the body and flash materials on the back.
Fishing approach
Fish as one of a team of three flies drawn slowly on a dry line with a long leader. A particularly effective method is to let the wind push the floating fly line around and look for a twitch in the line as indication that a fish has taken the fly. It can be effective during a midge (chironomid) hatch, and a flashy version is worth using towards the autumn as a pinfry imitator.
References
- "7 Diawl back patterns for stillwater rainbow trout". Fly and Lure. Retrieved February 26, 2021.