If I had a pound for each time an fly fisher has said to me that they have never been able to catch a fish on an Alexandra I would be a rich man!! For all wet flies that you can mount on the point of a cast, this one I find deadly.
To me, it is up there with the likes of the Peter Ross and Butcher in so far as it is a fly that has to be fished in a specific way for it to be effective. Obviously it does not resemble a natural fly (well none that I've seen!!) but it could certainly be taken for a fry or minnow imitation, or possibly even a beetle.
For this reason it needs to be fished like a dance - slow, slow, quick, quick, slow. Vary the pace of line recovery so that the fly jigs and darts and hesitates in the water, like a natural minnow or beetle may well do. Regularly change the flies course so the tinsel flashes and sparkles in the light so it may be seen to its best advantage by a fish.
I've found it fishes best at a medium to deep depth and, while it can work in all sorts of conditions, it seems to be at it's most deadly on those windy days when the fish are taking well below the surface.
Although primarily a lake fly, in smaller sizes it can be effective on rivers and in larger sizes has been known to take its fair share of Sea Trout.
The Alexandra, or Lady of the Lake as it was originally called, was first tied around 1860. The fly was renamed in honour of Princess Alexandra, the wife of Edward VII.
There is some debate as to who actually created the fly. Some think it was W.G. Turle of Newton Stacey, and others think it was Dr John Brunton, the inventor of another 'forgotten' pattern the Bruntons Fancy. Who it actually was seems set to remain a mystery until the end of time.
The dressing is very simple
Hook - Down eye size 8 -14
Thread - Black
Tail - Red feather
Body - Flat silver tinsel ribbed with fine silver wire or fine oval silver tinsel
Wing - Several strands of green Peacock sword herl
Cheeks - Strips of red feather. An optional extra is the addition of Jungle Cock
Hackle - Black hen
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