Ok, so before anyone says anything, yes we did miss July out. We simply ran out of time as July turned out to be our busiest month ever!! Anyway, hopefully, with a bit of juggling around of tasks, we can get back onto the fly of the month.
This month we feature a classic that should be in every fly anglers fly box. The Kate McLaren (originally spelt MacLaren), or simply the Kate.
This fly was first tied in them1930's by the late William J Robertson of Glasgow. It had its baptism in Loch Maree in Wester Ross where it was an instant hit with the resident trout. The fly has also seen very good success with sea trout.
The fly is especially effective on the top dropper as a bob fly, but it can be fished in any position on a 3 fly cast with great effect. Pair it up with a Black Pennell and you have a devastatingly good combination!!
The fly is normally dressed quite bushy in sizes 8 to 14 and the traditional dressing is very simple.
As with many traditional flies, over the years 'variations on a theme' have emerged and the Kate is no different. Below are three examples of successful variations (L-R - Kate McLaren Snatcher, Kate McLaren Muddler, Kate McLaren Fl. Tail)
Traditional or variant? Which would be your 'go to'. Vote below
Which Kate McLaren would be your 'go to' pattern?
0%Original Kate McLaren
0%Fl. Tail Kate McLaren
0%Kate McLaren Snatcher
0%Kate McLaren Muddler
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