Winter Tying Season upon Us

Leeches and Chironomid pupa, the perfect trout meal!!

There is no question leeches are an extremely important food source for Stillwater trout and char. Leeches are long-lived and are available to fish all year long. Despite reaching large sizes in terms of overall length, trout really do seek out even the smallest of leeches. They come in a wide variety of colours with predominant ones being black, mottled brown and black, brown and green and shades of green. When tying leeches consider materials that will add movement to the fly. Long fibered dubbings, rabbit hair, marabou all work well in creating flies that swim. Real leeches swim horizontally through the water and that is why tying balanced leeches make sense. Fishing leech patterns and particularly balanced ones under an indicator presents the fly in the horizontal position and through a consistent depth zone. Bead-headed leeches, add more up and down motion to a leech pattern that is stripped thorugh the water column. Tungsten beads, regular metal beads and glass beads used in conjunction with a non-slip loop knot make leeches come alive.

Time to start or replenish your leech box!!