Fountains of Youth – Classic trout flies that have withstood the test of time … flies that remain “forever young”
by Rusty Dunn
Stoneflies are sometimes the forgotten insects of a trout stream. Their numbers rarely exceed those of mayflies or caddisflies, but stoneflies hatch steadily throughout the season. They are at times one of few food sources available to trout. Brief hatches of large stoneflies, such as salmonflies and golden stones, are legendary on western rivers, but day-in and day-out, small-bodied stoneflies provide a dependable diet for trout. Common names of the smaller species include Snowflies, Willowflies, Roachflies, Sallflies, and Needleflies. In Wisconsin, small early-season black or brown stoneflies are frequently seen crawling on snowbanks in late winter.
As the name might suggest, stoneflies inhabit stony bottomed, high gradient, silt free streams. Stoneflies require well oxygenated water for survival. Thus, mountain creeks, turbulent rivers, riffles, and pocket water are prime stonefly habitat. Hatching stoneflies do not emerge through the water column. Instead, the nymphs crawl atop streamside rocks or woody debris, where they molt to winged adults.
Stonefly imitations date to the very beginnings of fly fishing. Excepting fragmentary references of fishing in Roman times, the first literary description of fishing with artificial flies is The Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle, attributed to Dame Juliana Berners and published in The Book of St. Albans (1496). Berners described twelve artificial flies, one of which – the Stone Fly – imitates its namesake insect. The Stone Fly is one of only two flies in The Treatyse whose counterpart among natural insects is unambiguous.
Because stoneflies are insects of turbulent water, they are especially significant to fly anglers of the English north. Rivers of the Yorkshire Dales drain limestone formations of the Pennine Mountains, just south of the border with Scotland. The rivers are swift and rocky, and they contain large populations of stoneflies. The Yorkshire Dales is an area of striking natural and societal beauty. Moorland plateaus, rocky crags, beautiful valleys, waterfalls, quaint villages, stone bridges, and green upland pastures enclosed by dry-stone walls provide magnificent views in all directions. It thus seems fitting that some of the most beautiful trout flies ever conceived sprang from these sparkling waters. Flies that originated in The Yorkshire Dales are variously called ‘North Country Flies’, ‘Hackle Flies’, ‘Yorkshire Spiders’, ‘Wingless Wets’, or simply ‘soft-hackled flies’ today.
The landmark book of North Country flies and fishing is Yorkshire Trout Flies by Thomas Pritt. Published in 1885, it quietly but persuasively solidified the merits of upstream nymphing with flies whose soft feathery materials imitate movements of a struggling insect. Pritt emphasized the importance of stonefly imitations throughout the angling year, and he described the Dark Spanish Needle as being one of his favorites, because it was consistently effective on Yorkshire rivers.
A Dark Spanish Needle (known also as a Needle Brown, Dark Needle, and Brown Owl) imitates small dark stoneflies of the genus Leuctra. They are abundant in the English north and in any stonefly-friendly stream of North America. “Needle” of its name refers to the long thin body of Leuctra adults, which roll their wings tightly around the body when at rest. “Spanish” refers to the color of the adult wings, which are a dark steely blue similar to that of unpolished steel sewing needles. Such needles were imported by England from Spain in large numbers in the early 19th century, which is when John Swarbrick first gave the fly its name (Wharfedale Flies, 1807). Stash a few Spanish Needles in your fly box and, when you next encounter small stoneflies, make sure some American trout feel the pointed end of a Spanish Needle.
Copyright 2023, Rusty Dunn
Dark Spanish Needle
Pearsall’s Gossamer Silk thread is no longer made. Alternative brands, however, such as YLI, Ephemera, and Morus silk threads, are readily available.
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Hook:
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Wet fly / nymph hook, size “0” (modern #15)
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|
Thread:
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Pearsall’s Gossamer silk, hot orange (#19)
|
|
Wings:
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A feather from the darkest part of a brown owl’s wing. Substitute with English woodcock, red grouse, brown-phase partridge, or other mottled brown feather
|
|
Body:
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Tying thread
|
|
Head:
|
Peacock herl
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Dark Spanish Needle
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Last Updated: November 7, 2023 by Drew Kasel
by Rusty Dunn
Stoneflies are sometimes the forgotten insects of a trout stream. Their numbers rarely exceed those of mayflies or caddisflies, but stoneflies hatch steadily throughout the season. They are at times one of few food sources available to trout. Brief hatches of large stoneflies, such as salmonflies and golden stones, are legendary on western rivers, but day-in and day-out, small-bodied stoneflies provide a dependable diet for trout. Common names of the smaller species include Snowflies, Willowflies, Roachflies, Sallflies, and Needleflies. In Wisconsin, small early-season black or brown stoneflies are frequently seen crawling on snowbanks in late winter.
As the name might suggest, stoneflies inhabit stony bottomed, high gradient, silt free streams. Stoneflies require well oxygenated water for survival. Thus, mountain creeks, turbulent rivers, riffles, and pocket water are prime stonefly habitat. Hatching stoneflies do not emerge through the water column. Instead, the nymphs crawl atop streamside rocks or woody debris, where they molt to winged adults.
Stonefly imitations date to the very beginnings of fly fishing. Excepting fragmentary references of fishing in Roman times, the first literary description of fishing with artificial flies is The Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle, attributed to Dame Juliana Berners and published in The Book of St. Albans (1496). Berners described twelve artificial flies, one of which – the Stone Fly – imitates its namesake insect. The Stone Fly is one of only two flies in The Treatyse whose counterpart among natural insects is unambiguous.
Because stoneflies are insects of turbulent water, they are especially significant to fly anglers of the English north. Rivers of the Yorkshire Dales drain limestone formations of the Pennine Mountains, just south of the border with Scotland. The rivers are swift and rocky, and they contain large populations of stoneflies. The Yorkshire Dales is an area of striking natural and societal beauty. Moorland plateaus, rocky crags, beautiful valleys, waterfalls, quaint villages, stone bridges, and green upland pastures enclosed by dry-stone walls provide magnificent views in all directions. It thus seems fitting that some of the most beautiful trout flies ever conceived sprang from these sparkling waters. Flies that originated in The Yorkshire Dales are variously called ‘North Country Flies’, ‘Hackle Flies’, ‘Yorkshire Spiders’, ‘Wingless Wets’, or simply ‘soft-hackled flies’ today.
The landmark book of North Country flies and fishing is Yorkshire Trout Flies by Thomas Pritt. Published in 1885, it quietly but persuasively solidified the merits of upstream nymphing with flies whose soft feathery materials imitate movements of a struggling insect. Pritt emphasized the importance of stonefly imitations throughout the angling year, and he described the Dark Spanish Needle as being one of his favorites, because it was consistently effective on Yorkshire rivers.
A Dark Spanish Needle (known also as a Needle Brown, Dark Needle, and Brown Owl) imitates small dark stoneflies of the genus Leuctra. They are abundant in the English north and in any stonefly-friendly stream of North America. “Needle” of its name refers to the long thin body of Leuctra adults, which roll their wings tightly around the body when at rest. “Spanish” refers to the color of the adult wings, which are a dark steely blue similar to that of unpolished steel sewing needles. Such needles were imported by England from Spain in large numbers in the early 19th century, which is when John Swarbrick first gave the fly its name (Wharfedale Flies, 1807). Stash a few Spanish Needles in your fly box and, when you next encounter small stoneflies, make sure some American trout feel the pointed end of a Spanish Needle.
Copyright 2023, Rusty Dunn
Dark Spanish Needle
Pearsall’s Gossamer Silk thread is no longer made. Alternative brands, however, such as YLI, Ephemera, and Morus silk threads, are readily available.
Hook:
Wet fly / nymph hook, size “0” (modern #15)
Thread:
Pearsall’s Gossamer silk, hot orange (#19)
Wings:
A feather from the darkest part of a brown owl’s wing. Substitute with English woodcock, red grouse, brown-phase partridge, or other mottled brown feather
Body:
Tying thread
Head:
Peacock herl
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Category: Fly Tying, Rusty Dunn Fountains of Youth
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