What an Interesting article, especially,the thing about “no recognisable insect.” Didn’t they realise about fry feeders,? Or, was that Trout behaviour below consideration for the purists of those days!
Great read.
As long as I’ve been in our club , we’ve had an old farm labourer and mole catcher, while everyone was aspiring to fish upstream the rising fish, he was pragmatically emptying the hollows and feeding his neighbours with his Alexandra’s. It never varied.
Once fishing shops got scarce and the internet took over retail, old Bernard was isolated from an easy source. So I’d grab him ten at the start of each Season from Farlows on the Mall ( and hide the price from him he would be appalled ).
Even since we stopped stocking and went C+R , he’s still using them, whether he’s gone barbless I darent ask!
Last week in the Lake District I had no intention of fishing then realised I was missing a trick with the nearby pike lake. I had a basic fly tying kit with me and improvised some Budgie sized flys to toss out into the likely spots. I had some old silver Krystal flash hidden deep in the shadows of disgrace( for this dry fly boy!) and tied some bright red streamer fur in for under the belly and the tail , I was scraping it but thinking of the Char in the lakes heading for the shallower margins now to breed, as some kind of logic.
So, for the green back I put a hank of the Peacock I had with me. It was looking good and pulsed beautifully when retrieved in the shallows, then realised I’d basically made a canary sized Alexandra, there’s no getting away from it as a pattern it seems!
Pom
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Alexandra
- whinging pom
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Alexandra
The Duffer of the Brook !
Nothing is Impossible: I do Nothing everyday .
Nothing is Impossible: I do Nothing everyday .
Re: Alexandra
It has become a favorite of mine to swing for trout. I tie the wing with peacock sword fibers rather than herl, but it is difficult to find really long sword fibers for bigger versions. It also works well as a steelhead fly. I think the sword fibers have more of a sheen than the herl.
- Paul Arden
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Re: Alexandra
Certainly takes me back in time to my teenage years! So was it ever actually banned?
Cheers, Paul
Cheers, Paul
Re: Alexandra
“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction.” — Ernst F. Schumacher
https://www.sexyloops.com/index.php/ps/ ... f-coaching
https://www.sexyloops.com/index.php/ps/ ... f-coaching
- Paul Arden
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- whinging pom
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- Location: Oundle uk
Re: Alexandra
Potted history? .., expansive more like . Amazeballs
Brilliant article, I wonder how the Alexandra would work on Snakeheads
Pom
Brilliant article, I wonder how the Alexandra would work on Snakeheads
Pom
The Duffer of the Brook !
Nothing is Impossible: I do Nothing everyday .
Nothing is Impossible: I do Nothing everyday .
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Re: Alexandra
Well, Halford was right In so far That even if the fly imitates a fry (which I’d say it does), a fry is not an insect.
Andrew Herd has done a good job of trying to compile information and takes the risk of some guess work (on thin ice, as he says). The fun part here is Halford’s clear dislike of the fly and the people fishing it. Basically bad people. I love Halford :-).
Andrew Herd has done a good job of trying to compile information and takes the risk of some guess work (on thin ice, as he says). The fun part here is Halford’s clear dislike of the fly and the people fishing it. Basically bad people. I love Halford :-).