Picture the scene..... A night in late July. It’s one a.m. and you are alone by a favourite fishing pool. The river has gone quiet. You would be inclined to doubt that there were any sea trout in the river if it weren’t for the brace of two pounders in the bass at your side. You tip them out on to the grass for another look. They shine silver in the moonlight, fresh from the tide. They were taken well before midnight on a size 8 Butcher, fished on a floating line. Since then, nothing. Time for a change, for something bigger, to be fished deeper, perhaps on a slow sinking line. Something long and slim and not too heavy.

A look in your fly boxes reveals a variety of fishing lures, tied over the years for just this purpose. A box of tube flies in all shapes, sizes and materials; a selection of Waddingtons; rows of beautiful tandem lures, sparsely dressed in the Falkus style; a few Marchogs with their long trailing trebles. Each, in its own way, ingenious. Each undoubtedly effective as a sea trout fishing lure. Yet none of them quite perfect.

The Tube fly, though simple in design, is not the easiest thing to fit in a fly tying vice. It also has a relatively bulky body, particularly the commercially available plastic versions, while thinner plastic tubing has a tendency to bend if used in longer lengths. Metal tubes, e.g. aluminium, though thinner than the plastic, can cut into the nylon leader if the internal plastic core is damaged. In addition, I have always felt that the attachment of the treble hook by means of a length of fairly thick plastic tubing is too bulky to be entirely satisfactory. The Waddington lure can be tied on various gauges and lengths of wire but the attachment of the treble hook can be problematical. The fly may have to be discarded, or, at the very least, partially retied if the treble is damaged. Sunk lures have the advantage of being very slim and well balanced. However, whether tied using singles, doubles, trebles or a combination, all involve considerable time and care in their construction and, when damaged, will likely have to be discarded.

I sought, therefore, to devise a sea trout fishing lure which would overcome the shortcomings of these earlier designs while retaining some of their best features. Such a lure would ideally have the following characteristics:

• It should be simple to construct, in a variety of sizes and weights, using inexpensive and readily available materials.


• It should be easy to attach to the line or to change at night.


• The hook should be easily replaced if damaged, without the loss of the lure itself.


• It should be generally light in weight, even in large sizes, so that it can be easily cast and fished effectively on both floating and sunk fly lines.


• It should have a slim profile to give the impression of a small fish.


• The lure should always swim in line with the leader.