The Flies of Leon Guthrie

Scottish fly tyer and fly fisherman, Leon Guthrie believes that flies should be tied to catch fish, not to look pretty. His philosophy is that you study the habits and eating patterns of the fish you are going for, then develop patterns that look like they will entice the fish to strike. Some of his creations are based on original patterns like the Montana Nymph but have been further developed by Leon as fish attractors; some are unique designs created exclusively by him. As you shall see, he has also developed some unique lure-like appendages for his flies that may seem radical to some, but work to add action difficult to impart with a fly rod. Friend and mentor, author Richard Prior, has field tested many of Leon's flies in Scotland with great success on trout and Atlantic Salmon and Leon field tests many at the Swanswater Fishery in Stirling, Scotland (which see). He believes they would work equally well with Pacific Salmon and Steelhead. I agree. Take a close look at these flies from Leon, Many of them have taken painstaking attention to detail and he has also taken the time to write out extensive instructions for many of them for those that would like challenge themselves and tie some. If not, then just appreciate his work. There is also an extensive collection of Leon's flies put together by Mark Mowbray from Game Angler Online. It is very well done, so I would also take some time to view that just to appreciate his amazing talent. That site on Game Angler is Flies of Leon Guthrie.

I always ask contributors to write something about themselves. This is what Leon had to say:

Now, with the sands of time approaching the age of 50, I left school at the age of 14 to join the Merchant Navy and spent many years travelling the globe. I spent a brief period as a Light House Keeper in the most remote lighthouses off the shores of Scotland, then worked offshore as a Diver & Hyperbaric Diving Technician on the North Sea offshore rigs.

I am presently working as an Electronics Technician at the Borders College Of Further Education. Many of my hobbies and passions are of outdoor pursuits. Deer stalking the native Roe Deer (The fairy of the woods) has been and still is one of my greatest passions.

Many thanks go to author, Mr. Richard Prior, through reading his books on the Roe Deer. His life long passion has always kept my interest alive to study deer behavior myself and effectively become a successful stalker. This in turn proved to be effective whilst completing large culls of deer for The Duke of Buccleuch Estate lands in Scotland on my own. Mr. Prior (Now retired), remains a great friend and I am proud to have some of my photos published in some of his books. Mr Prior is also a very keen angler is testing the effectiveness of some of the flys that I send him. His feedback is most important before the flies are submitted to this site.

To be honest to my fellow anglers on the web, I have not been tying flies terribly long, but a great deal of thought has gone into designing flies that I perceive the fish would want to gulp down in an instant. Many salmon flies are works of art and they do work, but there are so many variations to choose, there comes a point when every angler is faced with the daunting task of opening the Fly Box and choosing the right fly for the day. True to heed the saying "Bright Fly for bright day" "Dark Fly for dark Day"; but in the fly box there are many bright and many dark. So what to choose?

It is in every anglers interest to keep an anglers diary to record details of the fly that has caught fish on that particular month, day, time and weather conditions. With the technology of the internet, much feedback can be attained to whittle down the most effective pattern of fly for a particular species of fish on a particular month. You do not need a large selection of flies to ponder over; after all the object is to catch fish and most of all enjoy the anticipation of catching the elusive Big One!.

Age old pattern's like the (known now as) Mickey Finn, originally named The Assassin, speaks for itself. First designed in 1939, it still is an effective pattern for salmon and trout, whatever hook size you choose to dress it on; but the color combination of Red/Silver/Yellow and Black can be utilized in various materials and equally create an effective fly.

So what are we trying to achieve here - The ultimate all singing, all dancing, all catching fly? No, variation is the spice of life and even fish have their likes and dislikes. Who wants to eat Curry all their life! If I was to tempt you with a good bit of Scottish Haggis, you would be tempted to go for it! So one must attempt to create "The Haggis Fly". When you get feedback from anglers about how effective the pattern is, it is an even greater reward.

Leon
vongut108@btinternet.com

The Flies

June 20, 2011 Submissions - "Whimsical yet Practical"

Bald Eagle

Whitetail Buck

Navajo Warrior

Former Submissions

 

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