Sweeney Todd Fly Dressing

[holly]

I have been looking at my Sea Trout Flies and have come across the Sweeney Todd Reservoir Fly, I would be very confident with this fly when fishing for Sea Trout, particularly at night. Does anyone use these dressed any different when fishing for Sea Trout?
Thanks in anticipation, holly.

[T7]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDAyW7EddHc

I've tied up a few of these, reckon they'll be deadly...

[holly]

Sweeny Todd Flies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDAyW7EddHc

I've tied up a few of these, reckon they'll be deadly...

Cheers T7, hope you have great success with them.

holly.

[johnb]

I have some direct experience of this. In the late 1970s a friend, Peter Readman, that I was fishing with on the Border Esk claimed that it ought to be possible to catch sea trout on any of the then popular lure patterns that were being used for reservoir rainbows. Tom Ivens had already shown that his Jersey Herd pattern was good for sea trout. We duly tried Baby Dolls, Appetisers, Sweeney Todds and others. Most worked, some better than others. The Appetiser was very effective on dark nights fished on a sunk line (all that marabou flowing about) but it fell to pieces quickly. Most effective, by far, was the Sweeney Todd and I ended using it a lot for sea trout in the 1980s on both the Border Esk and the Towy. As you'll see from the picture, I gave up on standard longshank reservoir hooks (too narrow in the gape and not strong enough) and tied it mainly on Size 4 Partridge Wilson Dry Fly low water salmon singles (Code 01, I think). I also substituted black seal's fur as the body material. The rest of it, black squirrel hair wing, oval silver rib, Globrite No 4 throat and claret hackle is, I think, according to Dick Walker's original dressing.

It was a stonking sea trout fly. Fished off a floating line it gave me my first ever double off the Towy in 1987 (13 lbs GCG Manorafon water) and a 7 lb fish off the Glenfirra on the Border Esk the same summer (which was, in fact, a more notable fish, given that Border Esk sea trout then averaged under a pound and a half).

The only reason I don't fish it often now is that it is comparatively fiddly to tie and I'm much lazier than I used to be, so I tend to just tie two bunches of red goat hair and two bunches of black goat hair onto an undressed aluminium tube. That's much easier to tie and seems to work just as well. When the sea trout are about and in the mood!

If you're interested in giving this one a swim, Holly, pm me and I'll post it to you. It's a tad rusty, but still serviceable.

[holly]

Sweeny Todd Flies

I have some direct experience of this. In the late 1970s a friend, Peter Readman, that I was fishing with on the Border Esk claimed that it ought to be possible to catch sea trout on any of the then popular lure patterns that were being used for reservoir rainbows. Tom Ivens had already shown that his Jersey Herd pattern was good for sea trout. We duly tried Baby Dolls, Appetisers, Sweeney Todds and others. Most worked, some better than others. The Appetiser was very effective on dark nights fished on a sunk line (all that marabou flowing about) but it fell to pieces quickly. Most effective, by far, was the Sweeney Todd and I ended using it a lot for sea trout in the 1980s on both the Border Esk and the Towy. As you'll see from the picture, I gave up on standard longshank reservoir hooks (too narrow in the gape and not strong enough) and tied it mainly on Size 4 Partridge Wilson Dry Fly low water salmon singles (Code 01, I think). I also substituted black seal's fur as the body material. The rest of it, black squirrel hair wing, oval silver rib, Globrite No 4 throat and claret hackle is, I think, according to Dick Walker's original dressing.

It was a stonking sea trout fly. Fished off a floating line it gave me my first ever double off the Towy in 1987 (13 lbs GCG Manorafon water) and a 7 lb fish off the Glenfirra on the Border Esk the same summer (which was, in fact, a more notable fish, given that Border Esk sea trout then averaged under a pound and a half).

The only reason I don't fish it often now is that it is comparatively fiddly to tie and I'm much lazier than I used to be, so I tend to just tie two bunches of red goat hair and two bunches of black goat hair onto an undressed aluminium tube. That's much easier to tie and seems to work just as well. When the sea trout are about and in the mood!

If you're interested in giving this one a swim, Holly, pm me and I'll post it to you. It's a tad rusty, but still serviceable.

Absolutely fabulous, I am not in the least surprised with your success.
I fish not only the River Lune, I can also fish at Glingerbank on the Border Esk.
Are you living in the vicinity of the Border Esk? I lived next door to Irvine Wiley in 2004 and he was extremely generous at giving expert advice, however, I would suggest your dressing is indeed fantastic.
I am in the process of acquiring some size 8, 01 Wilson flies dressed exactly like the photograph you have very kindly sent me.
Many thanks for this wonderful information, holly.

[johnb]

Irving Wylie was the river watcher/keeper for the Esk & Liddle Fisheries Association waters for the much of the time I fished the Border Esk. When he retired from that (and was replaced by George Graham), he ran the Buccleuch private beats, Gilknockie and, I think, Lower Irving House. Irving Wylie was an absolute gent, a very, very good angler and tyer and full of helpful advice. I once felt rather pleased with myself for catching twenty odd sea trout in a six night week and then discovered, not from him, because he struck me as a very modest man, but from someone else, that Irving had taken thirty eight sea trout in a single evening that week between 10.15 p.m. and about 1 a.m.!!! Sadly, I think he died a couple of years back. A very well respected man.

I used to travel up to Langholm from London every summer but I haven't fished up there for at least ten years. I'm in the depths of rural Monmouthshire (in South Wales) now. Great for the salmon and the trout of the Usk and an easy sixty two mile journey over to Llandeilo to fish the Towy, but a very hard journey back at 4.00 or 5.00 a.m on the mountain section of the A40.

Good luck with the Sweeney Todd on the Lune and the Esk, Holly. I'll look forward to seeing some piccies of clonking sea trout on the forum in due course.

[holly]

Sweeny Todd Flies

Irving Wylie was the river watcher/keeper for the Esk & Liddle Fisheries Association waters for the much of the time I fished the Border Esk. When he retired from that (and was replaced by George Graham), he ran the Buccleuch private beats, Gilknockie and, I think, Lower Irving House. Irving Wylie was an absolute gent, a very, very good angler and tyer and full of helpful advice. I once felt rather pleased with myself for catching twenty odd sea trout in a six night week and then discovered, not from him, because he struck me as a very modest man, but from someone else, that Irving had taken thirty eight sea trout in a single evening that week between 10.15 p.m. and about 1 a.m.!!! Sadly, I think he died a couple of years back. A very well respected man.

I used to travel up to Langholm from London every summer but I haven't fished up there for at least ten years. I'm in the depths of rural Monmouthshire (in South Wales) now. Great for the salmon and the trout of the Usk and an easy sixty two mile journey over to Llandeilo to fish the Towy, but a very hard journey back at 4.00 or 5.00 a.m on the mountain section of the A40.

Good luck with the Sweeney Todd on the Lune and the Esk, Holly. I'll look forward to seeing some piccies of clonking sea trout on the forum in due course.

You are correct about Irvine's catch of Sea Trout, he caught them in the Thistle Pool, Netherby Estate. He even showed me the successful fly (Teal and Silver). Unfortunately, you were correct about Irvine's passing.
holly.

[Luney]

Sweeny Todd

Holly,
I must say the sweeny todd is one of my go to flies always fished on the dropper not the point. That and the peter ross and dark mackrel i love em all|\

[Aled]

Interesting how similar colour combinations are often seen in fishing flies: Black Red and silver is a personnal favourite, and should we be surprised:
Zulu, Butcher, Bibio, & Sweenny Todd all great catchers of fish over the years.
Interesting what others have said about the Appetiser, my limited success has come on bright nigts fished on a light and as long as i could manange leader.
Tight Lines
Aled

[Crabacle]

I used to fish with the Sweeny Tood for trout in reservoirs many years ago. It was the go to fly when all others failed.
The thorax then was red fluorescent wool, which under UV glowed bright - it was a killer and a very simple fly to tie. With the addition of some crystal flash (not cock hackles as shown in the video) it would really add that something extra.
I don't see the need for the bug glue over the thorax and head. Do the eyes add anything? Probably not.

Would it work for sea trout and salmon? I don't see why not!

[Trevizan]

Hello,
I've tied a sweeney Todd fly for sea trout fishing at night . With a waddington shank 1 3/8 in .
I will try it this saison, in Touques river

[cullster]

Nice tye,should do the business ;-)

[Luney]

Reservoir patterns

I must confess mi lud, I have in the past par taken in the act of using reservoir patterns for seatrout with one of my friends favourites, I will whisper it the ace of spades. There I've said it, this fly is responsible for numerous fish off.the Lune some as big as 6and a half pounds. To be honest I haven't fished one for years but often think I I'll give one a swim for old time sake. Seem to remember "the Blackpool assassin doing very well with them also
Regards Paul |\

[holly]

sweeney todd

I must confess mi lud, I have in the past par taken in the act of using reservoir patterns for seatrout with one of my friends favourites, I will whisper it the ace of spades. There I've said it, this fly is responsible for numerous fish off.the Lune some as big as 6and a half pounds. To be honest I haven't fished one for years but often think I I'll give one a swim for old time sake. Seem to remember "the Blackpool assassin doing very well with them also
Regards Paul |\

What about the Invicta Luney?

[Luney]

Ah yes Holly the invicta, or more commonly known as Ricks invicta. A very good taker of fish if you alter the dressing slightly:> now I do like one of them on the point:>
Good to hear from you B