By Ian Scott




Some years ago, Dennis Bertram participated in a fly swap at About Fly Fishing and sent along his "Quinchat's Glimmer." I've found this pattern successful at times on Grand River Brown Trout in riffle water. Since then, Dennis has come up with a new variation - one that I've not tried yet - but I'd bet would be just as successful especially when I want to get my fly down a little deeper. Dennis emailed me with a photo and tying instructions some weeks back - but I've not yet had a chance to try it out. Perhaps you can tie up a few and let me know how it works.

Ingredients:

Hook: TMC 102Y size 15
Body: Pheasant tail
Rib: Gold Holographic tinsel
Wing: None
Hackle: Hungarian Partridge, small gray neck feathers
Tail: Pheasant tail
Thread: 8/0 black

Place a #10 small clear glass bead (preferably Italian crystal) on the hook. Mount in vice and move bead to bend. Start thread 2 eye widths back and wrap to bend and back.

Position bead at thread start location and tie in.

Tie in tail at bend of hook, one body length long. Bind with 2 turns. Do not trim.

Tie in tinsel with one turn of thread over tail, and then lift pheasant barbs and bind tag to shank. Move thread to bead.

Secure pheasant barbs in hackle pliers and twist. Form body and take one additional twist with hackle pliers after each turn over shank. Bind down just behind bead and cut excess.

Bring tinsel forward as a flat band along side of body and tie down behind bead.

Prepare soft hackle by holding feather with butt toward you and concave surface down. Strip barbs from left hand side of feather leaving a few barbules at tip.

With concave surface toward shank, tie in the tip. Bring tip of feather back over bead and secure with 2 wraps. Using small hackle pliers, take 1 1/2 turns around shank, steering hackle by twisting pliers to form a slight natural curve toward rear of fly. Tie off with 2 turns then pull feather butt back and place 2 turns in front. Cut off the butt stem. This prevents butt from covering hook eye and causing problems on the stream.

Form head and secure with double half hitches.

Best in riffle water fished on the swing. Also can be used as a tail fly with a lightly weighted nymph on a dropper. This allows it to swim 2 or 3 inches below the surface in a moderate current.

As tied by Dennis Bertram, aka Quinchat.

On a personal note, Dennis and I had tentative plans to meet up at this year's "Canadian Cane Makers" gathering at Bellwood Conservation area. Dennis made the drive up from the U.S. Unfortunately, my own schedule didn't permit me to make any definite arrangements - but I did show up - but regretfully missed meeting Dennis and shaking his hand. Would have been nice to show him some of the riffles on the Grand River I have caught brown trout using his "Quinchat's Glimmer."

Related:

The Original Quinchat's Glimmer

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