An old dry fly in the UK is the blue or green bottle fly. What the specific origin of this fly is I am not really sure. I do not know where, when or who created these flies. (Perhaps some of the international readers, can give me some more details?) I do know that these flies are largely designed to imitate the blue bottle house fly. The logic of creating this fly went something like this...........
I was fishing a mayfly hatch in late May and I was attacked by gaint deer flies. These Dracula-dive bombers did some serious munching! I literally killed hundreds of them. As I smashed the deer flies, the dead ones floated down stream. Some time alter , I saw some trout rise and grab a few of the deer flies. I really didn't give this much thought until sometime later I received a book of fly patterns of Ireland and then it clicked......Yes!, I'll make a fly based on house flies....
When I looked at the original Irish antique flies, I didn't really like the style and design. The original blue bottle seemed very drab and lacked some of the personality and details of flies from the US. Like anything I tie, I guess I have to personalize each fly by making changes, improving on it or adding things which I think makes the fly more attractive. While these flies aren't perfect, I think they show how to create stylized versions of things which aren't really new. By incorporating new materials , you can add new life and improve on old ideas. The "Mike's Bottle" flies are impressionistic styles. They are not exact matches.
Tying The Blue Bottle
Hook: Kamasan B401 size 12
Thread: 6/0 Black
Body: Blue Flash-a-bou
Hackle: Black, palmer wrapped
Wing: Dun CDC over Dun Z-lon
Head: Black Ostrich Herl
Begin by runing a thread base along the hook shank. This keeps materials from slipping and makes the tinsel body seem smoother. Tie in 2 strands of blue flash- a-bou. ( if you don't have blue, you ,might wish to try using white z-lon colored with a blue magic marker). Tie in hackle. Wrap tinsel toward eye, leaving 3 eye lengths open. Tie off.
Wrap hackle in even wraps and tie off. ( Notice that the hackle is roughly the gap of the hook. I undersized the hackle so that it willfloat better.)Clip a small notch out of the top of the hackle. This will allow the wing to sit flat.
Tie in z-lon and clip tag off so that the total length of the wing equals the length of the hook shank. Tie CDC flat on top of the z-lon. Clip tag ends off. Wrap head with ostrich and whip finish.
Tying the Green Bottle......
Hook: Kamasan B401 size 12
Thread: 6/0 Black
Body: Green Flash-a-bou
Hackle: Black, palmer wrapped
Wing: Dun CDC over Dun Z-lon
Head: Peacock Herl
The green bottle is pretty much the same. Just use green tinsel for the body and peacock herl for the head. If you don't have green flash-a-bou , try getting a mixed pack of flash-a- bou or a mix pack of refrax. The tiny metallic strands in either of these work fine as will other stuff like Fire Fly and Angel Hair. You can color antron or z-lon yarn and use this for the body also......
The green bottle could also be fished for some caddis dries too.
For more Info Contact:
Mike Hogue / Badger Creek Fly Tying / 622 West Dryden Road, Freeville, NY 13068
Phone: 607-347-4946