Hewitts skater

[Srflick]

After reading the thread on skittering for some reason it got me to thinking about skating and about the hewitts skater I tied recently and haven't used it. I have never used this fly before and was just wondering if anyone had any success stories or tips they would like to share .

 

[afishinado]

Here is the tying instructions and a little history on the fly:

http://flyanglersonline.com/features/oldflies/part8.php


I've never tied or fished it. I too would be very interested to hear from any FFer that has fished it.

 

[gfen]

I've made other skaters, but never with this level of detail.

The ones I made mostly just plopped the hook point under and rode like a big parachute. Then again, according to the pickters in Bergman's Trout, that's what it was supposed to do.

I don't have any spade hackle, but I want to try this anyways. Perhaps I'll wrap a nice long hackle around a dowel and hit it with some fixative, dry, and then try. I'm not ever going to do anything else with those size 2/0 dry fly hackles from the middle of the cape.

 

[Fishidiot]

Skater type flies are not commonly used by PA fly fishers much these days as far as I can tell (don't use 'em myself). This is interesting considering that skaters have a long and rich history in the Poconos and Catskills. When you consider that "retro" fly fishing methods, like fishing bamboo rods, have become popular with a segment of the angling community I'm surprised that this famous fly doesn't see much usage anymore.

 

[gfen]

It sounds difficult regarding the nature of the hackle and the exacting nature in which they're supposed to be constructed.

As I read it, it sounds almost as if it should alight on the knife's edge of hackle, and skate on that, rather than resting on hackle point and hook bend.

The fly I've been conceptualizing and refining lately, inspired by Leonard's skittering caddis, seems to be feasable by using ample snowshoe rabbit and generous amounts of gink. Not as elegant, but it still seems to glide at times.

I need to figure out the ideal body dubbing to really keep it out of the water, though.