Name
Bella Donna
Type
Salmon
Author
Dr Paul Davis
Inspiration
Bella Donna means beautiful lady in Italian (and my wife is called Donna so is doubly apt). Belladonna can also refer to the deadly nightshade and the colours of this fly mimic the colours of the nightshade family of plants, and it is a deadly fly.
Date concieved
2006
Hook
Partridge CS14/2B Size 5 Salar Black Double
Thread
Uni Thread Black 8/0
Weighting
None
Tail
A tag of silver oval tinsel followed by a tail of yellow bucktail overlain with pearl yellow crystal flash
Body
Rear half Uni Floss Emerald Green - Front Half Uni Floss Purple
Rib
15lb Fluoro yellow monofilament fishing line
Thorax
None
Legs
None
Wings
Dyed black squirrel tail overlain with UV purple crystal flash
Eyes
None
Hackle
Front hackle of purple schlappen hackle (or for the variant –picture below – guinea fowl feather dyed purple.)
Tying instructions
Make sure the tips of the yellow bucktail and the tips of the black squirrel align. Remember to leave enough room for the head hackle when creating the body and also remember to sweep back the head hackle when tying in.
Fishing Instructions
Good for summer grilse in spate conditions on a sink tip line. Good for autumn salmon in overcast conditions. Not particularly good for springers or when bright conditions prevail.
Interesting facts
The guinea fowl variant ‘swims’ better in faster ‘rippled water’ where the hackle seems to pulse life
Variants