Old Jock
Well-known member
Does anyone know the history, the origins and correct genuine dressing for these patterns?
Stone Goat & Clan Goat
- Thread starter Old Jock
- Start date
noeyedeer
Well-known member
Stan Headley...
Cap'n Fishy
Well-known member
I know a fair bit on the subject, having fished with the originators of both flies on numerous occasions.
The Stone Goat was originated by Mark Hirst, the guide/ghillie, call him what you like, based at Achnacarry. It was his variant on a claret bumble. He liked it for 'stubborn' fish - fish that wouldn't look at anything else. He said, "how much more stubborn could you get than a stone goat...?", hence the name. He mostly uses it in size 8, for the brownies on his local waters, Lochs Arkaig and Lochy. This is for the 'normal' brownies, but always with a ferox on the radar. It is his go-to bob fly - always the bob as far as he is concerned. He also sticks with it on the salmon and seatrout lochs.
Dressing...
Hook: size 8 wet fly
Thread: black
Tail: Golden pheasant crest
Body: dark claret seal's fur
Body hackles: magenta henny cock (for 'magenta' see 'bad claret'... when you order a claret cape by post and what you get is just not claret... you'll know what I mean) and black cock, paired
Rib: oval gold
Head hackle: leggy guinea fowl, dyed blue to kingfisher blue, wherever you prefer in the spectrum...
The 'Clan Goat', is a Stan Headley variant of Mark's fly, crossed with a Clan Chief, trying to find a fly for the middle position on the salmon and seatrout lochs.
Hook: 6-8 wet fly
Thread: Black
Tail: Hot yellow golden pheasant crest, with Globrite 5 floss over
Body: black seal's fur
Body hackles: red and black cock
Rib: flat silver tinsel
Head hackles: One turn each of blue guinea fowl over black hen, over red guinea fowl
A few photos...
Mark and Stan on Loch Lochy...
A small fish on a Stone Goat...
A sea trout to the Clan Goat...
My own take on a Stone Goat...
And my own take on a Clan Goat...
Hope that helps?
Col
noeyedeer
Well-known member
Nice write up Col 
Old Jock
Well-known member
Thanks for that!I know a fair bit on the subject, having fished with the originators of both flies on numerous occasions.
The Stone Goat was originated by Mark Hirst, the guide/ghillie, call him what you like, based at Achnacarry. It was his variant on a claret bumble. He liked it for 'stubborn' fish - fish that wouldn't look at anything else. He said, "how much more stubborn could you get than a stone goat...?", hence the name. He mostly uses it in size 8, for the brownies on his local waters, Lochs Arkaig and Lochy. This is for the 'normal' brownies, but always with a ferox on the radar. It is his go-to bob fly - always the bob as far as he is concerned. He also sticks with it on the salmon and seatrout lochs.
Dressing...
Hook: size 8 wet fly
Thread: black
Tail: Golden pheasant crest
Body: dark claret seal's fur
Body hackles: magenta henny cock (for 'magenta' see 'bad claret'... when you order a claret cape by post and what you get is just not claret... you'll know what I mean) and black cock, paired
Rib: oval gold
Head hackle: leggy guinea fowl, dyed blue to kingfisher blue, wherever you prefer in the spectrum...
The 'Clan Goat', is a Stan Headley variant of Mark's fly, crossed with a Clan Chief, trying to find a fly for the middle position on the salmon and seatrout lochs.
Hook: 6-8 wet fly
Thread: Black
Tail: Hot yellow golden pheasant crest, with Globrite 5 floss over
Body: black seal's fur
Body hackles: red and black cock
Rib: flat silver tinsel
Head hackles: One turn each of blue guinea fowl over black hen, over red guinea fowl
A few photos...
Mark and Stan on Loch Lochy...
A small fish on a Stone Goat...
A sea trout to the Clan Goat...
My own take on a Stone Goat...
And my own take on a Clan Goat...
Hope that helps?
Col
I tied this tonight! Very pleased with it! Quite a lot of materials in it and was a bit time consuming. That's the joy of flytying though.
Cap'n Fishy
Well-known member
Aye, I couldn't see the point of the black hen hackle in it and I left it out of my own version - the one in the photo and the mouth of the seatrout.
Col
