In larger sizes it works well for Bass, EP’s, Silver Perch and Yellow Bellies and in smaller sizes its a great for trout. I like to fish it on a fast sinking line either ripped or with a stop and start jerky retrieve or roly-poly.
When browns and rainbows are feeding on hatching midges at the exclusion of all else it pays to have a few buzzers in your kit. This pattern has proven itself to be readily accepted in many countries.
As the name implies these flies are built using a soft plastic lure body. I like to use 2″ and 3″ crescent tail type soft plastics as they tend to have a little more movement than some of the alternatives. For general prospecting or when targeting bream and whiting I use the 2″ version and when I am targeting flathead I use the 3″ version.
Whilst it has been tweaked at the edges a little this Mallard & Claret pattern remains remarkably similar to the original fly pattern that has its origins in England some 500 odd years ago except for the introduction of a fuzzeled body rather than a hackled body and a soft wing instead of feather slip wings. I carry both the mallard and claret and an olive version of this fly in my lake fly box.
