Guide
IllustrationSooty Dabbler
Wet fly#10–12sooty olive / bronzeBest: Mar–Sep
When to use
One of the most popular Irish lough dabblers, fished right through the wet-fly season on any part of a wave-fished cast.
Imitates
General wet-fly attractor with a sombre olive/black tone — no single specific natural, loosely suggestive of hatching sedge or general lough food.
Team position
Any position on a three-fly wave team; often paired with other Dabblers and Bumbles.
Best methods
DibbledFigure-of-eight
Dressing
- Hook
- wet fly, #10–12
- Thread
- black
- Tail
- dyed olive bronze mallard fibres
- Body
- sooty-olive seal's-fur-style dubbing
- Rib
- fine oval gold tinsel
- Hackle
- dark olive cock hackle, palmered through the body
- Wing
- bronze mallard, cloaked around the sides and back
- Head
- black thread head
Standard Sooty Olive Dabbler dressing (Dabbler-family cloak-wing style, a close relative of the Claret and Golden Olive Dabblers).
Pairs with
Retrieve & line
- Wants a wave — fish it on the bob and dibble it
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