Loves Lure Trout Fly

with John Hey

Loves Lure, is a very popular high country dry fly. It is not only a very good beetle imitation but a great snail fly when fished wet. On windy days when no hatch is showing try a size 10 or even an eight. The Loves Lure can represent anything from a cicada to a blowfly.

Walking around the edge of Lake Pearson on a fine windy afternoon fishing with the wind at your back, no more than a yard or two out from the shore, you can pick up a fish or two on the Loves Lure.

I was fishing around the edge of Lake Aviemore one morning, when I spotted a rainbow cruising towards me, rising twice before he came into range. I already had a Love’s Lure on, and the cast landed perfectly in front of the fish. He rose and took the fly, but alas, I struck too soon. Luckily I hadn’t alarmed the fish, so getting ahead of him I again cast, and again the trout rose. This time I counted 1, 2, 3 strike, but again he had spat it out.

No, this is not a fishy story, but again I got ahead of the fish and again I cast. Both of us had travelled about fifty yards by this time. As we came into view of the fly it sunk, too late to recast. The fish sedately took the fly about six inches under the surface,

this time I had solid contact and after a short battle, I landed a fish of three pounds. Graciously I returned him to the water to fight another day, hopefully, a little wiser.

This is an easy fly to tie. The tail is just four strands of peacock sword, a body of peacock herl, two or three strands wound to the wings, which is of peacock sword split four each side. A hackle is tied in behind the wings then wound twice behind the wings, then forward to the eye and tie off. As always a drop of head cement completes the job. Give the Loves Lure a try. It is one of the easier flies to tie and well worth having in your fly box.