Fly Focus - Page 4 of 4

The Black Pennell

The Black Pennell was devised in the nineteenth century by H. Cholmondeley Pennell, and is particularly popular in the remoter waters of the Highlands. Commonly fished as a bob fly, it is especially good during the early season when black midges are hatching. It goes back to about 1860, and a proven fly in Scottish lakes. In Ireland it is regarded as a superb all-round fly, and it does do well for rainbows and browns.

H. Cholmondeley Pennel was a poet as well as a fly fisherman and wrote 'The Angler Naturalist' in 1864 and edited the 'Salmon and Trout' in 1885. He was also the originator of the 'Pennell Hackle' as used today on sparsely tied bodies with turned down eyes and tapered hooks.