Micro Cormorants

Something for you Stillwater (and river streamer) aficionados today! A twist on a well-known lure - The Cormorant.

Cormorants are lures that are generally tied with a thin body and black marabou wing and have a huge following in the UK. The flies we have for you today are Micro Cormorants - called 'Micro' because they are tied on size 12 hooks (for weight), but the tying only covers half of the hook shank, it is in effect a small fly tied on a large hook - think of them as an upside-down Diawl Bach!

At the end of this email we have included some tips on how to best fish these (and other lures).

Read on McDuff ...

View Our Micro Cormorant Selection

The Cormorant fly/lure does not exactly imitate a specific insect, but rather it gives a general impression of a wide range of foodstuffs - insects, small fish & even snails. Micro Cormorants are a great point fly when fished using a very slow figure of eight retrieve on a floating line. Especially when the going get's tough and the fish are not responding to your normal tactics. This pattern is a great attractor/lure.

Our Micro Cormorant Selection contains 12 flies in total, 4 each of the following patterns in size 12:

• Micro Quill Cormorant
• Micro Pearl Cormorant
• Micro Tango Cormorant

These Micro Cormorants are available as a selection of 12 and are available now for only £18, including free delivery. We only have around 30 of these selections available, so if you would like one you will need to be quick!

View Our Micro Cormorant Selection

How To Fish Cormorants / Lures

When fishing lures (and big flies) it's all about control and your connection with the fly. A shorter leader helps you keep better control of the fly and how it fishes. Start with a level piece of mono 4 to 6 feet long - when in doubt, go shorter.

There are 2 main types of retrieve employed when lure fishing: the stripped retrieve and the swing (down and across on rivers). Just remember to keep in touch with the fly and try to impart some action into it as the fly moves in the current.

On Stillwaters - You have a few options when fishing these Cormorants. You can treat them, and fish them, as you would an emerging buzzer - i.e. fishing static and just under the surface; or fish them as you would any other lure on your favourite stillwater - using short leaders with a short jerky retrieve.

Rivers - High Water - When the rivers are running higher than normal or coloured, try running these flies through the back eddies. Keep out of the main flow, and think like a minnow! Also try dead drifting the Cormorant downstream, then retrieve it back (across the flow) with the odd twitch.

Rivers - Low Light Conditions - With trout feeding more confidently in low light conditions, try a Cormorant after the evening rise has finished. You will be surprised and what you can catch (even in just a few inches of water). Concentrate on fishing the tails of pools and shallower riffles. It's also worthwhile pulling one through any flat water just as nightfall starts, again, trout feed more confidently after dusk.