Wet fly
Mallard & Claret
Claret wet-fly workhorse
Trout · Sea troutSubsurface
Mallard wing over a claret seal's fur body — a Victorian recipe that still works, elegant in its simplicity and lethal in its effect.
Fish this when
Spring and summer on rivers and lochs. Cast across and swing, or fish it on a drifting boat on the point or middle dropper.
Why it works
Claret is one of the foundational fly-fishing colours — reads as small insects, emerging nymphs, or general subsurface movement at any depth.
Naturals it imitates
Typical zone & fishable range
usually
Surface
Film
Subsurface
Deep
Setup sensitivity: medium
Quick facts
Tying difficulty
Beginner-friendly
Heritage
ModernClassicHeritage
Heritage
· Scotland, traditional loch fly
Buy or tie?
Tying the Mallard & Claret - Dressed Irons
Dressed Irons · canonical
Premier Angling
Irish fly-fishing and fly-tying supplier; useful for Irish lough and salmon coverage.
Fish Fishing Flies
Broad UK fallback with strong wet-fly and lough-style pattern coverage.
Flies Of Ireland
Dedicated Irish lough-fly specialist; sells this pattern under its exact name.