Soldier Palmer

Loch bob fly

TroutSurface

Red-brown palmered body, red hackle, gold rib — the Soldier Palmer is the bob fly that Scottish loch trout expect to see. It has been catching fish since before the sport had a name for the technique.

Fish this when

On the bob dropper of a loch-style cast from a drifting boat. Spring and early summer. Work it hard through the wave and dibble it at the end of each drift.

Why it works

The palmer hackle creates a disturbance and a suggestion of life that trout investigate. Red and gold is one of the oldest fish-catching combinations in fly tying — it has earned its reputation.

Naturals it imitates