The Ondawa

The Ondawa

Last Friday night my wife and I settled in on the couch to watch a little TV and pray that our electricity didn't go out.  Winter storm Nemo was in full effect dropping an insane amount of snow with howling winds.  So I decided to do a little fly tying just for fun.  The fly I chose to tie was not the typical tenkara sakasa kebari I love to tie but what's known as heritage wet fly called the Ondawa.  This fly was recently highlighted in the winter 2012 edition of Fly Tyer.

 Sharon E. Wright wrote the article as well as tied the fly.  I met Ms. Wright at the recent Fly Fishing Show in Somerset, NJ and had a good look at the actual fly featured in the article.  I liked it very much, which is no surprise because classic wet flies are among my favorite kinds of flies.  So I picked up a few materials at the show and decided when a chance arose I would tie one.  Seems Nemo provided the right opportunity to try one of these.

The Ondawa-pg 64 Winter 2012 Fly Tyer

 The Ondawa was mentioned in Mary Orvis Marbury's Favorite Flies and Their Histories as a bass fly.  The name comes from the Mohican name for the Battenkill River in Vermont.  I believe the pattern was created in the late 1800's.  I think this is a very striking fly that would indeed land a few respectable bass or trout but I don't see myself using this fly on my tenkara rod any time soon.  I like how my first attempt came out  (Not as clean as Sharon's by a long shot....but respectable) but I think this fly might go into a presentation fly box for a little while. These heritage flies are not only beautiful but also serve as a connection to all of those anglers who have come before us in this great sport.