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Post by springerman on Mar 10, 2015 20:30:48 GMT
Reading an article the other day and came across these Valsesian flies from the Sesia Valley,Italy. Sorry but I have no images. However I know they will be familiar to a few of you particularly daves. These flies are so like Sakasa Kebari's and our own North Country Spiders. Apparently they date back to the early 1600's. I only mention it as a matter of interest. I do not recall them being mentioned on the forum. If you want to read a bit more they do feature on the Tenkara USA forum where reference is made to the different colours. |
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Post by dbl on Mar 10, 2015 20:55:24 GMT
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Post by Paul G on Mar 10, 2015 22:52:49 GMT
Rob Smith's book has the fascinating insight that flies from Sesia and comparable continental European mountain stream fishing traditions are actually the direct ancestors of the North Country wetfly patterns in England. They are thought to have been brought over to the various Abbeys and wherever else monks hung out by the Christian monks and associated merchants from Europe.
Weird to think that our spider fishing came from pesca Alla Valsesiana whilst the modern forms of tenkara and pesca alla Valsesiana arose completely independently - and yet are so similar to each other
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Post by springerman on Mar 11, 2015 8:56:00 GMT
dbl & Paul, Thank you for that. I knew somebody would know about them. I just thought it amazing those flies were so like the tenkara flies. From your attachment dbl I see the method was just the same as well. Thank you for sharing that with us. I should have included the attachment for Tenkara USA. Here it is. I hope it works. www.tenkarausa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=625 |
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Post by Paul G on Mar 11, 2015 10:37:24 GMT
Yes - great link dbl thanks for that.
Ian - not sure if you are on facebook or not, but there is a group dedicated to Pesca Mosca Alla Valsesiana on there. Videos and photos of modern and old tackle in use, very nice.
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Post by Paul G on Mar 11, 2015 10:40:51 GMT
Youtube video of Pesca Mosca Valsesiana here:  |
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Post by Paul G on Mar 11, 2015 10:43:05 GMT
One with the traditional "reed" rod:
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Post by springerman on Mar 11, 2015 14:17:27 GMT
Paul, It was just something I have not come across before, Valsesia flies, perhaps I need to get out more. It was interesting in the similarities of the flies and the great sport we share. One thing that did come up and it shows in the second video, that they use as many as 4 flies per cast. I see our fisherman had three. Thank you for posting both videos. The bamboo rod was very basic but it did the job. I noticed a circular casting motion, something I had forgotten about. I don't think it would be a light rod and you may know about it after a day of fishing. Super stuff and I am sure others will find it interesting as well. Have a great season. Hope out paths cross. Ian. |
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Post by dbl on Mar 11, 2015 16:42:03 GMT
The videos are fascinating Paul, though I will have to brush up on my Italian...
Thanks for starting this thread, Ian. Having now looked at the photos on the TUSA site that you helpfully linked to, I too am struck by the similarities. Those bright threads did remind me of something and that is the embroidery thread you see in haberdashery departments. They have a fantastic range of colours, including an amazing variety of green and olive.
The blue is intriguing as it is not seen in any North Country spiders that I know of, nor on the Japanese flies we have been introduced to so far. I think someone on a USA forum did start up a competition to create a blue fly, but I don't know how successful they were.
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Post by springerman on Mar 12, 2015 8:56:17 GMT
dbl, Glad you found it interesting. I was struck with the similarities. I think it was Chris Stewart (Tenkara Bum) who ran a competition for a blue fly. All good stuff. Funny you should mention the embroidery thread. I have used that for years to make woven flies, not that I use many now, and as you say a fantastic range of colours. Also in the months FF&FT magazine, International fly-tying competition winner Hubert Janeczek, has written an article about making nymphs from the strands of ribbon. Again the range of colour is extensive. Cheap and easily obtained. It also shows it being used on the body of dry flies. The effect is very much like quill bodies or the old fashioned thread bodies. They look good as well. |
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Post by daves on Mar 12, 2015 9:41:42 GMT
My friend Manu Gonnetto from Beverley was brought up in northern Italy & hid father who ran a fishing tackle shop used to make traditional, arundo reed, Vaklsesiana rods. These rods are a bit stiffer than Tenkara rods and the lines are tapered horsehair or furled mono. Flies are virtually identical to Sakasas & are fished generally as one would fish traditional north country spiders. Manu has ordered a modern, carbon fibre Valsesiana rod which I am looking forward to seeing & trying.
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Post by tubefly on Mar 12, 2015 16:24:17 GMT
The videos are fascinating Paul, though I will have to brush up on my Italian... Thanks for starting this thread, Ian. Having now looked at the photos on the TUSA site that you helpfully linked to, I too am struck by the similarities. Those bright threads did remind me of something and that is the embroidery thread you see in haberdashery departments. They have a fantastic range of colours, including an amazing variety of green and olive. The blue is intriguing as it is not seen in any North Country spiders that I know of, nor on the Japanese flies we have been introduced to so far. I think someone on a USA forum did start up a competition to create a blue fly, but I don't know how successful they were. Dave
Like this
Harry
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Post by dbl on Mar 12, 2015 20:57:33 GMT
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Post by custheyder on Mar 13, 2015 11:22:43 GMT
There are plenty of example fo blue flies in the sea trout and salmon flies. I've used blue jay as a front hackle on black spiders to great effect.
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Post by dbl on Mar 13, 2015 18:57:13 GMT
I came across this video (amongst others) of fishing Valsesian style on the Trebbia just north of Genoa. A specific stretch is set aside for fly fishing and tenkara. A brochure about the area can be downloaded from this website. www.altavaltrebbia.it/Easier to reach than Japan  Paul G will know more, but this style looks to be closer to Honryu Tenkara as he describes it in the Discovering Tenkara blog? |
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