Dry FliesBlack Pennell
H. Cholmondely-Pennell's Black Pennell strips the body down to black tying thread ribbed with silver wire, finished with a sparse natural black hen hackle and a hot orange tippet tail for contrast. The slim, sparse dressing gives it a translucent, insect-like silhouette that matches caddis and mayflies during hatch and spinner activity on moving water and stillwater.
Spring, Summer, Fall
Intermediate
Trout
Feb 2026
Overview
Cholmondely-Pennell's original design relies on the thread body itself rather than dubbing, giving the fly a slim, translucent profile. The silver wire rib adds segmentation and a touch of glint to suggest a natural's body, while the hot orange tippet tail provides a visible contrast point against the black dressing. A soft, sparse black hen hackle keeps the fly understated rather than bushy. It's a classic pattern worth carrying for mixed caddis and mayfly activity on both rivers and lakes.
Where to Buy This Fly
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Materials
- Hook:
- Mustad 94845 #12
- Thread:
- Benecchi 12/0, black
- Hackle:
- Hen, natural black
- Tail:
- Lady Amherst tippet barbs, dyed hot orange
- Rib:
- Wire, silver
- Body:
- Tying thread
Behavior & Presentation
Natural Behavior: Waterlogged caddis drift helplessly after extended egg-laying, wings absorbing moisture until flight becomes impossible. They become easy targets.
Where Trout Eat It: Fish sip drowned adults in eddies, foam lines, and slow pool sections where exhausted insects accumulate during post-hatch periods.
How to Fish It: Dead drift or slow swing in the film or just below. Figure-eight retrieves in lakes mimic drowning insect struggles.
Best Water: Work foam lines collecting drowned insects, eddies with slow circulation, seams, and tail-outs.
Strike Type: Watch for subtle sips or gentle takes as fish intercept helpless drowned adults.
Fishing Strategy
Rigging Suggestions: Use a 9-12 foot leader tapering to 5X tippet for delicate presentations. Apply floatant to the body and hackle.
Seasonal Timing: Most effective during peak feeding periods at dawn and dusk. Water temperatures between 45-65°F typically produce best results.
Pro Tips: The palmered hackle creates movement and lifelike action in water. When fish refuse standard patterns, the Black Pennell's simple silhouette often produces.
Entomology
Adult caddisflies become waterlogged when caught in surface currents after extended egg-laying activity, drifting helplessly as their wings absorb moisture and fail to lift them free. Trout recognize these drowned adults as easy pickings that require no pursuit, making them low-energy, high-reward targets during post-hatch periods.
- Order
- Trichoptera
- Common Name
- Caddisfly
- Organism Type
- insect
- Life Stage
- adult
