The pattern was created by Peter Deane back in the 1960s. It takes its name from his assistant Fances Hydon who had the task of tying up Peter’s design. The pattern was designed to be a prawn imitation and in common with all good fly stories it caught a lot of fish and soon came to dominate catches in Iceland. Later this pattern has proven its effectiveness all over the globe for both salmon and sea trout. This style of fly must have been a real eyeopener for salmon fishermen all over, it's truly something special and quite odd looking compared to flies back then. The shape of the body and the antennas create a lot of turbulence and movement in the water. The Frances is famous for taking reluctant fish that have been on the river for some time. It's equally good on fresh fish and a must have in your arsenal! Our Frances has the original carrot shape tied with UV materials in the body. Why Black Frances when red is so good? Well, hard to say, but it surely works. Among icelandic fishermen the black is a favoured color in late season for fish that have spent some in the river. Try it yourself!
