Leech quick print5/17/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() In 19th century Europe, the demand for medicinal leeches was so great that they were actually farmed, and some people in Britain worked as professional “leech gatherers,” collecting wild leeches to sell for medicinal use. Pliny the Elder reported the use of medicinal leeches in the Roman Empire. For these reasons, they have been used in medicine in many parts of the world for at least 2,500 years. Leeches can also reportedly reduce swelling in tissues and promote healing. Leeches are parasitic worms that attach themselves to other animals to drink blood. Carry Mini Leeches and Mini Leech Jigs in these colors in sizes 12 through 16 and you’ll be prepared to catch trout in both rivers and stillwaters. Leeches come in three natural color schemes: rust, olive, and black. The jig versions are tied on 60-degree jig hooks, and when attached with an improved clinch knot, they balance in a horizontal position, just like a real leech. Tied with micro pine squirrel extending from a thick ostrich herl collar, these patterns imitate the tapered bodies of leeches. This incident inspired the design of the Mayer’s Mini Leech, Mini Leech Jig, and Mini Leech Jig Radiant. I was soon sitting with John watching this huge trout meal swimming around in the container. I flipped my uneaten sandwich in the air, and with the sandwich container I captured the racing ribbon. I looked down, and to my surprise a 3+-inch leech was swimming a few inches below the surface. Pointing toward the water, John asked: “What is that? It’s moving really fast.” I will never forget sitting on the bank of Spinney Reservoir one day, eating lunch with my good friend and client John Johnson. Leeches can be found drifting in moving and still waters, or swimming like a ribbon. With a color palette ranging from black to tan, leeches can hit every shade in between. Thankfully, most of the leeches of interest to fly fishers live in fresh water and are commonly ½ inch to 3 inches long-plenty to provide a hearty meal for trout and many other gamefish. That sounds like something from a horror movie. Some leech species can grow up to 18 inches long and live as long as 20 years. Whether you are fishing a lake or river, in high or low water, winter or summer, there is a good chance you can mimic this common food supply and catch fish. This makes leeches extremely important in fly fishing, as it is always leech season. Leeches are aquatic worms that are members of the annelid (ringed or segmented worms) phylum, and are found on every continent except Antarctica. This article was originally titled "Flies that Don't Suck" in the Feb/March 2022 issue of Fly Fisherman magazine.Ī word for “leech” can be found in almost every language on Earth. ![]()
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