Mallard and Claret

Mallard and Claret is a popular fishing fly in the United Kingdom. Also known as the 'M and C' it is a good general pattern that imitates a wide range of trout food items. The Mallard and Claret fly was created in the 1850s by Aberdeen fly tyer William Murdock. As its name suggests, this fly is constructed from the feathers of a mallard duck together with a claret coloured body.^[1][2][3]

Mallard and Claret
Artificial fly
Type	Wet fly
Imitates	minnow, attractor, or deceiver
History
Creator	William Murdoch
Created	1850s
Materials
Typical sizes	8-14
Typical hooks	original used a double hook
Thread	Black
Tail	7-8 fibres of golden pheasant tippet
Body	dubbed claret seal's fur
Wing	Rolled wing from a Mallard Bronze shoulder feather
Ribbing	silver or gold wire
Hackle	black hen hackle
Head	Tying thread
Uses
Primary use	brown trout
Other uses	sea trout
Reference(s)
Pattern references	[1]