Until last weekend I’d never heard of, let alone seen, a ROSY FOOTMAN. I’m beginning to discover and enjoy the ornate to downright bizarre names that moths tend to be given. They have this in common with fly-fishing flies – the previous day I had caught a plump wild brown trout on the River Frome with a ‘Tups Indispensable’*.
High on an inside wall above a mirror, I saw a small pink item. On closer inspection, I could tell it was a moth, and one I had never seen before. I had to fetch a small stepladder to inspect it and (with some difficulty) to photograph it, . Meet a Rosy Footman.
The Rosy Footman is apparently a moth of southern England, in particular the southern-most counties from Kent to Cornwall. They fly in July and August. With such very particular markings, they are unmistakeable, but clearly I’d failed to notice one ever before… I’m glad I have now.
* For those concerned about these things, I use barbless hooks. I netted the fish, unhooked it still in the water and released it in about 30 seconds to fight another day. Or preferably to produce more wild stock.
ROLLING HARBOUR GALLERY 
Beautiful moth! How life changes, my father was a keen fisherman but we used to eat the trout but that was in Scotland and I suppose like everything there must be less fish now. Amelia
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Amelia, with river trout generally wild browns are catch & release; stocked are ok to take in moderation; and rainbows (if any) are mostly ‘take’. I’m lucky – the upper Frome is 90% wily wilds. Smaller and trickier. Just don’t get me started on salmon & compulsory C&R!
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