Hook: Dohiku HDN 302 size 16
Bead: 2mm Copper coated Tungsten
Thread: Orvis Light Olive 8/0 used as no 12/0
Tail: Olive Mallard Flank Feather
Wire: Lagartun Extra Fine Copper
Body: Chartreuse Peacock Herl
Thorax Cover: Olive Mallard Flank Feather
Thorax: Grey Squirrel
1) Materials Req’d
2) Slide the bead onto hook and secure with tying thread.
3) Select 4-5 fibres on the Mallard feather and tie in. Continue down to just before the bend of the hook keeping the turns close.
4) Trim fibres at head and return thread to head of the fly in open turns.
5) Tie in copper wire.
6) Select a fibre from the eye of the peacock feather.
7) Remove fluff from stem – here I’ve used a rubber (eraser for some viewers).
8) Tie in stem by thinner end and curved edge facing upwards.
9) Tie both down to tail using touching turns.
10) Wind stripped peacock stem up to eye in nice close turns. Trim excess.
11) Counter wind the wire up to the head using sufficient turns to protect the fragile peacock stem.Tie off and fret the wire to remove waste (twist the tag end of wire until it breaks).
12) Sweep forward a suitable amount of fibres on the Mallard feather.
13) Moisten the fibres and prepare to tie in.
14) Tie in fibres and run the thread down the body using touching turns to secure.
15) Holding the feather up right as the turns are made will assist in gauging the start of the thorax.
16) Trim waste feather at tying in point.
17) Lightly wax the thread.
18) Dub the thorax with Gray Squirrel.
19) Turn vise towards you and pull the feather over the thorax trying to keep all the fibres aligned and as flat as possible.
20) Secure and tie off.
21) Twist feather and trim off.
22) Tidy thorax if required.
23) Finished article – note that 12/0 thread would have been less bulky at head. I don’t tease out the thorax fibres as a cast (and fish) or two soon brings out the scragginess.
Just another adaptation on a theme. Scrapped quite a few Nymphs with PT fibres for the tail and thorax last season due to trouts teeth so was looking for an alternative.
Tight Lines
Iain
