seriously though? what about a nice weighted nymph pattern for bugging the Don
What a good idea, haven't made any proper flies for a while.
This is my favourite pattern for bugging, I tie them with white or chartreuse for the body, would use cream too if i had any
Hook: TMC 206 BL size 10
Thread: 12/0 black or olive
Body: Chartreuse micro straggle fritz
Head: 2 x 2.8mm black tungsten beads
Legs: Starling upper wing ,lesser covert feather.
Step 1. Put one bead on hook and place hook in vice.
Step 2. Take feather from wing, one like this with pale coloured tips and nice shiny body.
Step 3. Take approx 6-7 fibres (from towards the tip of the feather) and tie in pointing towards the hook point.
Step 4. Trim the butts and make a few turns and whip with 3 turns to finish, cut thread.
Step 5. Remove hook, fit second bead and place hook back into vice.
Step 6. Push bead right up close to the first bead so the thread is compressed and the fibres point forward over the first bead. Tie in thread again hard against the back of the bead to keep it in place.
Step 7. Take another 6-7 fibres from the starling feather, this time from further down the feather so they are slightly longer and tie them in pointing forwards, the tips should sit in a nice line between the first set of legs and the point of the hook.
Step 8. Cut butts and tie down around the bend of the hook.
Step 9. Take a length of micro fritz and tie in. Take thread back up to behind the second bead.
Step 10. Wind micro fritz up the shank in touching turns stroking the fibres each turn to point backwards so none get trapped and tie down at back of bead.
Step 11. Form a neat head at back of bead (3-4 turns whip) and varnish here and between the two beads.
Step 12. Optional. I like to take my scissors and trim the back of the fly so it looks more like dubbing, leaving the legs underneath.
Finished fly the way i like, you could leave it as it was in step 11 if you like, but i prefer it this way.
Fish it as the dropper fly about 10-12 inches above an unweighted nymph and use it Czech nymph style, to search out the water. The Don is full of Rhyac's and Hydro's so this fly in Chartreuse and cream is very effective. If the water is coloured then you could tie some up with gold or silver or orange beads too, its only limited by your imagination.
Another good colour combo for this pattern involves a Gold bead ,an Orange bead and black fritz. Had some really nice fish on that one
But i do prefer the more imitative paterns and the rhyac's in the river really are chartreuse
Sandy
