i need help on a red oak fly

[rocklife 0]

hello people who live on land but love to walk in water

 

I'm looking for a good patterm for a oak fly

what is getting me is what material to use

 

thank you all

[utyer 0]

The Oak fly has been around for hundreds of years, and the dressing has changed somewhat as fly styles changed. The first one I know of is from Thomas Barker, and is made with an orange wool body ribbed with black silk, the wing was bronze mallard flank. Cotton also lists an "Orange" fly, with orange dubbed body, and a black wing. Tails and hackles were not generally used in those days.

 

Ronalds lists the Oak fly with an orange floss body, a wood cock wing, and a furnace hackle.

 

Mary Orvis Marbury shows a very different dressing in Favorite flies: The Oak Fly is shown with a tail (GP Tippets,) a yellow (floss) body, oak turkey wing, and a brown hackle. No rib.

 

Bergman shows the dressing with an orange floss body (no rib,) oak turkey tail and wing, and a brown hackle.

 

Leonard lists 4 versions of the Oak fly:

 

First: wood cock wing, brown hackle; orange floss body with black thread rib; tail is black

Second: wood cock wing; brown hackle; yellow floss body with a silver tip; and a golden pheasant tipped tail.

Third: wood cock wing; brown hackle; brown floss body yellow floss rib; tail is brown.

Fourth: brown turkey wing; brown hackle; orange floss body with black floss rib; brown turkey wing.

 

There is a natural insect in GB that I think this pattern was tied to represent, but in the US, its a fairly good caddis pupae pattern.

 

It can also be (and has been,)tied as a dry fly. As a caddis dry, it would simply be an orange body, ribbed with a palmer brown hackle,and wings of a darker brown shade of deer or elk hair. As a dry fly, it could be tied with a brown hackle tail, orange dry fly dubbing or orange biot body, wood duck flank wings (or use deer or elk hair,) hackle would be brown. In a very large size, the Oak fly dry down wing, could be a good pattern to use as a stonefly imitation.

 

In the Eastern US and Canada, there is also a boring beetle in red oak forests. This is a longhorn beetle with an elongated body. This could be imitated by a wing that would be pulled over the back of the fly. The antennae are very long. To imitate this, tie a long beetle (no tail,) use a rusty tan body, and dark deer or elk. Tie the hair in first by the butts extending back over the hook bend. Wrap the body, and tie in two wood duck flank fibers for the antennae. Then pull the hair over the back and tie down. Divide a few hairs to each side to represent the legs. Coat the back with flex cement.

 

Red Oak Borer

[Johnwvan 0]

I googled red oak fly and all I get is chairs, tables and oak

chests. Any pictures? ---John

[Byron 0]

Hi,

 

There's a photo of it if you scroll down towards the bottom of this site.

 

http://www.flydirectory.co.uk/WetFlyPatterns.html