First attempt at a Blue Charm

[Piker20 0]

Well, decided to try a pattern from Poul Jorgensens book. Not as easy as I first thought, the turkey just wants to let the teal part it which is real annoying and the GP didn't set quite as curved as I wanted and the heads a bit big, as is the throat but not too bad as something to work on next time.

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

Looks good, be real careful with the singles - if that wing extends past the bend with the toppings she might flip inverted

[Piker20 0]

Ok. Ill watch for that. This one will get wet cause its sure not how I want one to display. Poul uses a little squirrel to support the wing which i omitted and that probably would help the turkey keep together and keep the teal on the outside.

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

I tend to do them with bm and strips of that aweful to work with teal or just pure teal wing, teal is so tranparent in the water whatever is for support will show which can be neato. Teal makes me mad, i bought a bag and had 11 lefts and one right.

[Crackaig 0]

There is not a lot wrong with it that will affect its fishing properties. I've not come across turkey in a blue charm before. Mostly I tie the hair wing version.

To get a good wing you would need a really good feather. (If I remember correctly its bronze mallard not teal). If you want to tie it well get one of the packs of Large Bronze Mallard from Cookshill. At most there are 6 of the feathers you want on a bird. You'll be hard pressed to get such good feathers elsewhere. If you want a black and white barred wing try using widgeon or pintail flank (much larger feathers).

 

I've come across the technique of rolling duck flank around a slip of turkey for the wing. It was Dave Riding that first told me to do it that way for the wing on a Thunder and Lightning. (Dave & his brother Steve tied all the flies for Sea Trout Fishing and Salmon Fishing By Hugh Falcus). However in that technique the turkey is not meant to show.

 

If you want the toppings to be curved just right then you need to curve them. Wet them and stick then to a glass of the right size for the curve you want. Let them dry, usually overnight, and squash the tie in point with fine pliers.

 

If you want to bring your vice round sometime we can go through it. Don't worry I wont charge you, just leave the vice!

 

Cheers,

C.

[Piker20 0]

haha Alan, i'd have thought with your LAW you would be set? The pattern is the first one in Poul Jorgensens book on Classic Salmon flies and certainly appears the easiest on paper. I imagine he uses Turkey and teal as they are easy to source and the turkey tails give you L and R on one feather. I didn't let the GP set for anywhere near long enough to keep the curve I needed and I should have had the wing more upward to expose the body a bit more. Its certainly a good learning curve, I thought married trout wings were hard enough!