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Fly Tying
Tim Shovel

matuka tying style

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I would make sure you have a solid underbody. I have peacock wrapped over some lead strip to build up a base for the hen feathers. I also use ultra wire for ribbing.

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I tie a few of these, each year, for bass. They aren't hard, but a bit fussy, at first. Here's a link to Skip Morris

WEB page on Matukas. I found it helpful when I first tried them.

 

I use my dubbing needle to part the feathers for the rib. That's the only "trick" I have.

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Fly tire

Congrats on retirement! Hope you find the time to enjoy all the things you like.

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Thanks the link is definitely going to help

 

What feathers do you recommend for this style? I was going to try with guinea feathers

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I'd try a spade hackle, maybe furnace or something else that's marked with different colors. I don't use many guinea feathers, believe they'd be pretty small, but then I don't know.

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Matuka flies are some I really enjoy tying but don't get asked for them all that often. It is a technique that is worth learning as you can also use it to attach fur strips, such as rabbit,

 

If you want to use guinea fowl feathers some of the outer wing coverts would be ideal. Many game bird wing coverts would make ideal Matuka wings. Also the tail feathers from partridge are good, a feather that is usually left over after the other useful feathers from a skin are used up.

 

Cheers,

C.

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finding good feathers is key to tying matukas

 

kudu

 

retirement will be at the end of june.

 

I cant wait to get away from my current job and no more 4 AM wake ups

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A+ would be a pretty high mark for a fly ? I'm going to rate the Olive Grizzly Matuka A++. It was an amazing fly for me in my younger days and the only reason I don't fish it as much is because of the hackle I found that was necessary to tie the fly the way I thought it should be tied was so hard to get. The hackle needed is much more prevalent today as to 40 years ago and had I not found a fly pattern to substitute I would gladly fill my fly box with these valuable Matukas. Today's hackle supply is much better than it used to be!


When I tied them I would look for long webby hackle and each fly I tied used between 4 to 6 feathers in the wing to give the fly the bulk I was after. Using that many feathers for one fly eats up a neck in no time flat and I soon exhausted the supply in my home town and was told the source from out of town would replenish the flyshop stock as soon as he could, when they restocked I would buy all the necks that they had come in.


The resupply couldn't keep up with my needs and latter after thinking about it I could understand why the commercial tyers were not anxious to fill orders to stock the fly bins when folks caught on to the fly. I'd get about 8-10 flies per neck.


Here's a Mike Lawson vid and a few of his thoughts about the Matuka. For what it's worth, note the color and shape of the hackle which is pretty close to what I was using; and also that he favors 4-6 hackles for the fly. I don't tie mine with the barbell eyes and don't feel it's really necessary, but I agree with him on the bulk and length of the wing.



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I generally use the larger feathers from a hen cape. I like the webiness, the shape plus they are soft enough to move in the water.

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