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Current Tags for This Pattern
/
Black /
Claret /
hairwing /
Peacock Sword /
Saddle /
Steelhead /
step-by-step instructions /
Tinsel /
Plum Dandy Hairwing
tied by letumgoFly Type: Attractor Pattern,
Hairwing,
Salmon Flies,
Wet,
Target Species: Steelhead,
Atlantic Salmon,
Pacific Salmon,
General Salmon,
Recommended Region: Northeast US,
Northwest US,
Alaska,
Western Canada,
Eastern Canada,
Russia,
Material List: Hook - Daiichi Salmon Hook / Model 2052 - Silver Finish / Size 7
Thread - 6/0 UNI-Thread (
Black)
Tail - Peacock Sword Fibers
Body - Patons 100% Wool Yarn (Plum Heather/Color 77307)
Rib - Oval Metal Tinsel (Gold)
Hackle - Saddle
Hackle (Deep Claret)
Wing - Kid Goat Hair (
Black)
Cheeks - Jungle Cock Eyes (Optional) - I forgot to add)
Head - Tying thread coated with Sally Hansen's Hard-as-Nails clear nail polish
Tying Instructions: Materials are listed in the order they are tyed onto the hook. Basic steelhead fly construction (see tying steps below).
It helps to split the yarn into separate strands before wrapping the body. This makes it easier to form a smooth body and gives greater control to when forming the body taper.
(Thanks, Helen Shaw, for that tip!)
Tying Instructions:
1) Mount your hook in the vice
2) Attach tying thread to the hook roughly where the body will end.
3) Wind the tying thread back towards the bend of the hook. Stop when the tying thread is even with the tip of the hook point.
4) Select five peacock sword fibers and tye them in as the tail. After tying in the tail, advance the tying thread forward towards the eye of the hook.
5) Cut a piece of yarn roughly 6 inches long, and separate it into the individual strands. Tye in the strands of yarn along the top of the hook shank. The yarn should run from the forward tye in point, all the way to the base of the tail. This will help form a uniform underbody.
6) Tye in a piece of metal oval tinsel along the back of the hook. After securing the tinsel in place, advance the tying thread to the front of the hook. Be sure to leave room for the hackle, wing and head of the hook.
7) Wrap the yarn strands and wrap them forward to the tying thread. You can form a gradual taper by adjusting the spacing of your wraps. Secure the yarn with a few wraps of tying thread and clip off the excess.
8) Wrap the tinsel forward over the yarn body, in five open wraps. Secure the end of the tinsel with two or three wraps of thread and clip of the excess. I like to leave about 1/4 inch showing when I trim the end. I then strip off the tinsel's metal case to expose the thread core. Now finish tying in the tinsel. This reduces bulk at the tye in location.
9) Select and prepare a hackle feather, by stripping off the fluffy fibers and stroking the fibers back to find the best fibers. Trim off the tip and tye in the hackle feather.
10) Fold the fibers of the feather backwards and wrap around the front of the hook. Be sure to continuously stroke the fibers backwards while wrapping the hackle. Secure the hackle in place and clip off the excess.
11) Select a small bunch of kid goat hair and clip from the hide. Comb out the fluffy fibers at the base of the hairs. Place the straight hair in a stacker to even the tips.
12) Measure the wing and trim off the butts of the hair before tying in. Secure the wing in place with firm tension.
13) OPTIONAL - Tye in jungle cock eyes along the sides of the wing. (I wish I had done this with mine. I didn't think about it until the fly was finished).
14) Form the head using even, touching-wraps of tying thread.
15) Whip finish
16) Coat the head with two coats of clear nail polish, or head cement.
DONE!
Presentation Tips: Swing it downstream and across...pause at the end...wait for it...wait for it...FISH ON!!!
