Hook: Standard Light Wire Dry Fly or Stout Wet Fly Hook, sizes 10 to 20 Abdomen: Yellow Floss Rib: Fine Copper Wire Thorax: Hare’s Ear Dubbing Collar: Hungarian Partridge
Notes: Use light-wire standard dry-fly hooks for some and stout wet fly hooks for others. This will give you the ability to fish in the surface film, or deeper depending on the hook.
The thorax of hare’s ear dubbing should be dubbed large enough so that it can support the soft hackle -the thorax is there primarily to prevent the partridge hackle from collapsing against the body.
I like the effect of using a copper rib for the appearance of segmentation – not all tyers do this. I feel more confident fishing it with the ribbing though.
Make sure to tie the partridge in very sparse – stripping the hackle fibers from one side of the feather can help to keep it sparse.
Fishing Notes: I haven’t fished this color variation as much as the Green and Partridge. I include it though because I’ve had success with it during yellow crane-fly activity. I haven’t yet used it for the Sulphur Hatch, however Dave Hughes in his book Wet Flies, recommends it for this.
Hook: Standard Light Wire Dry Fly or Stout Wet Fly Hook, sizes 12 to 20 Abdomen: Green Floss Rib: Fine Copper Wire Thorax Hare’s Ear Dubbing Collar: Hungarian Partridge
Notes: Use light-wire standard dry-fly hooks for some and stout wet fly hooks for others. This will give you the ability to fish in the surface film, or deeper depending on the hook.
The thorax of hare’s ear dubbing should be dubbed large enough so that it can support the soft hackle -the thorax is there primarily to prevent the partridge hackle from collapsing against the body.
I like the effect of using a copper rib for the appearance of segmentation – not all tyers do this. I feel more confident fishing it with the ribbing though.
Make sure to tie the partridge in very sparse – stripping the hackle fibers from one side of the feather can help to keep it sparse.
Fishing Notes: I’ve used this fly successfully for both Blue-Winged-Olive and caddis hatches. In the case of the BWO hatch, I fish it dead-drifting just below the surface – generally with no added movement.
For caddis hatches I fish it in more varied ways: dead-drifting, swinging, rising. Let the situation dictate the action – try different tactics till you figure it out.
Hook: Wet Fly Hook, sizes 6 to 14 Body: Burgundy or Red Floss* Rib: Peacock Herl* Tail: Golden Pheasant Tippets, Ringneck Pheasant substituted here Wing: Female Golden Pheasant Tail (traditionally), Turkey used here Throat: Partridge or Similar *Other recipes call for a peacock herl body with a floss rib. The effect is similar, and maybe a little more robust.
Created in the 1870’s by James Hardy of the Hardy Brothers tackle company. I guess it was his favorite. I liked this pattern as soon as I saw it. It has that combination of red and peacock herl that fish seem to love. It may become a favorite of mine as well. I could imagine it with different color floss bodies and maybe an antron wing.
I originally found this pattern in The Art of Fly Tying by Claude Chartrand. This is a nice little book. I wouldn’t reccomend it as your first fly tying book however. But it makes a nice addition to your library. I particularly liked the a section on extended body techniques. Also I was inspired by the good selection of classic streamers and wet flies in the pattern index.
Hook: Wet Fly or Streamer Hook, sizes 8 to 16 Body:Black Chenille (use ultra-chenille or dubbing for small sizes) Tail: Brown Hackle, alternatively golden pheasant tippets Wing: Calf-tail (traditionally), antron used here Collar: Brown Hen Hackle
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