Paul's April 2012 Fly of the Month

“Single feather Rhody Flat Wing”

Hook:  Eagle Claw 254 SS or L 253 1/0

Tail:  White bucktail, 2 times the length of the hook shank.  Topped by an Olive flat wing hackle resting on a dubbing pillow of fluff from the base of the feather.

Body:  Pearl Bill’s Body Braid.

Throat:  Long white bucktail.   Use your nail to surround the bottom and both sides of 

               the hook.

Wing:  Yellow  bucktail over which is mylar tinsel or flash of choice, over which is       olive bucktail, over which is 5 to 6 strands of peacock herl as a wing topping.

Eyes:  Jungle cock. (“Flat Wing Purists” would never substitute anything for jungle

           cock, for others an option is to use 3 D eyes and epoxy on and over them)

Head:  White thread/head cement

Begin tying this fly by advancing your thread from the eye to the hook bend.  Next, cut off a small bunch of hairs near the base of white bucktail.  These fibers are “more” hollow.  You want these hairs to splay and flair when tied in.  They should be two (2) hook shank long.  Use your nail to press down on and surround the hook with the bucktail.  Next, select your olive hackle feather.  It is going to lay flat on top of your tail, same length or longer.  Before tying it on to your hook shank you are going to dub some of the feather fluff from the base onto your tying thread.  Once its dubbed on the thread, raise your thread over the hook shank and slide the fluff down onto the hook shank.  This will form a ball and base for your single flat wing feather.   Tie in your “flat wing” feather.  Next tie in your pearl Bill’s body braid and palmer it forward.  Leave enough room near the eye of the hook to tie in your throat and wing.  Next select and cut a small bunch of white bucktail for the throat of the fly.  It should extend almost to the tip of the hackle feather.  Use your nail to make the fibers surround ¾ of the hook shank.  Next begin tying in the wing.  Select a small bunch of yellow bucktail and tie it in on top of the hook shank.  It should extend to the tip of the tail.  Next tie in a few strands of your tinsel or flash of choice.  The flash can extend beyond the tail of the fly.  Next tie in a small bunch of olive bucktail.  Same length as the underlying yellow.  Next select 7 or 8 strands of peacock herl as your wing topping.   They should be the length of the entire fly.  Finally, tie in your jungle cock eyes.  Two color “splashes” of the jungle cock should be visible to resemble the pupil of the baitfish eye.  Finally tie off the fly and apply head cement.

It’s movement and appearance in the water is truly special.   As with other “flat wing” type flies I love dead drifting it in the current.  When retrieving it, try stripping it back erratically.

This fly can also be viewed at the Housatonic Fly Fishermen’s Association website at www.hffa.net  .  If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a Fly of the Month I can be reached at 203 305-3850 or e-mail me at pdinice@frontier.com .