Paul's December 2024 Fly of the Month

 Hen & Copper

Hook:  Wet Fly/Sprout Hook Size #14 to Size #18.

Thread:  140 Denier Thread in Olive or Brown or Wood Duck.

Body:  Copper Ultra Wire Brassie.

Thorax:  Peacock Herl 3-4 strands.

Collar:  Pheasant Feather or Hen Feather, mottled brown.

This is a great ‘attractor’ fly.  For myself, and some of my friends, it has been one of the hot flies on the upper Housatonic this Fall (2024).  Most fly shops don’t sell wet flies, and on the rare occasions when they do, you won’t find a fly like this.  The copper wire gives it a flash in the water and helps keep your fly a little lower in the water column.  When I tie it to smaller sizes, I don’t even put a Thorax on it.  I also prefer to use Hen feathers for those smaller wets.  I also don’t rib it.  You might also want to tie it on a variety of different hooks.  Pictured here are a couple variations of this fly.

To tie this fly de-barb the hook and place it in your vice.  Start your thread behind the eye and take a half dozen securing wraps.  Cut off the butt end.  Next, tie in 2 strands of copper wire.  Tie them in about an ‘eye’ length behind the eye.  Once secured, start wrapping down the bend making ‘side by side’ wraps.  Wrap down to the bend in the hook.  Now palmer your wires forward with spiral wraps to create a rib.  When you reach your wire tie in point, tie it off, and ‘helicopter’ off the butt ends.

Next, tie in 2 strands of Peacock Herl.  Take 4-5 wraps to create a ‘balled’ thorax.  Tie off the peacock and cut off the butt ends.  Next, prepare your hen feather for your collar.  Strip off the fuzzy end of the feather.  Now pull 1 side of your feather fibers off the stem.  Doing this resolves the problem of putting too much hackle on your fly.  Stroke the remaining fibers back except for the very tip of the feather.  Tie the feather by the tip with securing wraps.  Cut off the butt end (tip) of the feather.  Take 3-4 wraps of the feather to create your collar.  Tie the feather off.  Cut off the butt end.  Create a finished head with your thread.  Whip finish, cut off the butt end, and apply a drop of head cement if you so desire.  

Holsinger's Fly Shop has an excellent video on how to tie this fly below:

If you have any questions about this fly, or would like to submit a fly of the month, I can be contacted at pdinice@frontier.com .