dry fly tute

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doubletaper
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2011/02/02 10:23:16 (permalink)

dry fly tute

Dry Fly Tute
There are a lot of newbies getting into fly tying. I figured I'd give a tute how to tie a basic catskill tied dry fly. Tail, dubbed body, wings and hackle. Nothing fancyThis is an in depth look at each step.
This is my way of tying and I'm sure there are others that change the steps or tie them differently. Eventually everyone finds their easy way of tying.
Hope this helps.

I'm using a basic march brown pattern. I use a standard, 1x or 2x long dry fly hook depending where I'm fishing and the size of the march browns in the area.
I didn't strive for perfection, (doing a tute is hard enough), but I wanted to get you familiar with the steps.


Hook; 84831 2x mustad
Thread; orange
Tail; ginger hackle barbs
Wing; heavy barred wood duck flank upright and divided
Body; light red fox fur and seal fur mixed. Or match-the-hatch march brown dubbing
Hackle; 1 ginger hackle and 1 grizzly hackle from a rooster cape
Wing= hook length
Tail= wing length
Hackle= shank length


i start the thread about a 1/4 way back from the hook eye and wrap forward to behind the hook eye. then i wrap over the previous wraps towards the back of the hook stopping at the end of the hook shank. if you let the thread dangle it should be about even with the hook barb on most hooks.

measuring the tail


tying in the tail
start at the end of the shaft and wrap forward



measuring the wing


bring the thread about a 1/3 way behind the hook eye and tie in the wing with the tips over the hook eye.


wind a few wraps behind the wing, lift up the wing, and a few wraps in front to stand the wings up. they don't have to be perfectly upright at this step if you tie the fly like i do.
remember this fly should float so the fewer wraps the less weight! make sure they are tight.


trim the wing butts at an angle to the hook shaft about where the end of the tail was cut. in this way when you wind the thread back to the tail it will taper nicely.


seperate the wings and tie in figure 8's between and under the hook.


wind the thread back to the tail in tight wraps.


you're ready to dub the body. specific, already mixed dubbing is fine and easy but doesn't always match the exact color of the fly on all streams.


this is where most tyers find problem. to ease the dubbing process here's my tips.
1. if the dubbing feels too slippery use dubbing wax on your finger tips and/or thread. get the tacky or sticky wax.
2. twist the fur on the thread in only one direction.
3. you DON'T have to get the precise amount to cover the body on the thread when you start. you can add as you go.
for fat bodied flies, be it dries, nymphs or others, do not put a big gob of dubbing on the thread all at once. keep with a generious amount that holds to the thread nicely. if after the first wraps, the body needs to be bulkier, add another wrap of more dubbing.


dub the body forward towards the wings with even close wraps.
dub a couple of wraps in front of the wings to stand the wings up straight. i havn't found any disadvantages of tying in the dubbing this way. my flies still float correctly and my wings stay upright like i want them.


after dubbing return the thread behind the wing as shown.

for this fly i'll use one grizzly hackle feather and one ginger hackle feather.
gauge them to size is easier using a hackle gauge.
when you trim the base don't trim it right to the stem. leave some cut fibers extending out to catch the thread keeping the hackle from slipping out.


lay the first hackle feather on the dubbing, sideways as shown, with the butt between and extending through the split wings. (this will also keep your wings seperated should they get wet.


tie in the 2nd hackle over the first hackle.
wind your thread to the front of the wings and tie down the hackle butts. (trim off the butts that hang over the eye)
keep the thread back from the eye.



grab the top hackle with your hackle pliers and wrap forward. usualy 3 - four wraps behind the wing and two in front if you left enough space.


tie in and trim the hackle before proceeding to the next hackle


wrap the bottom hackle right through the first wrapped hackle the same amount of wraps. tie off behind the eye.

after wrapping a tapered head behind the eye i use a hollow tool, as shown, to fit a few tight wraps of thread up against the hackle.


finish tying down and i always dab the head with head cement.


if the wings look too long then go ahead and trim them. i personally try to make the wings correct without trimming them. i don't know if the fish mind one way or the other.


any questions?
you other guys/gals that tie are welcome to give your own pointers.
post edited by doubletaper - 2012/01/05 03:29:44

http://streamsidetales.bl...015/05/helles-yea.html
it's not luck
if success is consistent 





#1

12 Replies Related Threads

    D-nymph
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    RE: dry fly tute 2011/02/02 11:09:10 (permalink)
    I don't have any pointers, but I will say that those Catskill style Hendricksons you sent me a while back are exceptional. That style gives me fits, and yours are great. Thanks.
    #2
    woodnickle
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    RE: dry fly tute 2011/02/02 12:59:24 (permalink)
    All I can say is ..Sweeeet!  I love your flies. I do wish I could do such nice work. Thanks .

    #3
    steelhound
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    RE: dry fly tute 2011/02/02 13:49:25 (permalink)
    that is one of the best step by steps i've seen... thats a great lookin fly
    #4
    bear-kodiak
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    RE: dry fly tute 2011/02/02 16:47:13 (permalink)
    Really nice DT....jim
    #5
    mook14
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    RE: dry fly tute 2011/02/02 23:07:47 (permalink)
    very detailed tute.You make it look so easy,thanks for sharing
    #6
    mohawksyd
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    RE: dry fly tute 2011/02/03 00:47:41 (permalink)
    Very well presented, DT. Many thanks, from a

    "For the supreme test of a fisherman is not how many fish he has caught...but what he has caught when he has caught no fish." - John H. Bradley

    #7
    fishenfool46
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    RE: dry fly tute 2011/02/03 08:45:18 (permalink)
    great looking fly dt i have yet to try one but soon enough.ff46

    I didn't say these are the ten suggestions
    signed God
    #8
    steely34
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    RE: dry fly tute 2011/02/05 07:16:22 (permalink)
    Great post DT!!! Thanks much for putting this up and taking the time. Priorities have taken me away from the vice....... and I miss it but it's nice to come here and see that others are tying. You made my day my friend.

    "They say you forget your troubles on a trout stream, but that's not quite it..... you begin to see where your troubles fit into the grand scheme of things, and suddenly they're just not such a big deal anymore."

    John Gierach

    #9
    Steeler Fan
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    RE: dry fly tute 2011/02/05 07:46:44 (permalink)
    Jerry, great tutorial !!! Rick
    #10
    flynut
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    RE: dry fly tute 2011/02/05 10:10:36 (permalink)
    One of the best tutes i ever seen on here, can not go wrong following it, excellant fly too, keep up the great work. Maybe you can start fly tying classes in Clarion.
    #11
    Cold
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    RE: dry fly tute 2011/02/05 12:59:51 (permalink)
    Excellent stuff, DT. Clearly stated, pictures of all the critical steps...you raelly did a good job here of simplifying what can be a deceptively difficult type of fly.
    #12
    slimyrock
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    RE: dry fly tute 2011/02/07 12:26:43 (permalink)
    Thanks for the tute DT.  I,ve been kind of shying away from tying dries, but this gives me a good place to start some new ideas. got two of them tied up and one in the vise right now.  Thanks.
    #13
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