Let the Fur Fly Pattern & Tying Instructions
Fly Tying Recipe:
Let the Fur Fly
Show / Hide Let the Fur Fly Transcript Video Transcript:
Before we get started, just a word of warning, this fly's a little different. The idea was to create a fly that (a) - exhibited a relatively flat body profile as many naturals do and (b) - could have a darker back and a lighter belly, again, similar to many naturals. The other thing I was hoping to do was to give the nymph a nice curved body similar to a natural dropping in the water column, which seemed to me something that might elicit a strike.
To be up front, the patterns lacks segmentation, is somewhat limited in terms of color variation and is difficult to tie in sizes smaller than a 16. That said, it really seems to be a fish producer. So here goes . .
This is a size 16 scud hook. Start your thread on the hook and wind it back to above the hook barb. The idea is to use something with a really short shank. Begin by snipping a small clump of light colored rabbit fur. I like to use Zonker Strip because of its convenience. Now grasp the bundle with one hand and pull nearly all the guard hairs out with the other. A few will remain but that's what you're looking for. Now wet your fingertips and then wet the bundle. Tie in the bundle so it's as long as the abdomen of the fly and snip off the butt ends. Don't throw them away as we're going to be using the bundle later. Continue to wind forward to cover the butts.
Now cut a like-size bundle of rabbit fur but in a darker color and repeat the same process. Remove nearly all the guard hairs, wet the bundle and tie it in. Then snip and save the butt ends.
Now wind your thread forward to cover the snipped butts. With your thread all the back in the starting position, tie in wing case material. Here I'm using scud back but any wing case material will work fine.
Mix the snipped off butt ends of rabbit fur together using about twice as much of the light color as the dark. Now dub to create the thorax of the fly. Make sure the dubbing goes all the way back to the barb of the hook.
Now select some of your favorite nymph legging material and apply it using whatever method works best for you. Here I'm applying a single clump on either side of the thorax. Pull your wing case material forward and secure it firmly behind the hook eye and then whip finish the fly.
Now comes the fun part. Wet out the fur of the abdomen with head cement. Here I'm using Hard As Nails. Then with your bobbin, flatten and curl the abdomen into a nice natural looking curve. Blowing on it will help to speed the drying process. You really don't need to let it dry all the way before removing it from the vise. As you can imagine, many variations of this pattern are possible.
Hope it works as well for you as it does for me.
To be up front, the patterns lacks segmentation, is somewhat limited in terms of color variation and is difficult to tie in sizes smaller than a 16. That said, it really seems to be a fish producer. So here goes . .
This is a size 16 scud hook. Start your thread on the hook and wind it back to above the hook barb. The idea is to use something with a really short shank. Begin by snipping a small clump of light colored rabbit fur. I like to use Zonker Strip because of its convenience. Now grasp the bundle with one hand and pull nearly all the guard hairs out with the other. A few will remain but that's what you're looking for. Now wet your fingertips and then wet the bundle. Tie in the bundle so it's as long as the abdomen of the fly and snip off the butt ends. Don't throw them away as we're going to be using the bundle later. Continue to wind forward to cover the butts.
Now cut a like-size bundle of rabbit fur but in a darker color and repeat the same process. Remove nearly all the guard hairs, wet the bundle and tie it in. Then snip and save the butt ends.
Now wind your thread forward to cover the snipped butts. With your thread all the back in the starting position, tie in wing case material. Here I'm using scud back but any wing case material will work fine.
Mix the snipped off butt ends of rabbit fur together using about twice as much of the light color as the dark. Now dub to create the thorax of the fly. Make sure the dubbing goes all the way back to the barb of the hook.
Now select some of your favorite nymph legging material and apply it using whatever method works best for you. Here I'm applying a single clump on either side of the thorax. Pull your wing case material forward and secure it firmly behind the hook eye and then whip finish the fly.
Now comes the fun part. Wet out the fur of the abdomen with head cement. Here I'm using Hard As Nails. Then with your bobbin, flatten and curl the abdomen into a nice natural looking curve. Blowing on it will help to speed the drying process. You really don't need to let it dry all the way before removing it from the vise. As you can imagine, many variations of this pattern are possible.
Hope it works as well for you as it does for me.
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