Mr Herd, a wee question from the bottom of the world where wets and soft hackles are, alas, as rare in most angler’s flyboxes as dodo quill.... You mention in the article: “....Today the custom is to tie these game hackle patterns very sparsely, with the bodies as thin as possible whether silk or du...

Hold the herl with the dubbing loop
Spin it together to form the rope
Wrap to form body
End result!

I’ll give a go Ray.... A couple of peacock wing herl Strands 9D36EE47-8A98-4F91-BC8B-851E0D6FFA26.jpeg Thread lightly waxed with a tacky wax 96D47432-AB45-4550-865D-9FF31CFF323A.jpeg Dubbing lightly touch dubbed onto the thread 8AA97B3C-E55C-4D33-958E-DCA910533949.jpeg Dubbing loop formed... 4A534CF...

Interesting article.. great read!

I take it that Mr Smith didn’t take the comments laying down and bit back?

Yup Rick that’s pretty much the technique. Although I use less dubbing in the touch dub than he does in the video. Gary LaFontaine came up with the technique way way back and it was coined “Double Magic” because it had the magic of herl and the magic of sparkle yarn sparse dubbing. He was a great ad...

Another “Double Magic” fly

This has a peacock herl body wrapped with an olive Antron mix touch dubbed loop....
Pheasant hackle.

And this is another imitation of the same nymph.

The Grey Darter.

Traditionally dubbed ( slightly lighter coloured) body with a silver wire rib. The hackle is CdL hen.

Imitation of a local swimming nymph. 12 to 14 long shank hook. Olive Veevus thread 14/0 with GP tail, few turns of 010 lead free wire, a “Double Magic” dubbed body of peacock wing herl wrapped with a touch dubbed rope of olive and grey rabbit, a small spikey thorax of natural squirrel and hare and a...

I think “ the fly was dressed.... “ Is a phrase from an era where the Poms did everything wearing a tie......


In fact talk to some of their salmon fly affecianados and they still “ dress” a salmon fly....

That’s a #12 Tiemco 3769. Usually tie this in 16 to 12....

Also I tie it with a mid olive rabbit body....

As much as I like quill wings, I’m turning more and more to feather fibre wings for my fishing flies....