FLYMPH FORUM

Brown and Claret Honey Dun
Hook - Mustad Model R50-94840/Size 10
Thread - Pearsall's Gossamer Silk (Claret/No14)
Hackle - Honey Dun Hen Neck Feather
Body - Three Strands of Peacock Herl (Dyed Brown)
Tag & Rib - Pearsall's Gossamer Silk (Claret/No14)

Materials are listed in the order they are tyed onto the hook. The body of the fly is formed by counter wrapping the peacock herl from the eye of the hook towards the bend.

Simplified Tying Sequence:
1) Mount Hook in vice
2) Mount tying silk with five firm wraps
3) Prepare hackle and tye it in by the base of the stem (feather should be facing out over the eye of the hook)
4) Take three strands of peacock herl and even the butt ends and then clip off about 1" (25 mm). Lay the peacock herl parallel to the shank of the hook (butt ends near the end of the herl body and the tips pointing out over the eye of the hook)
5) Secure the peacock herl in place with uniform touching wraps. Continue wrapping the thead back to the end of the body and then wrap forward five wraps, to form the silk tag. Leave the tying thread hanging at the point you want the body to end.
6) Grasp the peacock herl fibers and wrap them towards the rear of the fly, forming the body. Do not twist the herl fibers. You will get a smoother body by letting the peacock herl fibers run parallel to each other in touching wraps. Be sure to wrap the herl in the same direction that you wrap the tying thread. In my case, I am right handed, so I always form wraps up and away from me (clockwise wraps when viewed looking towards the hook eye).
7) Secure the peacock herl in place with one or two wraps. Clip off the excess peacock herl and then wrap the thread forward, forming the ribs and securing the herl stems. Use roughly four or five open wraps to form the rib.
8) Grasp the end of the hackle feather in a rotary hackle plier and then fold the hackle fibers to one side. Make one or two wraps of hackle and then secure with the tying thread. Make sure you wiggle the tying silk back and forth while counter wrap thru the hackle fibers. This helps prevent matting down the hackle fibers.
9) Whip finish the fly to form the head. Add a drop of head cement or clear nail polish for durability.

Stunning!

Like!

We really should have a like button here. It's hard to type when you're drooling!

I've got to get some of that claret silk.



Vicki

Thanks guys. Here are a couple pictures of the same fly with a blue background. Amazing how different the colors look (yeah - I know we've discussed this before, but it still amazes me when I see it).


Close-up of the dyed peacock herl body. Beautiful stuff, ain't it?.


This fly was basically an excuse to play with some new dyed peacock herl I ordered last month. Our good friend Bill Shuck (tye2fish) recently posted some fly photos tyed with Natures Spirit dyed peacock herl. I just HAD to get some of my own to play around with. Bill, your post (and my complete lack of will power) cost me thirty bucks!... You should ask Great Feathers for a sales commission.

I've gotta ask Ray. Do you cement your heads or are they waxed?


Vicki

In this case I used a single coat of clear nail polish (Sally Hansen's "DRIES INSTANTLY"). This stuff is very thin, so it penetrates the wraps very well. I believe this nail polish has more solvent than other versions, which is why it dries so quickly (less than a minute).

You should ask Great Feathers for a sales commission.

Yeah, he's responsible for about half my current stash, too.

BTW, I'm loving the honey dun--is that a Whiting/Herbert Miner skin?

Jon - The hackle is from a Collins' hen cape.

Very very nice Ray.............question: do you tye off behind (inside) the hackle.........or if not, how do you bring it around front if the tag and rib were the last thing done, beside Sally's............???????
i've been tyin' with the bleeched and dyed Peacock herl in various colors again lately............LOVE the stuff. Just did one usin' a Grey Pearsals, with the herl twisted around the thread.........abdomen came out WAY cool with this perfect segmented look.....then i just piled a few turns for the thorax.....Primo results.