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Just when you thought it was safe to view posted fly patterns again ...

Hook: Long shank mayfly up-eye (Mustad R50U), Size #14
Thread: Pearsall's Gossamer silk #14, claret
Hackle: Iron dun hen
Tail whisks: Iron dun hen
Body: Brush of natural mole in claret silk spun on Clark block

I agree with others. I wanna be like you.

Wow! Perfectly proportioned. The tail is so graceful.

You make it look easy Bill.

Show off.

Just so everybody knows, I am pretty annoyed that Bill has figured out how to do that cone-shaped head before I did.
But he kindly spent about a half-hour on the phone with me yesterday, walking me through it, wrap-by-wrap.
I know it will be easy someday, but I haven't got it yet. When I get closer, I'll post it.

Bill, this IBD is as good as it gets. And it was an all-purpose, all-season fish getter for JL and PH.

Bill, and Lance. I cant get over how long the tail is on this pattern. I am sure it is intended to be long by the flies creators. I have to say, it makes the IBD look quite elegant. My question is, do you think the long length of the tail adds to the fish catching qualities of this pattern? I tie a tail on the majority of my nymphs, and normally keep them short. Maybe a hook gap in length. Lately, with CDL, I have been making the tails longer. Approximately the hook shank in length. I have not had a chance to test them yet, but dang they are pretty.

I would appreciate any other opinions as well.

Again, great looking pattern.

Hi Bill,

Very well done, The Iron blue is a favorite of my. Did you push the barp down??

Greeting

Ruard

Thank you, folks. Wayne - As I'm certain you know, in real life the tails on mayfly duns are longer than on nymphs, and are even longer on spinners. I do not know whether length adds any real
"catchability" to fly patterns, but my objective here is to replicate Pete Hidy's patterns, and his "whisks" are long and wispy. Ruard - Yes, I did push the barb down on this fly; that is something I do almost automatically when I tie flies that I intend to use for fishing. I employ the closing power of the jaws on my Regal vise to depress the barb.

I am not sure if we have any Iron Blues in Colorado, but I am sure that that fly will catch fish on the Front Range! What a lovely tie! Thank you again for showing us how it is done.
Cheers,
Jim

redsedge wrote:I am not sure if we have any Iron Blues in Colorado, but I am sure that that fly will catch fish on the Front Range! What a lovely tie! Thank you again for showing us how it is done.
Cheers,
Jim

Like you, I don't know about Iron Blues in Colorado, but it should work as a Flav cripple/water logged spinner/emerger here on the W. Slope.

I wont duplicate Bills pattern as I don't use silk, but I am going to add some longer tails to some existing patterns.

Bill, scores for style and beauty are at an all time high. I'm with Lance on that cone shaped head. You've really nailed the reproduction of the style wonderfully. I carry a number of these flies and haven't attempted them in any "hatch match" manner, but they are an exceptional darker flymph when called for. Similar to the Black Gnat patterns, which originated for a species that we don't have, but I wouldn't leave home without them.

Beautifully sparse and tapered body, btw. Top rate.

w