Fly Tying Group
Fly of the Month

Step 1. Smash the barb and mount the hook in the vise. Start your thread at about 1/3 back from the eye and run a thread base back to the bend of the hook. The thread should hang down close to the rear of the barb. The start of the thread will be a reference to your main tie in point.

Step 2. Select the black foam body, and tie this in at the bend so that the rear of the foam extends beyond the bend about a length equal to the gape of the hook.

Step 3. Lift the body up and tie in the red holo tinsel as the hot spot.  Advance your thread to about 2/3 of the shank.  Wrap the red tinsel forward in tight overlapping wraps and secure at the 2/3 point.  This will be where the wings and legs are tied in.

Step 4. Pull the foam back down and secure at the 2/3 point.

Step 5. Advance the thread, under the foam, on the shank to the eye and secure the foam at the eye of the hook, making a third section of the foam.

Step 6. Move your thread back over the top of the head section to the main tie in point.

Step 7. Add the underwing packing foam so it extends just past the tip of the body foam, secure and clip the excess.

Step 8. Clip, stack and clean a generous clump of elk hair.  Measure so the elk wing extends to the end of the underwing. 

Step 9. Secure, clip any stubble at the base.

Step 10. Add the legs making a “V” on each side.  I like the natural curve of the material positioned so the tips of the legs curve back to the fly.  I find that where the tips curve away from the fly often the legs extend too perpendicular to the body for my liking.

Step 11. Add a drop of superglue to the base of the elk hair.

Step 12. Pull the body foam extending out over the eye, back to the main tie in point (where the legs and wings are tied in), and secure. Whip finish the fly. Trim the excess foam to a point. Keep in mind that this “tag” helps keep the wing in a down position.

The Finished Fly - Top

The Finished Fly - Bottom