Ascott

[Hans Weilenmann]

Ascott
Hook: Partridge BIN (Barbless Ideal Nymph) #10
Thread: Benecchi 12/0, black
Cloak: Grey mallard flank feather barbs
Rib: Copper wire, dark
Tail: Vulturine guineafowl neck feather barbs
Body: Seal's fur, red

Cheers,
Hans W

[Hans Weilenmann]

Duh....

and Body hackle: Grizzly cock

[Izaak]

Very nice. I have to ask....how did you form the cloak? Fibers over the hook eye, then pulled back? Does mallard flank wrap well otherwise, like a hen hackle tied in over the hook eye? I have used it to make collars on Gartside soft hackle streamers and it is kind of stubborn to work with. Maybe I just haven't found the trick yet.

[Hans Weilenmann]

Very nice. I have to ask....how did you form the cloak? Fibers over the hook eye, then pulled back? Does mallard flank wrap well otherwise, like a hen hackle tied in over the hook eye? I have used it to make collars on Gartside soft hackle streamers and it is kind of stubborn to work with. Maybe I just haven't found the trick yet.

Izaak,

Yes, over the eye and pulled back later as last action. I list my materials always in order of tie-in - this will generally give you a good idea how I tie a pattern.

Mallard breast one can wrap, as per 'normal', provided one has a way to deal with the fast taper stem. The pattern here uses the flank feather - not really suitable for winding on.

Cheers,
Hans W

[willowhead]

Izaak, it's not about "tricks." It's "about" YOU, learning to "see" how to incorporate the use of the material into your over-all tying concept. In other words, you must learn to let the natural unruliness of the feather (Mallard in your case), and the problematic nature of the rachis of that particular feather work "WITH" you instead of against you. And the ONLY way to accomplish that is to tye enough flies using that material. If you want it to "work".....MAKE IT WORK. Thass how that "works"................you dig?

[fflutterffly]

Hans!!!!! You're killing me with these flies. I've got to get back on the vise.

[Izaak]

Willowhead,

After checking out the link in your post I can *really* appreciate what you are talking about. I'm digging it.....keep on trucking!