Daring Duffer Series - Fly One

[daringduffer]

Thank you all for the response.

The reason for this fly was that I wanted to try the primrose Corticelli Buttonhole Twist that our friend Bill Bailey so generously sent me last year. That silk on wooden spools made me very happy. The hook is a Mayfly Snecky Limerick Hook that I sourced from Mats-Ola. It looks exactly like one used by Theodore Gordon for a Quill Gordon (photo from a book). IIRC the size is 12. I wanted a rough, vintage look to the fly. Abdomen is arctic hare's mask underfur on no 4 lemon yellow gossamer silk. Thorax is a mix from when I went wild a couple of years ago; hare's face natural, fiery brown, claret, dark claret, picric, black and a pinch fox squirrel with opossum underfur as binder.

(I just kept blending to see what each step would provide. I was amazed by the effect of the black to the mix).

The hackle is from an India Cockerel. I don't remember exactly which one it comes from.

(Last winter I went wild - again - and bought dozens of capes from Mats-Ola; remember that old lady tying pro I wrote about, Margrete Thomsen (?), her stash. Cheap and beautiful. Sometimes, when natural light is right, I bring them out and watch them, twisting and turning them to see how the light is reflected in the whole capes or in single hackles. No solid colours there).

Lets call it a lighter shade of pale. It is intentionally tied shortish and bushy.

Back to bed now.

dd

[daringduffer]

The buttonhole twist is lemon yellow - not primrose.

William, I'm ready for the next one.

dd

[William Anderson]

Glad to hear that. I hope your feeling much better.

Next...

[letumgo]

I am definitely ready to see the next one too!

[daringduffer]

If I were naming fles this might be called "Leisenring's Clumsy Old Cadillac".

dd