Richard Collier pattern

[CreationBear]

I've been playing around with some of the great Richard Collier patterns that Hans has on his site:



hook: TMC 200r #12
hackle: Whiting hen, brown
body: holographic blue tinsel
rib: red wire
tail: bronze mallard fibers
thorax: dark hare/seal blend
hackle: large English grouse

Not exactly in the sparse, North Country style, but hopefully my dumb backcountry rainbows won't look askance.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

CB,

Very nice looking flies. Is the brown hen hackle wound through the thorax or just wrapped behind the grouse?

REE

[CreationBear]

REE-- Ah, sorry for the dark photographs--I was experimenting with "natural light" this afternoon since that tinsel looks a bit garish under my tying light. But to answer your question, I did wrap through the thorax, Hidy style--Mr. Collier actually captures the hackle with the wire instead of the thread and carries it up toward the eye, but with this color scheme wrapping the red wire through the thorax made the fly look (even more) like a Christmas ornament so I tied it off early and continued on with my thread.

At any rate, for myself I really like the Collier pattern as a template for trying different color combinations--and William's "blue silk" patterns just got me thinking.

[willowhead]

Spectacular.....

[letumgo]

Those are wicked!! Great color combination & I love the look of the graceful antenna hackles.

[kanutripr]

Tasty! I'm curious to know what kind of success others have had with blue.



Vicki

[tie2fish]

Excellent, CB. They have that "messy" look that flymphs are supposed to project, and the blue/red thorax pattern is a real eye catcher. Like, Vicki, I'll be interested in your success with these.

[willowhead]

Ditto, please keep us posted.....

[DUBBN]

Tasty! I'm curious to know what kind of success others have had with blue.



Vicki

My son, and my best friend have great success with Blue and or Purple on their nymphs and some of their Wets. I dont have a lick of luck with the same fly, same color and same water. Thats ok. I'm still better looking than they are .

[William Anderson]

CB, these are really nice. How did you tie in the hare and seal thorax? At first I thought there was a secondary hackle behind the primary hackle. The hares guard hairs are standing tall and shaggy. I like the way that works so well with the hackle.

w