Iron Blue Dun Nymph

[Kelly L.]

Thanks. I normally like the tails longer, but I read a short white tail, so I went with it. I like some of the old hooks too. They can really set off a fly in my opinion. I think I like the last fly the best. Gingerdun, thank you for the wonderful comment. I am glad you liked the flies. I still didn't get them exactly the way I wanted, but they are getting close.

[hankaye]

Kelly L. Howdy;

Well done young Lady....1/2 a can of hair spray each and they ought to be the Belles of the Ball !

hank

[Roadkill]

All great flies but I especially liike the third and the last!

[Kelly L.]

Thank you guys very much!!!

[Old Hat]

Great thread!

I love the all the Iron Blue Dun patterns.

Kelly, I think you last one is the best of the bunch.

I like the split thread technique and use it more than any other dubbing technique. Pearsall's was made for this. (Not really but, works better than most threads) The trick is to unwrap the strands. Pearsall's is a 3 strand thread. It is twisted opposite than any other brand I've tried. To untwist you need to spin it clockwise from the top when attached to the hook. It is almost second nature to me now. I can give the bobbin a spin, reach down and prepare my dubbing, then reach up and stop the spin just about at the right spot. I lay the thread against my finger and with a bit of pressure push the needle (or whatever your using) into the thread and it splits very easily. Put in your dubbing and respin to tighten.

Here is one of my Iron Blue Duns. Fancy version
Use heron or substitute (blue pheasant) for the body and tinsel embroidery thread for the tag.

[Kelly L.]

Thanks. I like your version too. I am working on more soft hackles today. No pics just yet. I did do one split thread with the Pearsall's today. I can't see good enough with magnification to do it well, and my hand shake was less today. I attempted two more times, but broke the thread once, and frayed it badly on another try. So I don't know if this method is for me or not. The fly it worked on though, turned out really well I thought.

[CreationBear]

but broke the thread once, and frayed it badly on another try

That's something that happens to me with Pearsall's using the split-thread technique--I think because I either nick a strand with the bodkin as I open the loop, or as is more likely, torque the thread a bit too much when I close it back up. After tying a fly, you might to see how tightly the thread is wound and perhaps "flatten" it (i.e. untwist it a bit) before doing the next fly, or even sacrifice a foot or so to make sure you're using "fresh" thread.

Otherwise, hang with the technique--Old Hat is, well, the old hand with it--but even as a relative newbie I appreciate how it seems to give a really nice ratio of silk-to-dubbing. (BTW, if you've not already tried it, touch-dubbing Pearsall's really benefits from your untwisting the the thread before dubbing, then tightening back up.)

[letumgo]

Valuable advice guys. I appreciate little pointers like that.

[Mataura mayfly]

I have a heck of a job using silk and or splitting it. Rough carpenters hands and silk just do not get on. However I have had some success splitting by unwinding as suggested, then lifting the tension of the bobbin with the palm of my left hand whilst pinning the thread on the hook with a finger of the left hand before poking in with a dubbing needle.
Another thought that may be worth a try if you are still cutting thread strands with the needle is to make a new bodkin with a "ball point" needle, most sewing or craft sections of department stores should stock these, rather than a sharp point they carry a ball point as the name suggests and are designed to push strands in material aside rather than cut through them.
I have not tried it myself...... but it might be worth a crack rather than giving the method away.

There have been some very nice pattern variations shown in this post thread, most impressed.

[DNicolson]

This is a great thread, trouble is with the good ones, they multiply like ol' brer rabbit.
I have gone back to the beginning and carefully re-read, or should I say read, a lot of replies
I have missed. Some really excellent information there, some of it in very small snippets and
is easy to miss.
The Iron Blue is obviously a common and popular fly pattern on both sides of the Atlantic.
William made a very good point about remembering that although the European and North American flies appear similar, the are quite different flies and in both cases there are quite extensive local variations.
If they are a common and popular fly with the trout, make sure you have plenty of variations in colour and proportions in your fly box. Of course this applies to any of the main food items, March Brown, Blue-winged Olive etc. Now back to the bench.