Fly Dressers Guild Rother Valley Branch

Learn to tie flies and add extra enjoyment to your fly fishing

The competition flies this year are a two Stimulators two flies of your own choice and two Sanford Alder Fly detailed below.

Competition Fly

Website created by Steve Batten

       Sandford’s Alder Fly.

They say that Trout don’t eat Alder Flies…..       

They eat this one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You will need:

Hook: Kamasan B100 Size 14 or similar, but no bigger!

Detached body: Black suede chenille. (Veniards)

Under Wing: Two small black CDC feathers.

Wing: Lure Flash Pearl Body Film, Virtual Nymph ‘Wonder Wing’ or

any similar holographic wing material.

Legs: Black single knotted pheasant tail feather x4.

Thorax Cover: Hair Line Dubbin Black ‘Micro Thin Foam’ or 6-8

strands of Peacock herl.

Thorax: Black CDC and black ‘Ice Dub’ spun in a loop or a pinch

of black seal’s fur dubbed and picked out.

 

Step 1. Put the hook

in the vice. Start the

thread about 1mm

behind the eye and run

it 5mm along the hook.

Before tying in the

detached body,(see

pic’A) which should be

about 10-12mm long,

singe one end of the

chenille with a lighter flame to bring it to a point. This chenille has a

core thread that should be exposed, and for a neater job, used to

secure the body to the hook. Tie in the body and bind down the

waste. Slightly ahead of the tie in point secure two CDC feathers

with their tips aligned facing back over the body. They should be a

little shorter than the detached body. Trim the waste.

 

Step 2. Tie in two

single knotted pheasant

tail fibre legs either side

of the hook. Trim the

excess. Make sure that

all four legs hang down

around and below the

hook bend.

Cut out and tie in a

‘shed’ shaped wing about 2mm longer than the detached body.

(See pic’s B) To prepare the thorax cover, cut a slim strip of

‘Micro Thin Foam’ about 3 or 4mm wide and cut one end to a point.

(see pic’ C) Tie in on top of the wing tie in point.

If you decide to use Peacock Herl for the Thorax cover, tie in 5 or

6 strands and trim the waste.

 

Step Three. To prepare dubbing for the thorax area, spread a

pinch of ‘Ice Dub’ along the spine of a black CDC feather. Lay a

thin length of wire on top of the ‘Ice Dub’ in line with the spine of

the feather. Fold the feather into a suitable device (See below)

using the wire to push the two materials down into the folding slot.

Remove the wire, pick out the folded feather with a flat clip and cut

off the feather spine. Place the CDC and ‘Ice Dub’ into a dubbing

loop or split thread and spin it to form a dubbing rope for the

thorax. Dub the thorax

area but be sure to

leave that 1mm gap

behind the eye (If you

are not familiar with

this technique dub a

pinch of black Seals

fur for the thorax and

pick out the fibres with

your bodkin.)

 

Step 4. Pull the thorax cover forward and tie it down behind the

eye. Once secure make a further two or three wraps behind the

original tie down point.

Now carefully pull and

snip the waste foam

and remove it. Whip

finish. Apply a little

varnish to the head,

let it dry……...and go

fishing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pic A. Detached body

Pic B. Cut shed wing like this

Pic C. Thorax Cover

CDC, Ice Dub and Wire

Ready for folding block

CDC and Ice Dub

Ready for folding block in folding block

CDC and Ice Dub trimmed

And ready for dubbing loop

or split thread.