Beaucatcher Fly Fishing
Premier Fly Fishing Services
Menu:
Maui Waui Spey
Derek Fergus pattern
tied by Bruce E. Harang
Materials:
Hook: Salmon Iron to suit (illustrated Partridge Bartleet Traditional
Code CS10/1G)
Thread:
UTC 70 denier purple or Gudebröd 6/0 BCS 107 White
Body: Chartreuse Depth Ray nylon floss
Under-collar/wing: Purple hackle
Mid-collar/wing: Peacock sword herls on the stem
Over-collar: Golden pheasant rump feather dyed purple over guinea dyed purple
Over wing: Pheasant rump feather dyed purple
Cheeks: Jungle cock (optional)
Head: Purple or white working thread
Tying Instructions:
1. Mount an up eye return loop salmon hook in your vise.
2. Attach the thread at the point the wings will be tied in and wrap a smooth flat thread base to a point about ¼ shank length behind the eye where the first collar will be mounted. If you are using an in-line rotary vise an easy method is to use one finger of your working hand as a moving thread bobbin holder and use the off hand to turn the vise while moving the thread rearward. If you start with an untwisted thread and let the bobbin hang free you will create a very thin flat thread base.
3. Tie in the depth ray floss by wrapping forward from the ¼ point using 5 very tight turns of thread. Leave a silk tag that reaches to the starting point of the thread or longer.
Wrap the floss back to the rear of the body and then forward to its tie in point. Unwrap 4 of the tight binding wraps used to mount the silk and then tie down both ends of the silk with a few tight wraps of thread. You may cut about a 10 inch length of floss for this body or you can lay the floss bobbin down in grooved receptacle and using a full rotary vise just apply the floss letting it unwind from the bobbin and then cutting off the strand when you have finished tying it in. The use of a gold plated hook provides a bright metallic underbody that causes the floss to glow when light shines on it.
4. Apply a coat of head cement (here Griffs Thin brand) to secure the floss in place and provide protection against unraveling.
5. Tie in a purple hackle feather (here strung hackle) and wrap 2 to 4 wraps of the folded hackle forward from the tie in point immediately in front of the body, tie off and trim off the excess.
6. Strip or cut approximately 5 sword herls off of the feather stem and mount them with a pair of loose thread wraps facing back on the top of the hook immediately in front of the purple hackle collar. Work them around to cover the top half of the hook shank and bind down with a few tight threat wraps. The tips of the sword herl should come approximately to the bend of the hook.
7. Repeat step 6 on the bottom of the hook thus creating a “Spey hackle” of peacock sword herl around the fly body. Again the tips of the sword herl should come approximately to the bend of the hook.
8. Mount a guinea body feather dyed purple immediately in front of the sword herls and make 2 to 4 wraps of the folded feather, tie off, and cut off the excess.
9. Mount a golden pheasant rump feather dyed purple immediately in front of the guinea hackle and make 2 to 4 wraps of folded feather. Select the number of wraps such that you are left with only the head space behind the hook eye where the over-wing and cheeks will be mounted. Tie off the feather and cut off the excess.
10. To mount the wing take a pheasant rump feather dyed purple and size it leaving the bare stem connected. Insert the bare stem through the hook eye and position the wing horizontally (flat) with the base just in front of the over-collar. Tie down with several very tight thread wraps and check the wing to insure desired positioning. When you are satisfied with the wing position, pull the stems out of the hook eye and cut off flush with the binding wraps.
11. Mount a jungle cock nail feather on each side of the fly sloped upward and extending about ½ the body length of the fly. Tie down with a few very tight thread wraps for each cheek and check to insure desired positioning. It is easiest to position the jungle cock nails if you fold the excess feather fibers toward the butt of the feather stem at the desired tie in point using these fibers to “bed” the stem so it does not roll the feather out of vertical orientation. When you are satisfied with the cheeks position, cut off the excess stems and bind down the stubs with a few thread wraps.
12. Mount a jungle cock nail feather on each side of the fly sloped upward and extending about ½ the body length of the fly. Tie down with a few very tight thread wraps for each cheek and check to insure desired positioning. It is easiest to position the jungle cock nails if you fold the excess feather fibers toward the butt of the feather stem at the desired tie in point using these fibers to “bed” the stem so it does not roll the feather out of vertical orientation. When you are satisfied with the cheeks position, cut off the excess stems and bind down the stubs with a few thread wraps.
13. Complete a small proportional head and apply head cement and gloss finish.
© 2008 Bruce E Harang