This fly, and its many variants, has to be one of my favourite river patterns and also
works well on stillwaters. Fish it on its own or as part of a team where it should be on the point.

Materials used:

Hook: Size 14 Drennan Carbon Nymph
Head: Size 1/8” Gold plated bead
Thread: Brown
Tail: Pheasant tail fibres
Rib: Fine gold tinsel
Body: Orvis Fine and Dry Dubbing Assortment Rusty Spinner Brown (any fine dubbing may be used but it should be a lighter shade than the material used for the thorax).
Thorax: Dark brown seals fur

1. Begin by threading the bead onto the hook then fix in the viceTie on your thread and wind down to a point just before the start of the bend (Tip: build up a thick buttress of thread behind the gold bead to stop it sliding back and forth)

2. Next, tie in around 6 or 7 pheasant tail fibres to form a tail

3. Lash these down and trim off the waste.

4. Catch in gold tinsel and dub on the body material

5. Wind the body material about 2 thirds of the way up the shank and rib this with the gold tinsel

6. Next, dub the seals fur onto the thread…….

……..and form a thorax, with the long fibres giving the impression of legs. All that’s left now is the whip finish. Now go tie another!