[flytyer]

Thought I'd post one of the more unusual dee flies, the "MOONLIGHT".

Hook: Alec Jackson Blind Eye Spey Hook #1.5
Tag: Silver tinsel
Tail: G.P. tippet and short jungle cock on each side
Rear Body: Flat silver tinsel
Rib: Small oval silver
Veiling: 2 Kingfisher feathers back-to-back, top and bottom
Front Body: Black Floss
Rib: Large oval gold
Hackle: Black spey feather (this one is tied with Whiting Spey Saddle)
Throat: Widgeon (this one is tied with guinea)
Wing: Cinnamon turkey (the real McCoy on this one) or white turkey
Sides: Jungle cock (optional)
Head: Black thread

 

[Smolt]

Very fishy looking fly. In a smaller size and with a green feather in place of the Kingfisher, I think it would be a killer fly on the Miramichi.

I have a question about tying in the body hackle. Do you "double" the Whiting Spey Saddle or do you strip one side before you tie it in?

Thanks for the info.

 

[flytyer]

Smolt,

I neither double the hackle in the classic sense, and I never strip Whiting Spey Hackle (I always strip one side of coche or schlappen though when I use them as spey hackle). I simply tie the Whiting Spey Hackle in by the feather butt and when I wind it, I pull the fibers backward with the thumb and forefinger of my left hand as I wrap it. In essense, this doubles the feather as it is being wrapped and keeps all the fibers swept to the rear.

By the way, I strip one side of guinea or duck flank feathers when they are used as throats (face hackle) on flies. This keeps them very sparse (which I like the look of) and also helps keep the feather from "pushing" the wing upwards allowing the wing to lay flatter or closer to the body.

 

[Smolt]

Thanks FlyTyer.

I noticed you said you tie the hackle in by the feather "butt". I usually tie the hackle in by the tip and wind toward the eye of the hook. When you tie the hackle in by the butt, where is you tie-in point and in which direction do you wind the hackle?

Thanks again.

 

[flytyer]

Smolt,

I tied it in so the second turn of ribbing crosses the stem and then wrap it tight up against the oval ribbing tinsel to the front. When I get to the front, I put a single wrap of thread around the hackle stem to hold it in place and prevent it from slipping from its position against the oval tinsel. Then I make 2-3 wraps of hackle in the normal manner (pulling the hackle fibers rearward with the thumb and forefinger of my left hand, just like with the palmer wraps)before tying it off on the bottom of the hook.

I always wrap my hackle going over the hook from me side to the far side of the hook because I'm right handed (i.e. I don't wrap the hackle toward my body, always away from my body over the top of the hook. Even woolley bugger and G.P. body hackles are tied by me this way, they just go from front to back and are held in place with either wire (in the case of woolley buggers) or the ribbing tinsel (in the cast of the G.P.).

 

[Smolt]

Thanks again.