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Mormon Girl Spey

3K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  flytyer 
#1 ·
When I was a kid we tied the Mormon Girl with what we had in the shoe box. I remember using it to catch beaver pond Brookie’s. Its just something Im attached to because it was one of the first flies I remember tying. Now 30 + years later the shoe box has expanded to half the basement and the pursuit of bigger fish on a fancy fly with a longer rod has spiraled way out of control. Here is the Steel Head Mormon Girl and the Mormon Girl Spey, a work in progress.
 

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#3 ·
Natrix,

I like these flies.

However, I have two suggestions for the spey version: 1) use a larger size body hackle since spey fly hackle should extend and flow beyond the hook's bend; and 2) tie the wing in so that it covers a bit more of the sides of the body.

If you look at Pastortd's recently posted fly, you will see that he tied the wing in so that it is spread out a bit and is less vertical. This is what I mean by tying in the wing so it covers more of the body. Aslo, his hackle is longer than the hook's bend giving his fly a different look than your spey version. This is how spey hackle should look, in fact, it is "the distinguising" feature of a spey fly.
 
#4 ·
natrix,

Two very nice ties! While I've always been partial to Steelhead hair-winged flies, I personally liked the look and lines of your Spey version. I'd wager it'd do quite well in Scotland as well as the Northwest.

It was also nice to learn that the original fly was tied with the materials you happened to have 'laying around' at the time - sounds very much like the frugal angling pioneers of yore.

What type, brand-name, (synthetic, natural, or otherwise) and specific color of dubbing did you use? It appears to be a nice golden yellow or pumpkin and a nice contrast the red'ish tones in the fly's body.

Igor
 
#5 ·
What type, brand-name, (synthetic, natural, or otherwise)

Igor

This is mohair leach yarn. I love the stuff, it is a very versitile material. Unfortunately the materiel is repackaged by the time I get it and that is all it says on the lable is leach yarn, yellow. Most of the good Mail order catolougs carry this material.

I sometimes twist in a little Ice Dub with this material to get a nice sparkle, then once I apply the body hackle and the oval tinsle I can comb it out with a piece of Velcro (hook side) which makes it really fuzzy. I think this effect moves allot of water. Alternitavely uyou can spin the yarn and wrap it down hard which gives a nice compact body like the Steelhead Mormon Girl.

Natrix
 
#6 ·
I have two suggestions for the spey version

Flytyer:

Thanks for the suggestions. I normally use burned goose shoulder for the spey hackle, but I was sorting through some materials and I found this old webby grizzly saddle, and I thought I would try it out. It would probably look a little better on a smaller hook. The wing, well Im still learning how to tie a mallard flank wing.

Here is an example of another patern I have tied. I call it the Pumpin Sepy. The body is mohair yarn, with a burned goose shoulder spey hackle, the collar is orange guinea, and the wing is from a Sandhill Crane rump feather I picked up on the river.



Natrix
 

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#7 ·
Natrix,

Yeah, this is the look the hackle should have.

Webby grizzly makes a very nice and effective spey hackle; however, you must use the largest feathers from a rooster neck or number 2 saddle to get the right fiber length.

Keep working on the spey wing, you almost have it. A tip for tying in bronze mallard is make sure you tie it in at the grey roots of the feather because the grey roots hold the feather in shape.

Another tip for bronze mallard: cut a section out of both a right and left feather that are wider than normal for the wing, place the section one on top of the other, then tie them in making sure that the wing completely covers the top portion of the hook's eye. This method is far easier to tie, is faster, and produces a very good wing profile. It is also the method that Hale has listed in his book for tying in bronze mallard.
 
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