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2-3 feather flatwing

3K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  jimw 
#1 ·


Direct from Ken's book "A Perfect Fish" and with the tying skills of Joe Cordeiro.

Hook: EC 254SS 1/0 (I like this on a strong, short-shank hook)
Thread: olive
Platform: white bucktail
Hackles: wide white tied with concave side pointed upwards
rust longer (1.5X the white) narrower type
olive longer (1.5X the white) narrower type
Flash: Flashabou Mirage
Underbody: White bucktail 20 - 25 hairs 2X hook length tapered
Body: Bills Body braid or other braided mylar, silver
Cheeks: 25 hairs light lavender, 10 strands rust/orange mixed and divided 1/2 each side
Top wing: olive bucktail 3X hook length, tapered
Eyes: Golden pheasant tippet (or jungle cock)

The keys to this fly are to use minimal wraps, use a platform for the hackles, blend the bucktail colors and most importantly, tie sparsly.

Start with 20-25 hairs of white bucktail tied just ahead of the barb. You want them to 'flare' out and lift upwards to support the white hackle. If needed you can do this by taking one wrap with your thread under the bucktail but above the hook shank, pull it tight and the bucktail should lift.
Take the body braid and tie in one end securely to the shank, take the rest of the braid and lay it off to the left and out of the way (assuming you tie from left to right!)
Take the white hackle and strip off some of the webby section near the base of the stem, dub this on the thread and wrap on top of the bucktail wrap to make a pillow collar.
Lay the white hackle concave side up with the bare part of the stem on the pillow, make one turn only with the thread.
Tie in the mirage with one turn
Tie in the other hackles one at a time with one turn each or both at the same time with one turn, keeping the wraps on top of the pillow
Pinch the assembled materials AND the pillow and make three to four tight wraps to tighten up the bunch (make sure the materials are staying properly centered on the top of the shank. Wrap thread forward towards eye. Apply thread cement to shank.
Wrap the body braid forward to just behind the eye. Tie off.
Tie in the tapered white bucktail for the underbody, just one or two wraps to hold in place.
Tie in the cheeks with the blended colors,
Tie in the top wing and finally the eyes
Thumb pressure to make sure all the materials are in the right positions and 5-6 turns to lock, whip finish and cement. When this is tied correctly, the head is very small and tapers into the body.

This fly works well in sizes from #2 to 3/0 depending on the available lenghts of your materials.
Then you can start playing with every possible color combination you have available.

Bob Pink
 
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#2 ·
Bob -

I have to say that this fly was one of my favorites. As a tyer who used to tie classic salmon flies, spey flies with jungle cock eyes and matched wings, and preferred real seal fur for dubbing spey flies - I've been tying a growing percentage of striper patterns without a spec of real feather since my eastward move and this pattern reminds me of what fly-tying is really about. That and Mike Powers comment on a jelly-belly I recently gave him at work... "that's not a fly, that's a lure!".

Well really, all flies are lures but this fly reminded me that you can blend function and classic form in the generally utilitarian striper fishery.
 
#3 ·
Bob
Great fly! I met Joe Cordeiro and watched him tie at Wilmington, boy was I impressed. I was blown away not only by his skill but by his demeaner. He was having a great time tying and just meeting the people. I learned so much watching him and he was gracious enough to answer each and every question without making anyone seem like an idiot for asking. Meeting Joe and Ken were the highlights of the show for me because they made me feel that they were glad to meet me. This is no small feat because I was the there on Sunday and they had already met who knows how many others.
Larry
 
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