Bodkin / Patterns

Black Pennell Wet Fly

Wet Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Consensus of Savage Flies, Davie McPhail, Frankie McPhillips, Ryan Houston, Michael Currie and Fly Fishing and Fly Tying

  • Hook Wet fly hook
  • Thread Black

Materials

  • Tail Golden pheasant tippet fibres
  • Rib Silver wire or oval silver tinsel
  • Body Black floss
  • Hackle Black hen (or soft black cock), sparsely wound

How to tie it

  1. Lay down a base of black thread on a wet fly hook and take it to just before the bend, between the point and the barb.
  2. Tie in a small bunch of golden pheasant tippet fibres on top as the tail, about a body length long, with the brighter side up.
  3. Trim the waste and tie in the silver rib underneath or on the near side, running it back to the tail tie-in.
  4. Tie in black floss at the front, wind it down to the tail and back up in smooth touching turns, leaving room behind the eye, and tie it off and trim.
  5. Wind the rib forward in about five evenly spaced turns, tie it off, and trim.
  6. Tie in a black hen hackle by the tip, concave side toward the hook, then wind it for two to three turns with hackle pliers, stroking the fibres back as you go.
  7. Tie off and trim the hackle, build a small head, whip finish, and add varnish or head cement.

Tying videos

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