Bodkin / Patterns

Blue Bottle

Wet Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Gregg Dressing (1940)

  • Hook Standard wet-fly hook, regular shank, 6-12
  • Thread Black 6/0-8/0 (waxed silk in the original)

Materials

  • Tag White silk
  • Rib Black or Gold material
  • Body Steel blue silk or dk. blue chenille

How to tie it

  1. Mount the hook and start waxed tying thread about one eye-length behind the eye; wind smooth touching turns down the shank to the bend.
  2. Tie in the ribbing (Black or Gold) at the bend and let it hang for later.
  3. Tie in the tag material (White silk) at the bend and take one to four close turns; bind down the excess and trim.
  4. Tie in the body material (Steel blue silk or dk. blue chenille) at the bend, return the thread to the two-thirds point, and wind the body forward in touching turns to form a slim, slightly tapered body; tie off.
  5. Counter-wrap the rib forward in four or five evenly spaced open turns over the body; tie off and trim or helicopter the end.
  6. Build a small, neat thread head to cover the wing and hackle butts, whip finish, and lacquer the head.

Tying videos

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