Bodkin / Patterns

Durham Ranger

Salmon/Steelhead · Salmon · Steelhead · Advanced · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook black-japanned blind-eye salmon iron (up-eye salmon single), 1/0-5/0
  • Thread black 8/0

Materials

  • Tag Silver twist and light yellow floss silk (small)
  • Tail Golden pheasant crest topping with Indian crow (or red-dyed substitute) over (1 of each)
  • Butt Black ostrich herl (2 turns)
  • Body Two turns orange floss, two turns dark orange seal fur, remainder black seal fur (3 sections)
  • Rib Oval and flat silver tinsel (5 turns)
  • Body hackle Orange-dyed cock hackle (coch-y-bonddu dyed orange) over the seal fur (1)
  • Throat Light blue hackle (1)
  • Wing Four golden pheasant tippets back to back (two per side) enclosing two jungle cock (4 tippets)
  • Cheeks Blue chatterer (cotinga substitute) (1 per side)
  • Topping Golden pheasant crest over all (1)
  • Horns Blue macaw (1 per side)
  • Head Black ostrich herl (small)

How to tie it

  1. Lay a smooth thread base and form the tag near the point: a few turns of oval silver twist followed by light yellow floss, keeping it in line with the barb.
  2. Tie in a golden pheasant crest topping curving up as the tail, one shank-gap long, with a small Indian crow feather flat over it, then wind a butt of two turns of black ostrich herl.
  3. Build the body in three parts: two turns of orange floss, two turns of dark orange seal fur, then black seal fur filling the front half; rib as you go with paired oval and flat silver tinsel in 5 evenly spaced turns.
  4. Palmer an orange-dyed cock hackle only over the seal-fur portion, following the rib so the stem is protected, then stroke the fibers down.
  5. Tie in a light blue throat hackle and sweep the fibers under and rearward to frame the hook gap.
  6. Marry the wing: set two golden pheasant tippets back to back per side (four total) enclosing two jungle cock feathers, so the black-and-orange bars stack cleanly. This whole-feather tippet wing is what defines the Ranger family.
  7. Add a blue chatterer cheek each side, a golden pheasant crest topping arching over the whole wing, and blue macaw horns crossing above.
  8. Whip finish and build a small tapered black head, then two coats of head cement.

Tying videos

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