Bodkin / Patterns

Fluttering Blue Damsel

Dry Fly · Terrestrial · Panfish · Largemouth Bass · Smallmouth Bass · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook standard dry-fly / long-shank dry hook, 10-12
  • Thread blue or black 8/0 8/0 (70 denier)

Materials

  • Extended body Spun blue Antron/poly (or blue foam) (1 length)
  • Wing Grizzly hackle tips (2-4 feathers)
  • Hackle Grizzly dry-fly hackle (1 feather)
  • Thorax Blue/dun dubbing (pinch)

How to tie it

  1. Form a slim extended body of spun blue Antron projecting well off the bend to imitate the long damsel abdomen; segment it with thread if desired.
  2. At the front of the shank, tie in two to four grizzly hackle tips flat and splayed to imitate the spent/fluttering wings.
  3. Tie in a grizzly dry-fly hackle in front of the wings.
  4. Dub a short blue thorax.
  5. Wind the hackle in 4-6 turns through the thorax to support the fly and imitate a fluttering adult, then tie off.
  6. Whip finish and cement the head.

Tying videos

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