Bodkin / Patterns

Golden Darter

Streamer · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook Streamer, #6-10 (size 8 tied in the video)
  • Thread White for the body, then black to finish the head 52 denier white, 74 denier black

Materials

  • Turkey wing slip, mottled Mottled brown thin skin (One small slip for the tail)
  • Mylar tinsel Gold (gold side out) (Medium, for the rib)
  • Floss Yellow floss (One to three strands for the body)
  • Jungle cock body feather Natural jungle cock (One, for the throat (any soft hackle or partridge substitutes))
  • Badger hackle Golden badger, from a saddle or cape (Two matched feathers with a good dark stripe)
  • Jungle cock eyes Natural jungle cock (One pair, optional cheeks)

How to tie it

  1. Pinch the barb on a size 8 streamer hook and start white thread. Tie in a small slip of mottled turkey as a short tail with a loose pinch wrap, working it back on top of the shank if it rolls, then bury the butt.
  2. Tie in the medium Mylar tinsel just in front of the tail wraps, on top, with the GOLD side facing away from the hook so gold shows when you wrap it.
  3. Bring the thread up to a little forward of the midpoint and tie in the yellow floss. One strand takes twelve to fourteen inches of wrapping; three strands is faster but not necessarily easier.
  4. Wrap the floss down the shank and back up, then partway down and back up again, aiming for a slight cigar taper. Tie off at the front and trim any scraggly ends.
  5. Wrap the gold tinsel rib forward in evenly spaced turns, tie it off at the front, then fold the tag back and take a few wraps over the fold for durability before trimming.
  6. Tie in the small jungle cock body feather underneath as a throat with a couple of loose wraps, adjust it shorter until the length looks right (it will bunch up, which is correct for this pattern), then secure it.
  7. Select two matched golden badger feathers with a good dark stripe, strip a couple of extra fibers off the bottom side so the wing lies flat, and tie them in on top with a couple of loose wraps. Check that the wing sits in the plane of the hook before tightening down.
  8. Snip the wing stems off, whip finish the white thread and start black thread at the head.
  9. If you are using them, tie in the jungle cock eyes one at a time as cheeks, then snip the excess.
  10. Build a proper big streamer head: push everything back, take the thread right behind the eye and ramp it back up, adding bulk toward the rear of the head. Whip finish and add a drop of head cement.

Tying videos

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