Bodkin / Patterns

Governor

Dry Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Standard wet fly, 1x heavy, 10-14
  • Thread Black 8/0

Materials

  • Tag Red floss or flat gold tinsel (short)
  • Body Peacock herl (3-4 strands)
  • Hackle Brown hen hackle (1)
  • Wing Hen pheasant or brown mottled turkey wing quill (1 pair)

How to tie it

  1. Wrap thread to the bend and tie in a short tag of red floss, the flash of red at the tail is the pattern's trigger.
  2. Tie in 3-4 peacock herls, twist them around the thread into a rope, and wrap forward to the 75% mark for a segmented, iridescent body.
  3. Tie in a brown hen hackle by the tip and take 2-3 turns, sweeping the fibers back and down as a beard.
  4. Cut matched slips from paired hen pheasant quills and set them low over the body, tips reaching the tag.
  5. Build a neat head and whip finish.

Tying videos

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