Bodkin / Patterns

H&L Variant

Dry Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

• Hook Standard dry fly, 10-16
• Thread Black 6/0

Materials

• Tail White calf tail (bunch)
• Body Stripped peacock quill (rear), peacock herl (front) (half and half)
• Wing White calf tail (upright, divided)
• Hackle Furnace or brown hackle (2 feathers)

How to tie it

1. Tie white calf wings and tail
2. Wrap stripped quill rear body
3. Wrap peacock herl front body
4. Wrap hackle
5. Whip finish

Substitutions

• Wing instead of White calf tail: White calf body hair — Finer, easier to stack; White poly yarn — Synthetic option
• Body instead of Stripped peacock quill / peacock herl: Peacock herl, twisted — Durable, skips the fragile quill

Tying videos

• H&L Variant — Sport Fishing on the Fly (YouTube)
• H&L Variant — Charlie Craven (YouTube)
• H&L Variant — Barry Ord Clarke (YouTube)
• H&L Variant — In The Riffle (In The Riffle)

← All fly patterns