Bodkin / Patterns

Harlequin

Wet Fly · Trout · Advanced · 2 versions

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Mustad 3399 wet-fly hook, 6-16
  • Thread White (body), Black (head) 6/0

Materials

  • Rib Black ostrich herl (2 strands 4-strand rayon floss, twisted)
  • Rear body Orange permanent marker (2 strands rayon floss)
  • Front body Blue macaw (2 strands rayon floss)
  • Hackle Black hackle (hen)
  • Wing Dark slate (matched duck-quill slips)

How to tie it

  1. Start white thread behind the eye and lay a smooth base back to just past the hook point.
  2. Tie in 2 strands of black rayon floss for the rib at the bend and leave it hanging.
  3. Tie in 2 strands of orange floss at the bend; advance thread to the midpoint of the body and wrap the orange floss forward in smooth, even turns to the midpoint; tie off and trim.
  4. Tie in 2 strands of blue floss; wrap it forward from the midpoint to just short of the head area in smooth turns, keeping the body slim and even; tie off and trim.
  5. Twist the black floss rib and wind 5 open, even turns over the two-tone body; tie off at the front and trim.
  6. Change to black thread behind the eye.
  7. Tie in black hen hackle fibers as a throat/beard beneath the shank.
  8. Tie a matched dark-slate duck-quill wing on top, length to the rear of the body.
  9. Build a small tapered head, whip finish and cement.

Other versions

1 more in the app: Gregg Dressing (1940).

Tying videos

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