Bodkin / Patterns

Hornberg

Dry Fly · Streamer · Trout · Smallmouth Bass · Panfish · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook 2x long dry/wet, 8-14
  • Thread Black 6/0

Materials

  • Body Flat silver tinsel (smooth)
  • Underwing Yellow hackle fibers or calf (sparse)
  • Wing Mallard flank, cupped each side (2 feathers)
  • Cheeks Jungle cock (optional)
  • Hackle Grizzly & brown hackle (dry-fly collar)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the 2x-long hook and lay a thread base.
  2. Wrap a smooth flat silver tinsel body forward to one-third behind the eye.
  3. Tie in a sparse bunch of yellow hackle fibres (or calf) flat along each side of the shank as a short underwing.
  4. Select two matched mallard flank feathers, cup them so they curve inward, and tie one along each side to sheath the underwing tent-style, tips reaching the bend.
  5. Set a jungle cock eye against each side as a cheek if using.
  6. Tie in one grizzly and one brown dry-fly hackle at the front and wind them together into a full collar.
  7. Whip finish a neat head and cement.

Substitutions

  • Wing instead of Mallard flank: Wood duck flank — Warmer barring
  • Cheek instead of Jungle cock: Printed jungle-cock substitute — Cheaper, no CITES worry; Small stick-on eyes — Modern shortcut
  • Underwing instead of Yellow hackle: Yellow-dyed grizzly — Adds a little barring

Tying videos

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