Bodkin / Patterns

Imperial

Dry Fly · Trout · Grayling · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Standard dry fly, 14
  • Thread Purple Pearsall's Gossamer or 8/0

Materials

  • Tail Grey-brown or honey dun cock fibers (6)
  • Body 4 undyed grey heron primary herls (4)
  • Rib Fine gold wire (4 turns)
  • Thorax Same heron herls, doubled and redoubled (-)
  • Hackle Honey dun cock (1 feather)

How to tie it

  1. Start the purple silk behind the eye and wrap to the bend. Tie in six honey dun fibers as a tail.
  2. Tie in four grey heron herls and the gold wire at the bend.
  3. Wind the herls forward as a slim abdomen to the 70% mark and rib with four open turns of gold wire.
  4. Double and redouble the remaining herl at the thorax to build a pronounced hump, Kite's 'Netheravon style', borrowed from Sawyer's Pheasant Tail, because a bold thorax is the one profile all hatching upwings share.
  5. Wind 4-5 turns of honey dun cock hackle in front of the thorax.
  6. Whip finish, letting a flash of the purple silk show at the head. Purple silk and gold wire are the 'imperial' colours that named the fly.

Tying videos

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