Bodkin / Patterns

Oak Fly

Wet Fly · Trout · Grayling · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook standard wet/dry fly, 12-16
  • Thread brown (waxed) 8/0

Materials

  • Body Orange floss silk (full shank)
  • Rib Fine black silk (lightly waxed) (4-5 turns)
  • Hackle Woodcock or grouse feather (fibers just to hook length), or ginger cock (1)
  • Head Brown permanent marker (small)

How to tie it

  1. Lay a brown waxed thread base along the shank.
  2. Tie in the fine black ribbing silk at the rear, then wrap a slim orange floss body forward.
  3. Counter-wind the black silk rib forward in 4-5 evenly spaced turns to suggest the barred body of the natural.
  4. Select a woodcock or grouse feather whose fibers are just the length of the hook and wind it as a soft hackle two turns behind the eye (a ginger cock hackle is the alternate 'hackled' dressing).
  5. Form a small brown head, whip finish and cement.

Tying videos

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