Bodkin / Patterns

Patriot

Dry Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Standard dry fly, 12-18
  • Thread Red 6/0

Materials

  • Tail Brown hackle fibers (bunch)
  • Body Smolt-blue Krystal Flash over red floss band (wrapped)
  • Wing White calf hair (divided)
  • Hackle Brown hackle (2 feathers)

How to tie it

  1. Mount a standard dry-fly hook and start red thread a third of the way back from the eye.
  2. Tie in a bunch of white calf body hair as an upright wing, one shank length tall, then post and divide it into two wings with figure-8 turns. Stack the hair first — calf hair is crinkled and will not sit evenly otherwise.
  3. Wrap back to the bend and tie in a bunch of brown hackle fibres as a tail, one shank length long.
  4. Tie in smolt-blue Krystal Flash at the bend and wrap it forward to the midpoint.
  5. Wrap a band of red floss at the midpoint, then continue the Krystal Flash forward to the wing so the red band sits centred in a flashing blue body.
  6. Tie in two brown hackles behind the wing and take two turns behind and two in front.
  7. Build a small head, whip finish and cement.

Tying videos

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