Bodkin / Patterns

Quill Body

Dry Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Standard dry fly (e.g. TMC 100), 12-18
  • Thread Gray or olive 8/0 (70 denier)

Materials

  • Hackle fibers (tail) Medium dun hackle fibers (6-8 fibers)
  • Stripped peacock quill (body) Natural peacock herl (1)
  • Wood duck flank (wing) Natural barred wood duck flank (1 clump)
  • Dry hackle Medium dun hackle (1 feather)

How to tie it

  1. Start thread behind the eye and lay a smooth base back to the bend.
  2. Tie in a small bunch of dun hackle fibers as a tail, one shank length and lightly splayed.
  3. Bind a stripped, water-soaked peacock quill by its fine tip at the bend, then wrap it forward in touching turns to the 70% mark for a segmented body; tie off and snip. A thin coat of UV resin or head cement makes the fragile quill last.
  4. Stand a clump of barred wood duck flank upright at the 75% mark, then split it into two wings with figure-8s and post the base of each; wing height one shank length.
  5. Tie in a dun dry hackle behind the wing and wind 2-3 turns behind and 2-3 in front of the wing, then tie off.
  6. Whip finish at the eye, snip, and cement the head only.

Tying videos

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