Bodkin / Patterns

Quill Gordon Wet Fly

Wet Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Standard wet fly, 1XL (e.g. TMC 3761), 12-16
  • Thread Gray 8/0 (70 denier)

Materials

  • Hackle fibers (tail) Blue dun tail hackle fibers (6-8 fibers)
  • Stripped peacock quill (body) Natural peacock herl (1)
  • Hen hackle (collar) Blue dun hen hackle fibers (1 feather)
  • Wood duck flank (wing) Natural barred wood duck flank (1 slip)

How to tie it

  1. Start thread behind the eye and run it to the bend.
  2. Tie in a few blue dun hackle fibers as a tail, one hook-gap long.
  3. Bind a stripped peacock quill at the bend and wrap it forward in touching turns to the 70% mark for a segmented body; tie off and snip.
  4. Wind two turns of soft blue dun hen hackle as a wet collar, then sweep the fibers down and back and lock them as a beard.
  5. Marry a slip of barred wood duck flank over the top, curving down over the body with tips to the hook bend, and pinch-loop it in at the 80% mark.
  6. Build a neat head, whip finish, snip, and cement.

Tying videos

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