All the entries so far this month are a hard act to follow but here goes.
A wee summer salmon fly that has worked for me. It’s yet another variation on a Stoat’s Tail so I call it “Sort of a Stoat”. Does the UV dubbing make any difference? I don’t know.
Materials
Hook : Partridge Salar, or any other low water single, Sizes 8 - 14
Thread : black 8/0
Tail : yellow Krystal Flash
Tag and rib : Oval silver tinsel, narrow
Rear body : mylar black holographic flat tinsel
Front body : UV black dubbing
Hackle : 3 turns grizzle over 3 turns black, Chinese cock hackle
Wing : Black Arctic fox.
Catch on the thread and run down to the start of the body
Catch in the silver tinsel on the underside of the hook
Run the thread and tinsel down to the point of the hook
Run the thread back up a little and then wind the tag and catch off on the underside of the hook
Catch in 4 strands of the Krystal Flash
Run the thread up to the top of the body binding down the tail
Trim off the loose ends and trim the tail to level with the bend of the hook
Run the thread down to half way down the body and catch in the holographic black tinsel.
Wind the tinsel down to the tag and back up to the tying in point
Run a thin spindle of the black dubbing onto the thread
Wind on the dubbed thread to the top of the body
Counter wind the rib and catch off
Select a black cock hackle feather with barbs long enough to reach past the point of the hook. Trim off the barbs at the front so the stem is less bulky when you tie in
Catch in by the point
Wind on 3 turns of hackle smoothing the barbs back as you wind. Catch off and trim waste
Catch in a grizzle hackle in the same way
Wind on another 3 turns, catch off and trim waste
Cut of a small tuft of Arctic fox hair and tease out the short hairs at the base. Check for length. The wing should be slightly longer than the tip of the tail
Pinch and loop the wing into place and make 3 or 4 turns of thread
Twist the waste ends together and trim off.
Put a drop of head cement on the butt ends of the wing and then form a neat head and whip finish.
Two coats of varnish and - job done.
