Frank Johnson's Water Walker Fly
In another thread, I mentioned Johnson's Water Walker Fly. Mr. Frank Johnson of Streamline Anglers in Missoula, Montana tied this pattern.
The fly is highlighted in Terry Helleckson's great book "Popular Fly Patterns". Terry believed the tying style to be the best representation of a sub-imago insect on the water.
The unique feature of the pattern is that it uses two hackle feathers. One hackle feather wrapped around one wing and the other wrapped around the other wing. It gives the "legs" of the fly pretty natural looking locations at a more natural angle from the body of the fly.
Helleckson said, regarding this fly, : "Personally, I feel this is one of the most important contributions to fly-tying to have appeared in my life time. It is not just another re-introduction of an old idea which has been abandoned a century or more before."
One thing about the fly, you can throw it into the air and it will land upright 100% of the time. A claim that a traditional upright winged fly can rarely make.
Anyway, here is my "not-so-perfect" version from this morning.
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/...ps52675748.jpg
On the water surface
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/...psd6781631.jpg
From the rear
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2d4c69d6.jpg
Floating
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/...psf1a123c1.jpg
Terry Hellecson's drawings of the steps in tying Frank Johnson's Water Walker style dry fly
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/...pse5146db1.jpg