Speaking of killers...one of my all time absolute favorite names that anyone could have come up with for a fly is.... "The Killer Diller". Popularized by Don Martinez et.al. in the Yellowstone area in possibly the 1930's, 1940's. The fly has it's roots in the hairwing flies of the "Trude" style. I'm getting that the term killer diller was common among the guides and shop owners of that time and referred to what was the "latest and greatest" fly pattern to be on sale for "the dudes" at the shop (Have times changed?). You can find the recipe for the pattern in Bergman's book "Trout" or google it. In the past I've sent some of the flies to my East Coast brother, "a Dude". His comment: "They work back here".


To the OP ....if you don't have badger hackle try wrapping some natural or black ostrich either side of the wing before winding a lighter hackle collar through it. A little more work but the results are similar to the badger hackle.


PS: If anyone knows the true origin of the "Killer Diller" I'm interested in the history.