Is hands down Olive body with black or close to it hackle, I was wondering what you guys would think the second best colors would be?
Here that question has become a problem. It is quite common to hear someone say, “A such and such colour Klinkhammer is the best.” That sounds fine until you see the fly. Then you realise they are talking about a parachute fly with an antron shuck, or some other fly. Klinkhammer has become synonymous with a fly with a parachute hackle. I’ve even heard a Parachute Adams being called a Klinkhammer. I know some variation in a pattern seems to be acceptable in keeping the name, but what has gone on here is far beyond variation.
My fishing experience has failed to provide evidence of a better colour combination than the original tan, peacock, and light blue dun of Hans’ original. The one variation that has stuck for me is the use of peach coloured antron body wool for the wing. It just shows up so much better on the water, and doesn’t attract ducks!
What does make a difference in performance is colour intensity. The easiest way to explain what I mean is that you can tie a Klinkhammer in many different colours, however if you where to take a black and white photo of them they would record as grey. Ones that show a lighter or darker grey don’t perform as well generally, though they can be better when the situation is right. For example when there is a fall of heather or hawthorn flies, a black body with a wide silver tinsel rib and a tiny touch of bright red usually works well.
My good friend Alan, who taught me to tie back in the mists of time, calls it a chocolate biscuit (cookie) fly. His explanation is that if you take a small child to McDonald’s and feed him fries until he is sated with them, he will reach a point at which he will not eat any more. If you then wave a chocolate biscuit in front of him he’ll still grab for it. Sometimes that’s how the trout will react to a Klinkhammer. In this situation the original pattern will work as well, or better than any.
Cheers,
A.
First off, isn’t it one word?
My favorite colors are Yellow and in the Uinta’s of 10,000 feet PURPLE!
Yes, with only one “m.”
Klinkhamer
Sorry, but you get the others for free! Also it should be Klinkh?mer but it is such a pain to put the “?” in like that. In my defence it was 06:00 in the morning here! I try not to wake up before 13:00, even if I have to get up! 
Cheers,
A.
Well after all the trouble getting the “a” (? trying again) with a circle over it it didn’t post.
Cheers,
A.
I knew there would be a way around it!
There you go!
Cheers,
A.
What actually differentiates a Klinkhamer - is it the large size of the hook?
No. Its the shape of the fly. The abdomen hangs down from the surface while the thorax sits in the film supported by the hackle. It is tied on a long shank grub hook, originally the Partridge K12 ST with an extra bend put in about a quarter of the shank length back from the eye.
Cheers,
A.
Pheasant tail Klinkhamer, exactly as the nymph recipe. Brown hackle. The best!
It is on a bigger hook. In other words, a #18 Klink is a lot bigger that a Dry 18, but because it hangs vertically, it has a smaller appearance.
So the attraction to this pattern is being able to tie and fish a bigger fly that represents a smaller.
So if I want to tie a parachute, is there any reason not to always tie it Klinkhamer style?
No, unless you like using small hooks…LOL But if you want the fly to ride high on the water, then a different hook.
Or use more wraps on the post?
Yes. Whenever you want the fly to represent a dun or spinner. The Klinkhamer is an emerger or attractor, therefore, does not represent either of the adult stages.
Cheers,
A.
Alan, I have a Klink that I tied Fibbetts in in the split spinner fashion. I tied them in up by the post, so, from underneath, it did in fact represent spinner.
But again, it made a larger fly “look” like a smaller one from underneath.
But here is a picture that explains how the fly sits in the water:
http://dailyflytyer.com/2011/02/klinkhammer-hans-van-klinken/
Here we come to the old argument, “how much do you have to change a pattern before it isn’t the original?” Lets look at it from another point. Why do we give flies names? Is it not so we can describe them specifically? If we only had dry fly and wet fly to describe a fly, then, when I ask what you caught a fish on, and you say “Dry fly”, it could be a size 26 Trico imitation, or a size 4 stone fly imitation, how would I know? We need the names to know what we are talking about, we also need to keep the name pure so we know what it means. If I had asked what fly you caught on, and you said “Klinkhamer” to mean your spinner variation, I wouldn’t have the information I asked for.
In the article, by Hans, which that illustration comes from, he states that his fly was tied to imitate an emerging caddis, and he later came to understand it could also imitate emerging up wing flies, midges, etc. Also that, in variations of colour, it represents drowned terrestrial insects. Not word for word but the same point I made earlier. He doesn’t include either of the adult stages of up wing flies in his list.
You could consider the way I tie Klinkhamers a variation, though you would be hard pushed to tell the difference by looking at the finished flies. I do not turn the hook in the vice, but rather cock my wrist to perform the whip finish horizontally. It saves me a few seconds per fly. Having tied many thousand of these, learning that skill has paid me back with a couple of extra days fishing when I would have otherwise been working.
Cheers,
A.
You still have the originals, then you have the individuals spin off. What is the problem there? I will also add in my post #13, I did make mention to a dry fly to ride higher in the water. But, I think copy is great but sometimes a tweek to fit multi needs is great. Still give credit where credit due.
I also just answered that somewhere along the lines, someone got the idea to add a spinner tail to a Klinkhamer and it actually worked.
Look at the variations to old school. Prince Nymphs, Haresears, PT. In fact, I tie my Griffith Gnat with Orange floss for the body instead of Peacock…deadly fly.
I see Kinkhamers as being a good easy tie specially for a beginner because it is bigger. I have also watched professional tiers that tie small at the eye leving more hook in the rear to also imitate a smaller fly. All what works. I am still able to tie my #32’s and I am grateful for that.
How is the weather there in Scotland?
Have a great evening.
Ok i’ll tye some with tan and blue dun hackle… oh and for the record my hooks i use are…
Orvis Emerger hooks 1639 size 14… 