Red Clock

Hi,

I've been having some fun tying up some patterns from Pritt's North Country Flies.  Here's one, which he calls a "Red Clock" (a clock I believe is a beetle), which I have a question about. Here's how I've tied it. It's a bit heavy on the hackle but the feather was fragile enough that stripping one side would have damaged the stem to the point I couldn't use it and I only have a couple suitable feathers. I figure once a few fish get at it, the hackle will thin out anyway!

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...h_RedClock.jpg

Now, here's the dressing:
Hook: Black Magic A series, size 14 (round bend heavy wire, wet fly hook)
Thread: UniThread 8/0 Yellow, waxed with bee's wax
Body: tying thread
Thorax: peacock herl
Hackle: Golden feather from a cock pheasant's neck
Head: peacock herl

It's the hackle I'm wondering about.  At first I was thinking it was golden pheasant tippets, but it seems to me unless otherwise specified a "cock pheasant" in 1880s England would mean a ringneck pheasant. So, I had a peak at the skin I have, which doesn't include the full neck, but I did spot some feathers of a tawny reddish colour that could be the "golden feather" mentioned. Since I don't have the neck of the bird, I only have a few of these (hence my reluctance to strip one side for fear of wasting one). I decided to go with this, and this looks to be acceptable. Also, Pritt does list as a substitute a small red cock's hackle (again, giving me more confidence the hackle is from the Ringneck pheasant and not golden pheasant tippets).

Now, that's my thinking. Could anyone with more historical knowledge than I please let me know their thinking on this? Regardless, I do think this is a nice combinations of colours and will certainly take fish.

- Jeff

A person could always get in there with a pair of scissors and thin the hackle a little once it was wrapped, thus giving you a sparser collar while not damaging the feather. Just a thought.

That's a good idea Bluegill222. I figure the fish will cut a few of the fibres too, so it just gets better as it catches fish! :)

- Jeff`