"Alexandra" Text and Photos by Hans Weilenmann © 1998 Hans Weilenmann Thanks for use permission!
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- Hook: Wet fly hook #8-12 (I have used a Sprite made Gaelic Supreme wet fly hook in size 10).
- Thread: Black 6/0 or 8/0.
- Tail: Red ibis (substitute) - fairly short.
- Body: Silver mylar.
- Ribbing: Fine oval silver tinsel.
- Hackle: Black hen.
- Wing: Peacock sword.
- Cheeks: Red ibis (substitute).
1. Attach thread at eye, run thread to bend and tie down a doubled section of the red feather to form a shortish tail. Make an even underbody by tying down tail material up to a short distance from the eye. Trim stubs. | |||||||
2. Spiral thread back to bend and tie in the ribbing material underneath
the hook shank. Return thread back to the front of the hook, trapping and
keeping the ribbing material directly underneath the hook shank. Trim excess
ribbing material. (Maintaining a totally level underbody will enable you to have
a smooth, lump-free mylar body.) Tie in the mylar with a few touching turns of
thread, wrapping towards the eye of the hook. Wrap the mylar, silver side out,
in touching turns to the bend, reverse direction and wrap back to front of hook.
Maintaining tension on the mylar, -unwrap- the thread wraps which initially tied
down the mylar and trim tag end close to the shank. Trap and tie down the mylar,
trim tag end. | |||||||
3. Counter-wrap the body in evenly spaced turns of the ribbing
material and tie off directly underneath the shank. Trim tag end.
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4. Tie in the hen hackle and wrap a few turns to make a collar.
(I like to tie in the hackle by the butt. Your mileage may vary.) Use
tweezers or hackle pliers to 'pluck away' some of the hackle fibers
from the top half of the collar.
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5. Tie in a small quantity of herl from the sword feather to form
a wing. Trim butts close.
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6. Tie in two matching strips of the red feather, one on each side,
to form the 'cheeks'. Trim butts close and form a neat head with the
thread. Whip finish and varnish head to complete the Alexandra.
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